Post by viscount on Mar 15, 2009 23:47:37 GMT 1
CONCORDE AT LIVERPOOL 1979 - 1999.
Concorde has been a great icon of aviation ever since the first flight on 2nd March 1969 - quite an amazing 40th anniversary this year (written in 2009). By sheer co-incidence it is the 30th Anniversary in August of the type first visiting Liverpool and the 10th in April of the very last visit!(again as written in 2009)
During a 20 year period, Concorde at Liverpool clocked up a creditable 22 visits and 44 landings (or more impressively 88 movements) by 11 different aircraft out of the 14 that entered service with Air France and British Airways.
1979
26th August 1979 was a day those around at the time will never forget. It is estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 people turned out to watch all along the Mersey waterfront. Many thousands flocking to Dungeon Lane and a 'grand-stand' seat. The visit was masterminded by Bob McDonald of MD Travel who chartered Air France to bring a Concorde to Liverpool from and to Paris, with a connecting flight in a Viscount or HS.748 for £240 per person.
The flight was the first Air France Concorde charter to the UK; the first charter flight by a Concorde outside of London's Airports and the first scheduled passenger landing by a Concorde outside of London - previous flights into Prestwick or Manchester were on diversion. Remember that Concorde had only entered passenger service three years earlier in January 1976.
Due to the high LCN loading on the undercarriage, Concorde would have put too much strain on the ageing tarmac and concrete of the North Airfield, so had to park on the Sanitation Pan (now known as The Spur), not far from the 09 end of the new runway, passengers and VIPs being bused to and from the North Airfield terminal.
The aircraft involved was F-BTSC and operated as flight AF4815/4816 f&t Paris CdG. Landed 0915, departed 1102 on Sunday 26th August 1979.
1980
Due to the great publicity and demand MD Travel operated a second Air France charter on Sunday 30th March 1980. This time Air France sent F-BVFB on flight AF4890/4891, arriving at 0855 and departing 1013. Again the spur was used for parking as there were no facilities on the South Airfield yet. A Dan Air Comet 4C G-BDIU was used to take passengers out to Paris on the Saturday, and then the return load on the Sunday afternoon. As the Comet sat 20 passengers more than the Concorde, a number of aviation enthusiasts (many members of this forum, including myself) had a weekend in Paris, flying both ways in what proved to be the final Comet flight from/to Liverpool.
1983
In the early '80s Liverpool was at a very low point in terms of passengers passing through the Airport. FoLA had been established by Councilor Burlinson with an aim to promote the airport, and it was their efforts that persuaded British Airways to abandon their stated policy of only bringing Concorde into airports with a permanent BA staffed station. Phil Salt and Wise Travel provided expertise and the necessary ABTA license cover.
The flight operated on Saturday 24th September, in Liverpool Airport's 50th Anniversary year. This was the first BA Concorde Charter to a provincial airport and the first to an non-BA station. Fares were kept low as the venture was run on a non-profit basis. The £196 supersonic trip from Heathrow to Liverpool via the North Sea was probably the cheapest ever charged for a supersonic flight. The flights operated from & to London/Heathrow as BA9071C/9072C,with G-BOAF arriving 1523 and departing 1657. It was the first passenger aircraft to be officially handled on the new South Airfield Apron.
1985
Next Concorde into Liverpool was operated by Air France on 6th April 1985 as a joint venture by Wise Travel and Air France Holidays. F-BVFA operated from and to Paris/CdG as AF4655/4656, arriving at 1525 and departing at 1640. Concorde was again handled on the South Apron. Although by now the new terminal was being constructed, the passengers still had to be bused from and to the 'art deco' north airfield terminal.
1986
There were three Concorde charters during 1986, in April, October and December on behalf of three different organisations.
The 1985 Air France Concorde had operated the week after the annual Grand National Meeting, this stimulated the idea of using Concorde to bring punters up from London for a VIP National, and using Concorde for a series of one and half hour supersonic local flights during the afternoon. Organised by Wise Travel in conjunction with Echo Travel Section, on Saturday 5th April G-BOAD arrived from Heathrow at 1049, returning there at 1832 having flown two supersonic local flights during the afternoon. Flight numbers used were BA9005C to 9008C. These Concordes operated from the South Apron, the passengers and official guests bused from the North Airfield 'Art Deco' terminal, despite the new terminal being externally complete and only a few weeks off opening.
On Friday, 3rd October 1986, G-BOAD called again, this time arriving trans-Atlantic, direct from New York/JFK at 1951 bringing home QE2 cruise passengers as flight BA9092C. The aircraft made a spectacular night departure at 2110 positioning empty down to Heathrow. This was the first load of Concorde passengers to pass through the new South Terminal.
In December Concorde called as part of a round Britain series of charter flights organised by Page & Moy Travel and marketed through the Radio Times. This time BA sent G-BOAB, which arrived from Birmingham on Saturday 6th December at 1512. The Concorde night stopped at Liverpool (another first for Concorde at Liverpool) before operating a supersonic local flight on the Sunday morning, before leaving for Heathrow at 1429. Flight numbers BA9039C to 9041C.
A total of 12 movements for the year, a record equaled the next year and beaten in 1988.
1987
The 1986 Grand National venture was so successful that BA were talked into providing two aircraft for the day in1987. On Saturday 4th April 1987 G-BOAE arrived at 0934 and departed 1859 back to Heathrow having operated two supersonic flights during the day (BA9030C to 9033C), while G-BOAA arrived 1009 and returned to Heathrow 1802, having also operated two supersonic local flights during the day BA9034C to 9037C). A further 12 Concorde movements clocked up (and in just one day) due to the team at Wise Travel and the Echo, and of course another Liverpool first with two Concordes parked together on the new apron.
