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Just a little scribble up today, at least this time Concorde's not alone in the fray!
What we see is a cold October day in 1985, and as British Airways Bae-Aérospatiale Concorde flagship G-BOAC taxis to the active for another Supersonic sprint, Hawker-Siddeley Trident 3 G-AWZK prepares for departure with one of its last flights on an internal European service. Both of these aircraft now sit within a few yards of each other at the Manchester Aviation Viewing Park near Manchester Airport, a far cry from their long distance hauls of yesteryear.
G-BOAC (Aircraft 204) was the oldest production Concorde in service with British Airways, but was not the first to be delivered, that distinction going to G-BOAA. The aircraft made its first flight on the 27th February, 1975, and prior to its delivery to British Airways on the 13th February, 1976, the aircraft was initially used by the manufacturers, BAC, to complete Certificate of airworthiness items, such as air conditioning system checks and auto landing trails. After the completion of these tests, Concorde 204 along with the ill fated Concorde 203 (F-BTSC), was used alongside the airlines on route proving duties around the world. G-BOAC was mainly based in Bahrain but also flew some routes out of Singapore.
This aircraft had the honour of being dubbed the flagship of the British Airways fleet, carrying in its registration the initials of the previous British national carrier BOAC or British Overseas Airways Corporation.
In 1979 the aircraft was briefly registered under the code N81AC, as part of a short lived venture with the American airline Braniff, which leased 10 aircraft from both airlines to operate subsonic domestic services from Washington to Dallas-Fort Worth from 1978, with Braniff crews taking over from international crews after landing at Washington. These services ended in 1980 due to a lack of profitability, with only 50% bookings or less on most flights.
The remainder of G-BOAC's life was comparatively uneventful, being taken out of service with the rest of the fleet in 2000 following the crash of Air France 4590, and only returning to service in November 2001 after the attacks of September 11th. With rising fuel costs, a discontinuation of maintenance by Aérospatiale's successors, Airbus, dropping ticket sales due to market stagnation and increasing environmental sensitivities, the retirement of Concorde was announced in April 2003, and G-BOAC made its final flight from Heathrow to Manchester on October 31st, 2003, clocking in 22,260 hours flying time, 7,730 landings and 6,761 Supersonic Transits. It was immediately preserved and has since been housed in a new glass hangar for protection from the elements.
Hawker-Siddeley Trident 3B-101 G-AWZK on the other hand goes back a little earlier than Concorde, entering service with British European Airways or BEA in October 1971. The aircraft was assigned to many European routes, including the London to Paris hop and many Holiday flights to the Mediterranean. However, in 1971 an act of Parliament was passed merging the nationally owned BEA with International carrier BOAC to create British Airways. As of September 1st, 1972, the British Airways Board oversaw the operation of the two companies until 31st March, 1974, when both airlines disappeared forever under the British Airways name.
G-AWZK was inherited by British Airways, and was painted into their original Negus livery. The aircraft continued to serve its usual route pattern, but British Airways' desire to relieve themselves of many older British build aircraft such as BAC 1-11's, VC10's and Tridents, meant that time was rapidly running out. G-AWZK however did continue to lead a useful life, and was one of only two Trident's to be painted in the company's second livery, the 'Landor' blue (as demonstrated here) in 1984, the other aircraft being G-AVFG. It would wear this livery until it became the final Trident retired by British Airways on November 1st, 1985, its last flight being 19:20 from Belfast to Heathrow, arriving in London at 20:21 and having her engines switched off for the last time at 20:28 upon arrival at the gate, after clocking up 19,761 flights totalling 23,466 flying hours.
Following retirement, the aircraft was taken on as a training rig for ground towing, de-icing, and counter-terrorism training by the Police. In 1991 the aircraft had its wings clipped by 15ft to save space, though new tips were fashioned allowing the refitting of the navigation lights and other wingtip accessories.
In the early 1990's, BA Engineering charity Happy Child wished to have the aircraft restored to allow children supported by the charity to come and see round an airliner. The Trident Preservation Society was formed by a group of enthusiasts and they set about restoring the aircraft in 1994. After full restoration, she was repainted, again into the then current Landor scheme.
