From BBC news online:
MSPs are expected to support calls to bring one of the UK’s seven Concordes to the Museum of Flight in East Lothian.
The attraction at East Fortune, near Haddington, is one of 30 museums across the globe asking British Airways (BA) to donate a Concorde.
John Home Robertson, MSP for East Lothian, is staging a debate in parliament on Wednesday as part of the campaign to bring one of the supersonic planes to Scotland.
BA and Air France made simultaneous announcements last month that they would be permanently grounding Concorde this year.
Concorde grounded
The plane’s wings were designed by a Scot, Sir James Arnot Hamilton, and the early test flights took place at Prestwick.
Concorde also flew over the Scottish Parliament when it opened in July 1999.
The only cloud in the sky is the cost of maintaining one of the planes – even as a museum piece – in the style to which it has become accustomed.
In a statement last month, BA said Concorde would cease flying in the autumn because of “commercial reasons, with passenger revenue falling steadily against a backdrop of rising maintenance costs for the aircraft”.
Passenger numbers have never recovered since a crash near Paris in 2000 and the aircraft no longer makes a profit.
A spokesman for BA said the company was determined the aircraft would go out in style.
The plane operates daily out of London Heathrow and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport to North America.
It cruises at 1350 mph and an altitude of up to 60,000ft (11 miles), which means a crossing from Europe to New York takes less than three-and-a-half hours.
By: ken_murray - 18th June 2003 at 16:29
Originally posted by ageorge
I tend to agree that the Concorde is such a historic airframe that it should only be given to museums which have the capability to conserve them properly – under cover .
I agree that the airframes have to be conserved under cover. A spokeman for the NMS was quoted in the Scotland on Sunday on 8th June saying they would wish to keep concorde in a hanger if their bid was successful. I read it that they would rearrange use of the restoration and deep store hangers.
Although i support the MoF bid, i’m a bit doubtful if a 1000m runway is long enough to fly it in, but the museum seemed confident!
ken
By: ageorge - 18th June 2003 at 16:13
Originally posted by Joe Petroni
How are they going to get it there? It’s only a microlight strip.East Fortune
11/29 Grass/Conc 450m x 12m
08/26 Grass/Conc 250m x 8m
Surely they are not going to try and dismantle it and move it by road:eek:
Or would they close the public road which splits the old main runway in two and re-enstate it to its full length:confused:
Hi Joe , I’ve flown from both sides of the road , from the Micro strip in a Mainair Gemini Flash 2 Alpha and from the other side in a PA28 , there are only two barriers to prevent the whole strip from being used – the road , like you mention , this only cuts off a relatively small portion of the runway and could easily be removed temporarily by taking away the mini roundabout and associated fencing , the other barrier is just a fence and tyre barrier at the race track down the east end of the main runway , this could be easily removed. It’s a shame that the whole airfield with the three runways doesn’t belong to the MoF , it could be a decent place for a GA/ Warbird facility – something Scotland needs badly , although it’s proximity to the Edinburgh ( Turnhouse ) Control Zone / Corridors could cause problems . The Vulcan and Comet flew in ok .
I tend to agree that the Concorde is such a historic airframe that it should only be given to museums which have the capability to conserve them properly – under cover .
By: Joe Petroni - 18th June 2003 at 15:12
How are they going to get it there? It’s only a microlight strip.
East Fortune
11/29 Grass/Conc 450m x 12m
08/26 Grass/Conc 250m x 8m
Surely they are not going to try and dismantle it and move it by road:eek:
Or would they close the public road which splits the old main runway in two and re-enstate it to its full length:confused:
By: Seafuryfan - 18th June 2003 at 12:51
I’d really love to see a Concorde in Scotland, but if the city fathers know what’s good for them, they will think further than just obtaining the airframe, and ensure that it’s installed undercover, preferably in a purpose built, climate conditioned hangar.
I wouldn’t mind it being somewhere in Scotland other than East Fortune as long as it was PROTECTED.
We’ve seen too many beautiful airframes rot and eventually be scrapped – this aircraft deserves a better fate.
Good luck to those trying to obtain a Concorde for Scotland!
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June 18, 2003 at 11:07 am