The ride took us under the runways and also gave a "behind-the-scenes" look of LHR. Bypassing the BA check-in counter in the Connection Centre, I proceeded downstairs and took the short shuttle bus ride to Terminal 4. I went through the Flight Connections Centre in Terminal 1, where I had to go through security and got my handbags x-rayed again. People on the plane were doing roller coaster style screams! We landed at LHR shortly before 1 pm. I flew from Milan Linate (LIN) to London Heathrow (LHR) on a BMI A320, during which we encountered some very violent turbulence over continental Europe. My two-week trip through Europe was just concluding, but my real fun was about to begin. Le Bourget's newest museum piece: Air France Concorde F-BTSD. I was very happy to get photos of the Air France Concordes in flight before they became museum pieces. Within one hour, we saw three Concordes: AF 1 taking off, AF 2 arriving, and BA 2 departing (coincidentally, I would later fly on the same aircraft!). With help of fellow photographer Art Brett, I was able to get my first ever "real photos" of Concorde. Right before Air France retired their Concordes in May, I made a pilgrimage to JFK to photograph it. I soaked up everyone's experiences while readying for my own. Re-reading books I had and scouring the web for trip reports. I read up on everything I could about Concorde. Believe it or not, it was not easy to get this receipt! I didn't want to be too far away from the back, either, because I wanted to be able to hear the engines as well. I wanted to fly westbound, not only because of the prestigious flight number of BA 1, but also because the fact that I would arrive in New York before I left London! I also decided I wanted to sit near the center of the plane, where my view would not be obstructed too much by the wing, yet close enough to see the speed displays on the bulkhead. In early May, I called the special BA Concorde reservation number and booked the special one-way World Traveller economy, one-way Concorde fare for July 1st. I planned my flight in conjunction with the Paris Air Show in June (another event I always wanted to go to) and my family vacation in Italy. I knew I wanted to fly on BA, as they would fly Concorde longer (through October) and they had a newly upgraded interior. I had set an arbitrary budget to pay whatever was "reasonable" for the flight. The announcement by Air France (AF) and British Airways (BA) to stop flying Concorde happens and I told myself I had to fly on was now or never. Maybe I would hit the jackpot on the Lotto!įast forward to April 2003. "Experts" were predicting Concorde would remain flying through the foreseeable future. I knew I had plenty of time to wait, however.
Still, spending between $8,000 to $10,000 for a plane ride did seem quite excessive. Though my interest in flying Concorde never waned. Time would pass and I would no longer be dependent on mom for financial support. There just wouldn't be such splurging on such a frivolous thing! We would be relegated to watch the sleek bird arrive and depart through the terminal window.Īir France Concorde F-BVFF at OAK in January 1987. It only cost a mere $900! I begged my mom to buy me a ticket for that ride. The flight took passengers on supersonic flights over the Pacific halfway to Hawaii and back. A local travel agency had chartered an Air France Concorde for two hour flights-to-nowhere out of Oakland, California (OAK). I saw my first Concorde in person in January 1987. It is sleek, unique, and goes really fast. Being a child of the 70s and interested in aviation, it was hard not to notice Concorde.
So recline your cradle seat to a comfortable position, fasten your seatbelt, and let's dart into the stratosphere! But I hope you will nevertheless find it interesting. Hello and welcome! I tried to make this trip report as detailed as possible, so it might be a long read.
0 kommentar(er)