The aircraft lived a happy life in preservation, and was repainted in 2001 into BEA livery. The attacks of September 11th however had a profound effect on its preservation, as heightened security made it difficult for the preservationists to access the aircraft. The aircraft was no longer allowed to be used as a training aircraft, and it appeared all hope was lost for this lonely plane.
Happily though, Neil Lomax, one of the original restorers of the aircraft, put out an online forum to save the aircraft, raising funds to have the plane moved to the Manchester Aviation Viewing Park. After the funds had been raised, the group bought the aircraft from British Airways and began taking it apart bit by bit for its movement north, beginning in October 2004, and finishing about a month later.
Throughout 2005 and 2006, the aircraft was restored to the way it would have looked in service with BEA, wearing BEA colours and fitted with the same seating from the early 1970's. Work on restoring the aircraft was completed in early 2007, and the plane opened its doors to the public on 7th April, 2007. Today both G-AWZK and G-BOAC remain open to the public in Manchester, both iconic symbols of British Aviation design and engineering.
What we see is a cold October day in 1985, and as British Airways Bae-Aérospatiale Concorde flagship G-BOAC taxis to the active for another Supersonic sprint, Hawker-Siddeley Trident 3 G-AWZK prepares for departure with one of its last flights on an internal European service. Both of these aircraft now sit within a few yards of each other at the Manchester Aviation Viewing Park near Manchester Airport, a far cry from their long distance hauls of yesteryear.
G-BOAC (Aircraft 204) was the oldest production Concorde in service with British Airways, but was not the first to be delivered, that distinction going to G-BOAA. The aircraft made its first flight on the 27th February, 1975, and prior to its delivery to British Airways on the 13th February, 1976, the aircraft was initially used by the manufacturers, BAC, to complete Certificate of airworthiness items, such as air conditioning system checks and auto landing trails. After the completion of these tests, Concorde 204 along with the ill fated Concorde 203 (F-BTSC), was used alongside the airlines on route proving duties around the world. G-BOAC was mainly based in Bahrain but also flew some routes out of Singapore.
This aircraft had the honour of being dubbed the flagship of the British Airways fleet, carrying in its registration the initials of the previous British national carrier BOAC or British Overseas Airways Corporation.
In 1979 the aircraft was briefly registered under the code N81AC, as part of a short lived venture with the American airline Braniff, which leased 10 aircraft from both airlines to operate subsonic domestic services from Washington to Dallas-Fort Worth from 1978, with Braniff crews taking over from international crews after landing at Washington. These services ended in 1980 due to a lack of profitability, with only 50% bookings or less on most flights.
The remainder of G-BOAC's life was comparatively uneventful, being taken out of service with the rest of the fleet in 2000 following the crash of Air France 4590, and only returning to service in November 2001 after the attacks of September 11th. With rising fuel costs, a discontinuation of maintenance by Aérospatiale's successors, Airbus, dropping ticket sales due to market stagnation and increasing environmental sensitivities, the retirement of Concorde was announced in April 2003, and G-BOAC made its final flight from Heathrow to Manchester on October 31st, 2003, clocking in 22,260 hours flying time, 7,730 landings and 6,761 Supersonic Transits. It was immediately preserved and has since been housed in a new glass hangar for protection from the elements.
Hawker-Siddeley Trident 3B-101 G-AWZK on the other hand goes back a little earlier than Concorde, entering service with British European Airways or BEA in October 1971. The aircraft was assigned to many European routes, including the London to Paris hop and many Holiday flights to the Mediterranean. However, in 1971 an act of Parliament was passed merging the nationally owned BEA with International carrier BOAC to create British Airways. As of September 1st, 1972, the British Airways Board oversaw the operation of the two companies until 31st March, 1974, when both airlines disappeared forever under the British Airways name.
G-AWZK was inherited by British Airways, and was painted into their original Negus livery. The aircraft continued to serve its usual route pattern, but British Airways' desire to relieve themselves of many older British build aircraft such as BAC 1-11's, VC10's and Tridents, meant that time was rapidly running out. G-AWZK however did continue to lead a useful life, and was one of only two Trident's to be painted in the company's second livery, the 'Landor' blue (as demonstrated here) in 1984, the other aircraft being G-AVFG. It would wear this livery until it became the final Trident retired by British Airways on November 1st, 1985, its last flight being 19:20 from Belfast to Heathrow, arriving in London at 20:21 and having her engines switched off for the last time at 20:28 upon arrival at the gate, after clocking up 19,761 flights totalling 23,466 flying hours.
