FLY ON CONCORD

Obviously it is not now possible to fly on Concord but it is possible to still go inside them. There is one open to the public at Manchester Airport and two in the MUSEUM OF AIR & SPACE in Paris. As we were in Paris in April 2008 I paid the museum a visit.

Concord was taken out of service in2003 when it became uneconomical to run. It first went in to service in 1969 flying in operation for over 33 years. The plane could carry 100 passengers at a top speed of 1350mph

From the outside the aircraft looked long and sleek but on the inside it was pencil this and there seemed hardly room for cabin-service. I had arrived very early at the museum and I was the only person inside the plane.

It's a pity the door was looked to the cockpit, I could have taken it out for a spin.

Outside a stood looking at the section of the plane that brought tragedy to it in July 2000.

A strip of titanium had fallen off a previous Continental Airlines flight. Whist taxiing Concord ran over it bursting one of its tyres. The resulting explosion weakened the fuel tank in the area above the wheel and fuel leaked out. The fuel ignited and this was the result -

All 100 passengers and 9 crew died.