[SOC] Concorde

[JMcAulay]

My memory does not include objections to Concorde flying in US airspace.
Flying in US airspace at greater than Mach 1, however, drew lots of
objections.  You may recall that one US airline, Braniff, flew Concorde
between Dallas and London, unfortunately inefficiwently because of reduced
speed over US land area.  Braniff, by the way, went bankrupt.  Too bad, as
they provided wonderful service IMO, as well as some of the best food in
the sky.  

I also have wondered a lot why transatlantic service was so big for
Concorde, to the virtual exclusion of other runs.  Maybe there's a simple
answer that I just don't know.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Paul, but I have long thought
Concorde to be one of the most astounding aircraft designs in history.  The
concept breakthroughs in that machine were probably greater in number than
in any other commercial-use aircraft in history.  

I live in California's Antelope Valley... Lancaster, Palmdale, US Air Force
Plant 42, nearby Edwards Air Force Base.  This rather small area has
facilities of Boeing, Northrop-Grumman, Lockheed-Martin and others, and was
home to construction of the F-117, the B-1, the B-2, the Space Shuttle
Orbiters, lots of other stuff too common or too obscure to mention, and
some current mysteries.  So around here, we're also familiar with aircraft
type life-cycles, and I can understand how you feel.  One of ours that went
away a while back after long years of amazing service was the SR-71, one of
the few aircraft ever that could fly rings (albeit very *large* rings)
around a Concorde.  Of course Concorde, without overtaxing its engines at
all, can easily outrun many of the world's finest military fighters.  Oh,
yes... with a large number of aircraft afficionados (or fanatics) around
here, we occasionally are treated to some unusual visitorss.  Such as the
restored (except for working machine guns and old radios) B-17 that was at
a local field recently.  First time I had the opportunity to wander around
and in one of those things.  And it's been interesting many times to hear
that double sonic boom and watch the Shuttle Orbiter land at Edwards.  I
could actually see it come down from a slightly higher elevation just south
of my house, and on occasion had invitations to visit the base for the
"official" grandstand watch-it-land viewing.  

Anyway, Concorde will be missed, even by some of us who never got near one.  

Regards,
John