This is a little sad -- the last of an era in modern aviation. Do you think the Concorde is safe? Would you fly on it? Any words goodbye? http://www.msnbc.com/news/437418.asp Concorde takes to the air once again -- But N.Y.-to-Paris flight may be last ever for legendary aircraft MSNBC NEWS SERVICES NEW YORK, Sept. 21 — An Air France Concorde took off Thursday from JFK Airport on what may be last flight ever for the legendary supersonic jet whose reputation was permanently scarred after a crash on July 25 outside Paris in which 113 people died. FRANCE’S CIVIL aviation authority said Wednesday it had granted clearance for the Concorde that was stranded in New York to rejoin the rest of the company’s fleet in France. After the July 25 crash, aviation authorities grounded the sleek jets as a safety precaution. One Air France Concorde had remained at New York’s Kennedy Airport, unable to fly home. France’s General Direction for Civil Aviation cleared the supersonic jet to fly to Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris, carrying a crew but no passengers. The decision was made Sept. 11, and Air France was given four weeks from that date to complete the flight. Before the plane could return, however, Air France had to receive approval from countries the jet would fly over on its journey back, the aviation authority said in a statement. Air France and British Airways were the only companies to operate the prestigious aircraft and French and British aviation experts are working together to see what measures would be needed to overcome technical problems that have come to the fore since the crash. An Air France spokesman said Wednesday he was “neither optimistic nor pessimistic” about Concorde’s chances of survival. However, given that the 12 remaining Concordes are aging and that any modifications to the structure of the aircraft would cost millions of dollars to implement, many experts believe that the legendary airliner will never resume service. The stranded Concorde was parked in the open at JFK’s Terminal One, with caps covering the engine intakes to prevent birds or wasps from nesting inside. A team of mechanics carried out regular checks on the aircraft, but Air France wanted to put it under cover in its Concorde hangar at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. France grounded the elite jets immediately after an Air France Concorde crashed into a hotel in the industrial town of Gonesse outside Paris in July, killing all 109 aboard and four people on the ground. Investigators believe the crash was likely caused by a stray piece of metal on the runway that gashed one of the plane’s tires. The burst tire is believed to have catapulted pieces of rubber toward the fuel tanks in the Concorde’s wings and triggered a fuel leak. Earlier this month, investigators said the metal strip on the runway apparently came from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that took off about four minutes before the doomed Concorde. ------------------ Stay Cool...
Well...I can't afford to fly on the Concord, even if I wanted to. It is an older aircraft....I probably wouldn't fly on the Concord even if I could afford to...I think probably not even without the safety issue. ------------------
Seems bizzare to me that they would permanently ground an aircraft after only one crash, especially one that was caused by a foreign object. I think there must be more to it than meets the eye! ------------------ Current Rocket's Salary & Contract Info