1988
Concorde fever continued into 1988, Wise travel again linking with the Echo travel section to offer even more flights over the Grand National weekend. G-BOAD arrived on Saturday 9th April at 0941 and operated two supersonic local flights on the Saturday, night stopped, then two more supersonic flights before returning to Heathrow at 1608 on the Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile G-BOAE arrived at 1012 on the Saturday, operated two supersonic flights, then returned to Heathrow at 1911. A total of16 movements - and very nearly 1,000 Concorde passengers carried. Flight numbers used were BA9024C to 9033C.
1989
A change in policy by BA and a lack of available aircraft, trimmed back Concorde operations on 8th April 1989. G-BOAE arrived from Heathrow at 1031, to return there at 1219. A very poor showing after the year previous.
To make up for the lack of BA Concordes, the Wise Travel chartered an Air France aircraft to operate from and to Paris Cdg. However Air France decided that Liverpool's runway was inadequate, so the flight had to operate into Manchester! Connecting passengers were flown out of and into Liverpool on a Paramount MD-83 G-PATA. Like the Comet a few years before the extra seats were mainly filled with Merseyside aviation enthusiasts (I know, I was one!).
1991
There was no Grand National day Concorde in 1990 as BA decided that they would not use precious hours on the Concorde fleet flying them subsonically. As this pushed up the cost of what was effectively a positioning leg with a passenger load, the operation became uneconomic.
For 1991 BA bowed to pressure from potential customers, so once again made an aircraft available for charter to Wise Travel. 1991's operation set the tone for the next decade. After the excesses of the late '80s, one aircraft was used, with one supersonic local flight operated during the day from Liverpool. On 6th April 1991 G-BOAG made its first appearance at Liverpool, arriving at 0958, departing back to Heathrow at 1735.
1992
Disaster! The Grand National day Concorde flight was set up by Wise Travel and the Echo travel section and 300 expectant passengers looking forward to sampling first class travel at its most opulent, when BA realised due to fleet engineering problems they could not provide an aircraft, cancelling the flight on the day before.
The charter date was re-arranged and the flights operated on Saturday 6th June. Concorde G-BOAD being used, arriving on a sub-sonic flight at 1110, operating one supersonic local, then returning sub-sonic to Heathrow at 1654.
1993
The pattern was set for now for the next 7 years of Grand National Day flights. The BA aircraft arriving subsonic from Heathrow, operating a single supersonic localflight,then returning subsonic to Heathrow at around 1600 in order to operate an evening rotation out of Heathrow. As this was before Grand National punters could return to the airport, for some years another 'standard' aircraft was chartered to return these customers to London. Indeed one year I helped fill a BA BAe.ATP being used for this purpose.
On Saturday 3rd April 1993, Concorde G-BOAG arrived at 1058, operated the supersonic local, then returned to Heathrow at 1533, using flight numbers BAW9020C/9021C and 9023C.
1994
On Saturday, April 9th, Concorde G-BOAC made its first (and only) visit to Liverpool - and ensured that all 7 aircraft in the BAW fleet had visited Liverpool. Same pattern of flights as the year before, arrived at 1054, departed 1631 and operated a single supersonic local in between.
1995
Again same pattern of flights as in 1993. On April 8th, Concorde G-BOAD (the commonest Concorde at Liverpool), arrived at 1112, departed 1612 and operated a single supersonic local in between.
1996
Again the 1993 pattern of flights. On Saturday 30th March, Concorde G-BOAG arrived at 1101, departed 1600 and operated a single supersonic local in between, using flight numbers BAW9028 to 9031.
1997
The familiar pattern of flights was operated again on Saturday 5th April, this time with Concorde G-BOAB arriving 1135, departing 1639 and oerating a single supersonic flight in between.
Specialist Tours, working with the Liverpool Echo succeeded in talking Air France into accepting Liverpool as a destination capable of handling Concorde, so on Saturday 30th August F-BTSD arrived at 1210 from Paris/CdG, later positioning across to Manchester at 1538. Flight numbers AFR4538/4539.
1998
The now familiar Grand National routine, with Concorde G-BOAG arriving a little earlier, at 1016; departing at 1604 and operating one supersonic local in between.
1999
The Grand National Day charter, on Saturday 10th April 1999 brought in G-BOAA for only its second visit to Liverpool. Arrived at 1144, departed 1640 and operated just the one local supersonic flight in between. Although we did not know it at the time, this was to be the last visit by a Concorde to Liverpool.
For Grand National day in 2000, BA again decided that the Concorde fleet should not be available for short distance flights.
However, during 2000, they again revised their policy and had offered an aircraft to Wise Travel for their Liverpool charter in April 2001. However events elsewhere prevented this flight from happening.
On 25th July 2000, F-BTSC as AF4590 crashed in flames soon after departure from Paris/CdG. Concordes were grounded and eventually modified, returning to full passenger service, ironically on 11th September 2001. With the changing economic climate and passenger habits, the final BAW Concorde flights with passengers operated on 24th October 2003. There was a hope that a 'farewell' charter might operate from Liverpool, but the policy was that these only operated from BAW station airports.
There are a number of web sites dedicated to Concorde. The one I've used to check general facts used here is:
htp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concorde-(aeroplane)
Please feel free to post photos and personal memories to add to my account above.
I've been told it was when we had two Concordes for the National weekend!! Great if it is true 
