Why did the Concorde cross the road ?

great shots Ren!:)

Hmmm… finding out from BA what exactly will happen on the final flight day/week is like trying to predict the lottery numbers.

I’d imagine they will all park up somewhere for a bit of a champagne reception and general knees up, before being towed or otherwise to the BA hangars to be stripped of useful assets.

It would be nice of BA to let us know what’s going on, perhaps someone in BA Engineering could spill the beans a little ?

I have been thinking (yes, that does hurt but is something worth the effort :D):

When the Concordes make their final flight the 24th, will they be towed/taxiing to their hangars? If so, they will be crossing there! This might be an opportunity to make more pics (if you still have frames left after the flyby).

No worries ! 😀 Just thought you had a few at hand 😉

Sorry, those where during my pre-digi time! My father has a (crappy) scanner, so when he leaves the computer I’ll see if I can do one or two, but don’t expect anything of it!

(besides, my father is married to the computer, it would be tomorrow at the earliest providing I can leave work early)

Have you got any of those pics to add ?

I have been there a few times. The first time I saw a concorde (not counting the Duxford museum) was right here! It was parked before the gate, but the gate was not opening yet.

Since the alarm was not going, I went to the gate and poked my lense through it. I must have filled up a whole role of film, and every shot was worth it! Head on shots, from an angle, close-up of cockpit, close-up of gear you name it! The person in the cockpit was even waving at us through the open window!

Last few times I was there this was no longer necessary. Before the alarm would go of, a police van would appear “asking” us politely to leave IMMEDIATELY.

Different shots Ren, very nice

To get to the other side????????????????

Coming home from LHR yesterday there were several hundred people parking their cars on the dual carriage way, standing on roundabouts etc. to get a good view, so I don’t blame them really for showing a prescence.
4 police patrols passed us yesterday below the approach to 27R, and one jammy person had actualy managed to park their car between a bill board and a building! It was invisible from the road, but all the police walking past didn’t seem to care, so I do think we have them on our side in the “us vs BAA” argument!

Great photos, like the rest of your work, it’s very impressive.

Not sure if it was just coincidence or if it is an everyday thing these days, but the Police also arrived at the end of runway 27R for the early evening arrival of Concorde.

Funnily enough the police did appear for the Concorde crossing. The gates seemed to be working fine mind you. I assumed they were called to remove the party of French tourists who decided to ensconce themselves in the “no man’s land” bit between the gates ?

I see they got the gates working while you there! They have just changed them, so that if anything approaches them airside, they open up, and some idiot drove his van up to the gates and then parked up by a shed, setting them off and creating a huge traffic jam!
Despite this however the actual barriers stopping cars from driving into the planes have been replaced, and still don’t work! Now every time they want to get a plane across they have to call the police to block the road!

Excellent shots.

Useless info on the 747: lol

The winglets are 6ft tall, and the tail is as high as a 6 storey building.

And away she goes…

The wing tip wasn’t far away at all…

This is the closest I’ve been to a 747 I reckon ?

Coming through !

Next up, the jumbo waits “at the lights”

Great to see one so close up…