Anyone know the latest on this? I guess the British ones are out of the question now. However, I know that the ones at Le Bourget and Toulose have been kept in pretty reasonable shape and have had engine runs but i am not sure how recently. Apparently the one at Le Bourget has also had Sir Richard Branson interested in it and he has allegedly offered around £1 million towards getting it back into the sky!

 

Victor:

the one at Le Bourget has also had Sir Richard Branson interested in it and he has allegedly offered around £1 million towards getting it back into the sky!

Ha ha ha!  Man, I haven't heard a joke like that in ages!

When are people going to finally realise that Concorde is never going to fly again?

Now, I'm not out to offend anyone when I say this - I'm simply being realistic, based on what I know - but the only way that Branson will ever succeed in getting any one of the Concordes off the ground ever again is if he uses a crane.

Aside from the obvious, one of the main reasons behind the retirement of both the AF and BA fleets was the fact that most of the aircraft were due a D-check (which ain't exactly cheap) and from 2003 I believe it was mandatory for all aircraft entering US airspace to be equipped with reinforced cockpit doors, etc.  I read a while ago that the costs of post-9/11 security measures on board most aircraft were put at something like $30,000 per aircraft; quotes for outfitting the Concorde fleet with the neccessary modifications were as high as $250,000 per aircraft.

The modifications to the aircraft needed in the aftermath of the Gonesse crash cost BA something in the region of £31 million, including the back-to-service flight testing program.

Branson is living in a dream world if he thinks £1m is gonna get him anywhere close to having a fully-servicable Concorde back in the skies.  Plus, you'd think that it would be an idea to run the idea past EADS again, just to make sure that they haven't changed their minds about providing technical support to the project..... 

Technically, F-BTSD (at Le Bourget) and possibly F-BVFC (at Toulouse) could fly again, but the likelihood of it happening is pretty much a gazillion-to-one.  Besides, nobody makes spares for the damn things anymore.  Just because AF have kept the hydraulics in an operable condition to move the nose up and down, doesn't mean for a second that it would be easy to get it back up to flying condition.

Personally, I'd love to see one flying again.  Heathrow was a far more interesting place when one of those fine machines rocketed off 27R.

Realistically though......  Never going to happen.

 

Titch

US airspce restrictions would have no impact on the decision to get Concorde flying again. The idea is to only get it flying for special occasions. Also check out http://www.clubconcorde.co.uk/. These arent no hopers behind seeing concorde flying again they are ex Concorde captains! Never say never!

Ha Ha Ha Ha ha, Concorde captains!

Just had a look at their site; It would appear these no hopers are seeing to little more than selling off their ties, prints and memorabilia in recognition of Concorde's last flight.

Well, Richard Branson is a very successful entrepreneur, and is totally brilliant at generating the slightest little bit of publicity. John.

Well, to be perfectly honest nothing like this surprises me anymore because we now seem to live in a world where so many are unable to think for themselves.