A British group seems to think so….

Save Concord Group is a British organization comprised of volunteers who feel that the Concorde should take to the skies again as a traveling ambassador that showcases the avionic marvel.   The group  faces nothing short of an Everest sized challenge as it needs to gain a litany of approvals and funding to make their objective a reality.

As an Avgeek, I would absolutely love to see the delta-winged beauty take to the skies and tour the world bringing back memories to those of us who have seen her in flight or who may have been fortunate enough to fly her.   Growing up in New York, and flying out of Kennedy on a regular basis, I have several memories of watching Concorde land and depart while in was in the service of British Airways and Air France.  I also had the chance to board the Concorde at the IWM Duxford where it is on static display.    The visit to Duxford has always ranked among my favorite aviation related experiences specifically because of the Concorde.    As I think about it today, most kids age 18 or under have never seen Concorde fly except perhaps on a flight simulator or Youtube video.

Though the fate of the Concorde was all but sealed with the tragic crash and loss of life in France on July 25, 2000, I think the aircraft deserves to take to the skies at least as a traveling monument to aviation.   In reading through the Save Concorde Group website, they make a very compelling argument as to why at least one Concorde can be made airworthy.   According to their claims, the Concorde candidate for restoration has fewer flight hours on her airframe over a 20 year service life than a typical Boeing 747 has after only 5 years.  Perhaps it’s an apples to oranges comparison, but an interesting statistic nevertheless.

Save Concorde Group is an interesting website worthy of a visit.  If you are a fan of Concorde or aircraft in general, there’s a lot of great technical and historical information on the entire Concorde fleet, including a section that talks about where each surviving Concorde is today.   The website has a very thorough timeline of what has been happening with their efforts and is mixed with highs and lows as they face and overcome the challenges involved with bringing Concorde back.  There’s also a great section called RTF or Return To Flight which chronicles the steps necessary to make their dream a reality.

What are you thoughts?  Should we be fortunate enough to see Concorde fly again?