April 2011 Archives

Just as in my last blog story, I'm at Brooklands. It's the same day, in fact, and the same subject (Concorde), but from a different angle. The angle is: what happens next in commercial supersonic flight?

From here...?

...to here?

 Former Concorde pilot Chris Orlebar, author of the definitive book about that iconic Franco-British aeroplane "The Concorde Story", was at Brooklands to launch the seventh edition of this very popular, thoroughly readable account. And this time it contains Orlebar's speculation about a successor. He doesn't pretend to know for sure, but years spent assembling information about this superspeed phenomenon may have provided him with as good a perspective as anybody alive can have of what's likely to come next.

So Chris invited the brilliant engineering mind behind the conception you've just seen (above) to speak at the event: Alan Bond of Reaction Engines Ltd. He's Chris' best bet for the future. Read about the amazing single-stage-to-orbit, quiet, efficient propulsive technology in the Concorde Story (Osprey Publishing).

Anyway, here's Chris, flanked by all the Concorde flight crew that he could find for the occasion, all of whom signed this copy of the book...

Worth a few quid on eBay?

Well here's my copy...

 Sorry, not for sale...

About half a second later we made it through. Phew! Left wingtip a bit close. Worried about the fin, too.

I was on board the world's only active Concorde simulator when I took this picture. The visual display is much better than this snapshot - taken by me on my stoneage digital camera - suggests.

It's at Brooklands museum. Yes, you can buy time on it, and I recommend you do.

 For the price, you get a real Concorde captain as your copilot. Mine was Mike Bannister, British Airway chief Concorde pilot when the aircraft was taken out of service in 2003.

I didn't do Tower Bridge. I asked Mike just for a take-off from Heathrow 28L, a left hand visual circuit (2,500ft), and line up to land back on 28L.

Mike did all the checklist stuff, set up the speed bugs, told me about attitudes for the key moments, and off we went. Not having done Concorde before, I wanted to feel everything, so I didn't use autothrottle either. Mike's guidance was brilliant. A little hint now and then when he could see the speed would soon decay if I didn't nudge the throttles forward a bit now, etc.

I was surprised at how stable the aeroplane was, and the flare and touchdown very natural. The weird bit is having to force the nosewheel down immediately she's firmly on the ground.

Brilliant! Another of those moments of incredulity when I think again: "I get paid for this!"

That's me, at Brooklands, just after the sim ride, propping up G-BBDG's nose gear. She's beautifully painted in the BA livery she wore when she first entered service. Oh yes, and that IS a VC-10 in the background (A40-AB, type 1103, formerly G-ASIX).

Want to find out what it was like being a Concorde passenger? Go to Brooklands and do the entire "Concorde experience".

I got a bit carried away with the ride, but see my next blog for what else I did at Brooklands today.