As I type this, we are at the peak of technology. We have the vast network that is the interweb, we can watch our favourite films in the middle of the ocean, we have microwavable rice, a space station in orbit, and the days of crawling through ice fields on a week long journey to cross the Atlantic are over, we can now get there in a mere 6 hours. Yet, we used to be able to do that in half that time.
Concorde's withdrawal from service was the biggest technological step backwards since, well, ever really. While the Americans have the claim of putting a man on the moon, even the top dogs at NASA will admit that creating an airliner that can do Mach 2 was a bigger challenge than Apollo 11. For many years now we have had jet fighters flying up in the stratosphere, but these are for one man with a triangle torso in a flight jacket with wires coming out of it. But this was for many men in suits, with briefcases and beer guts. How on earth were we going to do this?
Fortunately, we managed. While most of the countries who signed up for the challenge pulled out, we stayed in, along with that other country. The Russians had their attempt at making a supersonic airliner, but their TU-144 could barely make it to the end of the runway without needing more fuel. The Yanks had a go as well, but they were really too ambitious. They aimed for Mach 3 and wanted to ad swinging wings and what not, but this never even made it to the production stage. Concorde was, and still is in my opinion, the greatest technological achievement in mind kinds history, and I’m not holding my breathe for something better to come along.
So why the retirement? Well, the Americans didn't help. They decided that since it wasn't an American aircraft, that it couldn't go supersonic over their country. But the crash in Paris is often seen as the fatal wound that took away many people's faith in Concorde, and I fail to see why. I mean, here we have an aircraft, that in its 30+ years of service, has never put a foot wrong. Then, one of them crashes, and it's now seen as more deadly than a nuclear holocaust. This is stupid, frankly. Dozens of 747s have crashed throughout the years, yet are we suddenly going to stop using them? No, of course we aren’t.
There are many decisions some people make that I will never understand. For example, why join the Royal Navy when you can join the Merchant Navy instead? In a choice between dying with honour and no limbs and cruising the Caribbean with no honour what so ever, I know what I’d pick. Of course, I am rather glad that other people have chosen the other. But the decision to withdraw Concorde was just abysmal. Richard Branson, bless him, tried to buy the machines to put into service with Virgin Atlantic, but the stern faced suits in charge of British Airways, said "no".
Flying in Concorde was always one of my dreams, but now it will never happen. I will be forced to ride cattle class on a 6 hour flight on a 747 instead. And while the 747 is a fine machine, it has none of the impact that Concorde had. When Concorde flew overhead, people stopped work just to see it. It was a symbol of national pride for both the UK and France. It was the way forward, a well to tell the people that the only way is forward, and Concorde would lead the way. And now it's gone forever, and have we gotten any further forward? Jeremy Clarkson said to himself as he stepped off of the last flight "This is one small step for a man, but one giant leap backwards for mind kind". Fine words Jeremy, sad words, but true words.
Concorde's withdrawal from service was the biggest technological step backwards since, well, ever really. While the Americans have the claim of putting a man on the moon, even the top dogs at NASA will admit that creating an airliner that can do Mach 2 was a bigger challenge than Apollo 11. For many years now we have had jet fighters flying up in the stratosphere, but these are for one man with a triangle torso in a flight jacket with wires coming out of it. But this was for many men in suits, with briefcases and beer guts. How on earth were we going to do this?
Fortunately, we managed. While most of the countries who signed up for the challenge pulled out, we stayed in, along with that other country. The Russians had their attempt at making a supersonic airliner, but their TU-144 could barely make it to the end of the runway without needing more fuel. The Yanks had a go as well, but they were really too ambitious. They aimed for Mach 3 and wanted to ad swinging wings and what not, but this never even made it to the production stage. Concorde was, and still is in my opinion, the greatest technological achievement in mind kinds history, and I’m not holding my breathe for something better to come along.
So why the retirement? Well, the Americans didn't help. They decided that since it wasn't an American aircraft, that it couldn't go supersonic over their country. But the crash in Paris is often seen as the fatal wound that took away many people's faith in Concorde, and I fail to see why. I mean, here we have an aircraft, that in its 30+ years of service, has never put a foot wrong. Then, one of them crashes, and it's now seen as more deadly than a nuclear holocaust. This is stupid, frankly. Dozens of 747s have crashed throughout the years, yet are we suddenly going to stop using them? No, of course we aren’t.
There are many decisions some people make that I will never understand. For example, why join the Royal Navy when you can join the Merchant Navy instead? In a choice between dying with honour and no limbs and cruising the Caribbean with no honour what so ever, I know what I’d pick. Of course, I am rather glad that other people have chosen the other. But the decision to withdraw Concorde was just abysmal. Richard Branson, bless him, tried to buy the machines to put into service with Virgin Atlantic, but the stern faced suits in charge of British Airways, said "no".
Flying in Concorde was always one of my dreams, but now it will never happen. I will be forced to ride cattle class on a 6 hour flight on a 747 instead. And while the 747 is a fine machine, it has none of the impact that Concorde had. When Concorde flew overhead, people stopped work just to see it. It was a symbol of national pride for both the UK and France. It was the way forward, a well to tell the people that the only way is forward, and Concorde would lead the way. And now it's gone forever, and have we gotten any further forward? Jeremy Clarkson said to himself as he stepped off of the last flight "This is one small step for a man, but one giant leap backwards for mind kind". Fine words Jeremy, sad words, but true words.
