No one would pay to move it out of NYC, then return it after work on the Intrepid was complete. FBF was a good choice - in NYC, on the water so she could be moved by barge, lots of open space. Unfortunately there was an accident, but that doesn't take away from the suitability of the site.


If you are driving, there is a main road right off the Belt Parkway, and while I don't use them, I suspect there are buses that go down that was as well. The Aviator sports complex gets people there, so it's not really inaccessible.


We had a thread about that here - I believe that was caused by water seeping through a window seal and freezing, causing the crack, not vandalism.


That would have been completely inaccessible, not to mention the cost of renting hangar space for two years.

>From what I heard Floyd Bennett airfield isn’t that easily accessible by the general public or tourists, so how BA would have thought G-BOAD could have been used as marketing tool from there is beyond me
If you are driving, there is a main road right off the Belt Parkway, and while I don't use them, I suspect there are buses that go down that was as well. The Aviator sports complex gets people there, so it's not really inaccessible.

Flatbush Avenue is the main road that runs past FB. Flatbush Avenue starts at the Manhattan Bridge and cuts right across Brooklyn to the Marine Park Bridge
into the Rockaways. The Q35 Bus goes from Midwood to Rockaway Park down Flatbush Avenue. Just north of FB on Flatbush Avenue is the Kings Plaza Shopping
Center which has numerous buses stopping there. IF a museum WAS built there I would think they would extend some lines and add stops.

Its amazing to me that Vulcan is flying. It is a shame..nothing technical exactly stopping either concorde or Canopus (comet) from flying an limited airshow circuit.

Cheers,
Tom

Camp Counsellors Bouncing Balls of Concorde WTF are these Morons on.

It"s a good job she is in Newyork AD that is and too far for a lot of us to reach her Bouncing Balls of Alpha Delta?!?

When / If BA sends a team over to check AD for them selves and sees any one doing that I can see them going Ballistic.

I am really surprised as to us America is the land of the free where nothing is impossible, but in G-BOADs case I was wrong and that’s extremely sad to hear.

Location wise FBF was suitable but in keeping G-BOAD safe no, it was an extremly bad move L


G-BOAD was meant to kept in semi storage until Intrepid rebuilt the peer so BA or JFK should have given her hanger space or at least space inside JFKs parameter fence.


Getting the Vulcan back was a huge achievement and they succeeded as I think they bought the Vulcan and then got all the parts and experts to get her running but there is no way BA or AF would allow any one to buy Concorde.

Second thing is even if some one bought Concorde Airbus would not allow it to fly as they made the parts and issued certificate for Concorde which the CAA wants. No parts and no certificate = no Concorde flying……. so there are a lot of “negotiations”
to cover.

Technically getting Concorde back in the air would not be problem, look at what Nasa did to the TU144 they borrowed so it is possible.

Up to today we have more chance of buying the TU144 and getting that flying that getting Concorde flying………


On this thread I’ve seen pictures of those dents……… words can’t describe how disgusted and upset I am with the people who did this……….

If some one bounced balls off Air Force 1 and made dents in that the US Police and CIA would go mad, they'd send Rambo, Dirty Harry and Homer Simpson after them for denting the Presidents plane.

But with all due respect Air Force 1 is just a "pimped my ride" 747, its not Concorde so isnt as special as it can never fly as high nor as fast as Concorde......

It would be better if President Bush or the new President Obma could buy G-BOAD off BA and then use her as Air force 1, at least this way she'd be flying at mach 2 and would be extremely well looked after and protected.


But will they ?……….

BA America could send a team from JFK now to see G-BOAD but has it been sent over ?

I don’t think so and since 10 Nov 2003 why hasn’t that team been watching over G-BOAD which isn’t that far from JFK…………

Its a bit odd about Floyd Bennett. The Park Police, as they are throughout the "Gateway National Recreation Area", are ever present, and not shy about enforcing low speed limits, permits, curfews and an array of other "rules", but I have to believe they have viewed Concorde as a gimmick under the supervision/'security" of Aviator Sports, which probably pays good rent to the facility/park.

The easiest solution right now, would be for Mayor Bloomberg to simply "ask" the NYPD to allow concorde to be towed across the airfield anyplace within the considerable space now utilized by the Police Aviation and training unit. That area, once minimum security under the Coast Guard while they based their helicopters there (you could walk right up to the choppers) is now guarded about as well as "Area 51". Again - it is just a short tow away and no more vandalism of any type will occur.

