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Post by beagle on Apr 8, 2012 22:57:45 GMT 12
I remember being at Christchurch Airport, oh my, must have been in approx mid 90's and by chance a Concorde was taxting in. I had a video camera on me and filmed it, wouldn't have a clue where that tape was and my nikon was not even thought of then. So how many times did we see a concorde in NZ skies and at what airports I remember some shots of Skyhawks accompanying one into Auckland and it was ahuge event, not sure if this was after the one i saw at CHC or not.
memories anyone ?
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Post by mumbles on Apr 8, 2012 23:01:21 GMT 12
Skyhawks accompanying one into Auckland and it was ahuge event, not sure if this was after the one i saw at CHC or not. memories anyone ? I think that was in 1986, and it was the first time a Concorde had been here. It was a charter to try and view Halley's Comet from memory. I think from memory there were at least three or four other Concorde visits after that, from both BA and Air France.
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Post by area51 on Apr 9, 2012 1:27:22 GMT 12
I did a blog post on one of the Corncob visits to Auckland back in 1996: www.mrcaviation.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/this-day-in-1998.htmlI recall making a special trip from my South Island home to Christchurch for one of the first Concorde visits. And on one visit by a BA example the airport company at Christchurch held an open day of sorts featuring not only the supersonic visitor but also a USAF C5 Galaxy. A special sticker was produced for the day, I'll have to hunt it out!
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Post by shorty on Apr 9, 2012 7:20:38 GMT 12
Two incidents spring to mind regarding the Christchurch visits. One was a BA aircraft losing part of its rudder over the tasman somewhere on it's way to Aus and the second was when a strong Canterbury nor-wester blew a servicing stand into the port wing of a Concorde and punctured the tank. There was fuel everywhere! I have a photo (I don't know if I posted it here or not) of it sitting yhere in a pool of fuel. I was working for Mt Cook at the time and we had a good view of the event from our upstairs crew room.
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Post by campbellbox on Apr 9, 2012 10:59:00 GMT 12
I have this clipping of the 1986 visit from either the Herald or the Star. Bloody impressive machine - 11.5 hours London to Perth. Concorde was the sort of thing that made people in the 60s think that we in 2012 would have jet packs and hover cars. The headline is somewhat optimistic regarding the Skyhawk's speed in level flight though. Attachments:
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Post by haughtney1 on Apr 11, 2012 22:59:05 GMT 12
The distance between Perth and AKL is broadly similar to the Concordes more use LHR-JFK route. As for it only taking 11 hrs from London to Perth, that's merely flying time, they had to stop for fuel and provisions in Bahrain and Singapore on one trip if my ex Concorde pilot chum is correct. He also mentioned that the trip to Perth took a total of 18 hrs in total...about 3 hours less than you can do commercially today.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 12, 2012 9:18:13 GMT 12
Did any New Zealanders ever fly or crew on the Concorde while in service?
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Post by voidhawk9 on Apr 12, 2012 17:02:48 GMT 12
I met a guy at CAC once, who was there watching his grandson fly. Nice chap, admitted only to having done 'a bit of flying years ago'. Turns out he was once a BA Concorde captain. I assume he was kiwi...?
I attending a CH open day with an AF Concorde, C-5, and a U-2. Got a tour through the Concorde, and got to try out the front seats too. Amazing stuff.... not available to the general public though. ;-)
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Post by flyjoe180 on Apr 12, 2012 19:44:10 GMT 12
There was a bloke up at Northland Districts Aero Club who flew Concorde back in his day. S2k may remember him and have his name handy in an old logbook.
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Post by haughtney1 on Apr 13, 2012 7:13:10 GMT 12
Email sent to my mate....if anyone knows if any Kiwis flew the line, he would.
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Post by Naki on Apr 13, 2012 8:58:22 GMT 12
I was on the roof of a commercial building on the near the landing flight path of Auckland International in the early 90s. Heard a louder than normal roar and looked up and a Air France Concorde passed over my head (wish I had a camera)...was diverted from Christchurch IIRC.
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Post by Bruce on Apr 13, 2012 9:54:43 GMT 12
Captain Derek Ellis (famous for commentaries on the erebus disaster) was a BA Concorde pilot. Thats at least one...
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Post by lumpy on Apr 13, 2012 12:42:08 GMT 12
Does anyone know how close Concord came to NewZealand during its " World Tour " of 1972 ? ( if at all ) ? I saw a reference that stated " it flew as far afield as Austraila and NewZealand " , but cant locate anything else . I also found this " Government ministers, Qantas executives and airport officials flew on the two supersonic "demos" from Sydney, the second of which took the aircraft, after a wide sweep over the Tasman Sea, to Melbourne. Here, two more flights were made and the names of more distinguished passengers added to the list. " - which seems to suggest it may have at least headded in this direction ?
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Post by haughtney1 on Apr 13, 2012 22:09:15 GMT 12
Got my reply, and here it is verbatim "as far as I know when I was on it there were at least 4 sheep shaggers, 3 of which were Captains, don't ask me to name names though as I can't even remember where I left the car keys these days"
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2012 22:24:02 GMT 12
I was asking about kiwis, not Aussies.
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Post by haughtney1 on Apr 14, 2012 22:41:27 GMT 12
Don't worry Dave, I won't print my reply...but given the fact that my mate was born in Bridgend Wales, it involved a reference to the pot calling the kettle black and of course, asking him how many welsh rugby coaches have won the 6 nations recently :-)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 14, 2012 22:50:24 GMT 12
Haha
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Post by kevsmith on Apr 17, 2012 23:45:50 GMT 12
A demo Concorde was certainly in Melbourne in 1972. I have a photo of it that I took at the time. There were other visits to Melbourne in later years but I don't think they were other than BA Concordes.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 14, 2012 11:35:52 GMT 12
While looking for something else I found a small article by Dave Bates in the New Zealand Wings issue for May 1989, in which he states the first Concorde to visit NZ was three years before (the 1986 Haleys Comet charter) to Auckland, and on the 9th of April 1989 the second visit was made by Concorde G-BOAF, this being the first time in Christchurch. This Chch visit was part of a 23-day 60,800km round the world flight with 98 passengers. It had been chartered by Miami-based Lorraine Travel. The flight planned to break 12 point to point speed records.
It arrived at Chch from Papeete. Also present for the public to see that day were a NSA C-141, an RNZAF Friendship, an RNZAF Airtrainer, a Pitts Special, a Robinson R-22 and the P-51D Mustang ZK-TAF. It was estimated that 20,000 people showed up to look at Concorde.
It left for Sydney on the Wednesday and touched down there after a 1 hour 24 minute flight. It was this take off when a chunk of rudder departed and was lost in the Tasman Sea. The aircraft was the last Concorde built and was then only a few days under 10 years old.
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merv
Flying Officer
Posts: 60
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Post by merv on Jun 15, 2012 13:16:36 GMT 12
I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of being to the edge of space at 66,000 ft at more than twice the speed of sound (Mach 2.1) during a flight aboard Concorde G-BOAE in 1998. We flew from Fairford in England, out over the English Channel on 1½ hour flight, before returning to Fairford. This surely was the epitome of my flying career.
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