Following retirement, the aircraft was taken on as a training rig for ground towing, de-icing, and counter-terrorism training by the Police. In 1991 the aircraft had its wings clipped by 15ft to save space, though new tips were fashioned allowing the refitting of the navigation lights and other wingtip accessories.
In the early 1990's, BA Engineering charity Happy Child wished to have the aircraft restored to allow children supported by the charity to come and see round an airliner. The Trident Preservation Society was formed by a group of enthusiasts and they set about restoring the aircraft in 1994. After full restoration, she was repainted, again into the then current Landor scheme.
The aircraft lived a happy life in preservation, and was repainted in 2001 into BEA livery. The attacks of September 11th however had a profound effect on its preservation, as heightened security made it difficult for the preservationists to access the aircraft. The aircraft was no longer allowed to be used as a training aircraft, and it appeared all hope was lost for this lonely plane.
Happily though, Neil Lomax, one of the original restorers of the aircraft, put out an online forum to save the aircraft, raising funds to have the plane moved to the Manchester Aviation Viewing Park. After the funds had been raised, the group bought the aircraft from British Airways and began taking it apart bit by bit for its movement north, beginning in October 2004, and finishing about a month later.
Throughout 2005 and 2006, the aircraft was restored to the way it would have looked in service with BEA, wearing BEA colours and fitted with the same seating from the early 1970's. Work on restoring the aircraft was completed in early 2007, and the plane opened its doors to the public on 7th April, 2007. Today both G-AWZK and G-BOAC remain open to the public in Manchester, both iconic symbols of British Aviation design and engineering.
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Comments5
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The experience was not in seeing Concorde, but in hearing her. (Did so once - Legoland Windsor, i.e. in the flightpath of Heathrow, April 1995...)
Even odder to consider is not how some people have grandparents who flew these while their grandchildren never will - it's how some of these grandparents saw all of it happening within their life span!
When my Grandmother was born in 1918... there simply was no civilian aviation. A couple of years later, the local airport started receiving Handley-Page W.8b airliners operated by SABENA. When she visited the 1935 Brussels Expo, she could sit in a SABENA Fokker F.VII/3m that was on display there. Five years later, her father would fly home from Paris on a Junkers Ju-52. By the time my Grandmother visited her next World's Fair (Expo 1958, also at Brussels), she could visit the mock-up of the new Caravelle jetliner while looking at the Sabena Sikorsky helicopters taking off and landing at the World Fair's heliport. Six years later, she would fly aboard an actual Caravelle on a holiday to Rome, as well as a Viscount that took her from Rome to Naples.
Within a decade and a half of that, she had circled the world, flying via Anchorage to Tokyo on a Boeing 747, and back via Seoul on a DC-10!
From Handley-Page W.8's to Boeing 747s and DC-10s, all within the span of her life...
Even odder to consider is not how some people have grandparents who flew these while their grandchildren never will - it's how some of these grandparents saw all of it happening within their life span!
When my Grandmother was born in 1918... there simply was no civilian aviation. A couple of years later, the local airport started receiving Handley-Page W.8b airliners operated by SABENA. When she visited the 1935 Brussels Expo, she could sit in a SABENA Fokker F.VII/3m that was on display there. Five years later, her father would fly home from Paris on a Junkers Ju-52. By the time my Grandmother visited her next World's Fair (Expo 1958, also at Brussels), she could visit the mock-up of the new Caravelle jetliner while looking at the Sabena Sikorsky helicopters taking off and landing at the World Fair's heliport. Six years later, she would fly aboard an actual Caravelle on a holiday to Rome, as well as a Viscount that took her from Rome to Naples.
Within a decade and a half of that, she had circled the world, flying via Anchorage to Tokyo on a Boeing 747, and back via Seoul on a DC-10!
From Handley-Page W.8's to Boeing 747s and DC-10s, all within the span of her life...