While Intrepid was facing vacating the Hudson River Pier, attempts were made to find a suitable home away from home for concorde on (an interim barge) where it would still be viewable to the public and I believe BA was ok with this. But the Hudson River Park Trust which arguably might've had the space, and South Street Seaport etc. all passed on the offer. I presume Chelsea Piers and others did as well.

btw - Comet Canopus has the same problem getting certification as the concorde now does. Ironically they'd likely have an easier time getting an experimental certificate in the US.

Tom

You know Phil - This makes me more angry (by far) than the nose being broken off.

At least that was an "accident", and if the those responsible were/are otherwise negligent or under distress such that they are unable to care for the subject properly, at least this can all be repaired or worked out in short order.

But left unattended like this, benighted savages amongst the populace will of course bounce balls off the fuselage. The airframe has an only slightly better chance than a crab or turtle in a "touch and feel" exhibit for school children.

All that was needed was an around the clock security person properly briefed on his responsibilities.. The Fuji, Airshipman and Tommy Hilfiger blimps all stayed at Floyd Bennett in past years, and thats all they required to be safe. Had they been damaged, it would have cost...

Tom

That sounds perfect and this way she can be repaired and kept safe at all costs.

Intrepid will need to learn from this lesson and make sure it doesn’t happen again.


This makes me very angry………. These guys are meant to set an example to the young……… bouncing balls off an extremely expensive plane isn’t the way to teach kids to behave and respect things…….

If they went on Intrepid and did the same to the SR71 i bet the Police and US military would have very strong words with them.

I myself cannot blame the counselors or the children. Not everyone can be expected to know all about aviation history or the significance of a particular artifact. I CAN, however, expect management of the company that promises to take care of such an artifact, so implement measures to protect it and see to it that those things do not happen.

Gotta disagree with you there Phil. To me, the counselors and children are also partly to blame. The kids for being little savages and doing things they probably knew were wrong in the first place, and the counselors for not stopping the kids from doing what they were doing. Common sence...just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

For all they know, the Concorde could be a fake mockup. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't think that they would actually position a real Concorde unguarded where children could even play to begin with.

There is poor planning on all sides of this.

Kenny blame the counselors not the kids...bouncing a ball off of something to a kis is a normal activity. The counselors even if they think its a mock up should have stopped them.

>The easiest solution right now, would be for Mayor Bloomberg to simply "ask" the NYPD to allow concorde to be towed across the airfield anyplace within the considerable space now utilized by the Police Aviation and training unit. That area, once minimum security under the Coast Guard while they based their helicopters there (you could walk right up to the choppers) is now guarded about as well as "Area 51".<

To digress from the original topic, I had to laugh when I read this. Back in the 90s when I spent many a weekend at Floyd B. when my kids were young we used to go
by the Air Station and the copters would taxi right past us on the access road to the runway and there was never any security about unless Marine 1 was parked there. PD Aviation was even more open. Had some nice talks with the pilots and looks into the ships.
NOW? FORGET about it!! Too bad.

>While Intrepid was facing vacating the Hudson River Pier, attempts were made to find a suitable home away from home for concorde on (an interim barge) where it would still be viewable to the public and I believe BA was ok with this. But the Hudson River Park Trust which arguably might've had the space, and South Street Seaport etc. all passed on the offer. I presume Chelsea Piers and others did as well.<

Forget that Hudson River Trust. This is the group behind the ending of sightseeing flights at West 30 Street AND the eventual closing and relocation (Hopefully) of
the whole heliport. Too many self important special interest groups in Manhattan (and the other 4 boros) that somehow wield power. Thankfully we do have a
pro-aviation mayor in the house.

It doesnt matter if its a fake or not, they need to have respect for it as it wasnt their property. It belonged to BA and the UK taxpayer who paid for the entire development of Concorde.

Did any one find out who these councellors where as they need to be spoken to by NYC Police and charged for possible criminal damage.

There use to be a fake Concorde on the round-about just outside Heathrow but that was never vandilised or broken as it hand Heathrow Police station 5 seconds running time from there and 24 hr CCTV watching the whole place.

IIRC Anthony Weiner was a vocal ADVERSARY of Concorde. I read the local newspaper on the day of Concordes last flight and he was very much against Concorde.