For any aviation anoraks

[Sparky]

Qantas were very nice to us last week, and gave us the run of one of their A380s during rotation at LHR.

Twin-deck jetty configuration - quite difficult to manouevre, apparently:

First Class (lower deck):

Fore staircase:

Business (upper deck):

Premium Economy (upper deck):

Panoramic view from upstairs:

Aft staircase:

Economy (lower deck:)

Crew rest area under the lower deck - a bit like a submarine. 10 berths. Interesting fact: if you're travelling Economy on a Qantas A380, reserve seat 71D. This is because 70D doesn't exist as it's a crew rest area emergency escape hatch. Loads of leg room!

And the really fun bit:

Look forward to seeing ours in a couple of years or so...

[Jonathan]

Great pics - well done.

I have a big fear of airliners but I love aircraft and flying (yes I am mad) - looking at the pictures was both interesting as it was scarey.

Seriously I only have to look at the inside of an airliner and I poo my pants.

[tinywillyuk]

Incredible piece of engineering. Wonder how much weight all of those plush interior fittings add to it?

Nonetheless, awesome as it is, it doesn't make up for the daily roar of four 593's overhead :-(

[rogerch]

I was in a 9 seater Piper at Sydney airport, taxing, when this bloody great block of flats came into land across our bows, it was actually only a 747, makes you wonder how big that thing would look under similar circumstances. Probably a city block!

Roger

[73JPS]

Nice pics!

[Advantage]

So, erm, how do I put this? Did you manage to 'find' any momentos of your visit?

[Sparky]

There were some discarded first class amenity packs hanging around, but I thought better of it. However, I do have a number of most interesting 'acquisitions' from a certain retired white pointy aircraft...

[redshift]

Roger,

I have been in an A319 lined up behind an A380 at Toulouse. And yes we did feel like a 9 seat Piper by comparison!

[tinywillyuk]

However, I do have a number of most interesting 'acquisitions' from a certain retired white pointy aircraft...

Oooh do tell..

[Sparky]

Shedloads of inflight gifts - commemorative packs, pens, cufflinks etc, a bottle of vintage champagne from my last flight on OAD, a bottle of Glenfiddich whisky 27 years in the barrel, 6 years in the bottle, one of only 206 sold inflight on the aircraft, and a number of components of a more avionic/mechanical nature. If I tell you any more, I'll have to kill you.

[tinywillyuk]

Im jealous..

I remember watching 216 leave Heathrow for the last time, people around me were crying. I contemplated whether I could make it to Filton for the landing.

What these pictures show feels like a slow, lethargic but luxurious machine. The white pointy one always looked and sounded much more purposeful, stylish and dynamic and begged to be flying fast.

[Sparky]

Never got to fly on 216, but she was quite special to me as I spent a lot of time on board her at LHR. Some distant OAF memories:

I think this pic is unique: the last time 2 concordes would be seen in the same place, to my knowledge. Shortly after, DG was dismantled and hauled to Brooklands Museum, where we spent 3 years putting her back together.

[s4simon]

First A380 landing at Adelaide airport.

I spent 4 years helping with the design of the A380's guidance system.

This baby's got state of the art fibreoptic gyros and silicone accelerometers.

[Backmarker]

Love the Concorde pics Sparky.

Any more matey?

[Sparky]

As many as you like matey - I have literally thousands of them! I'll see what I can dig out...

Let's start with these...

Had to be done!

[oneshot]

I flew on Concorde out of Heathrow to Birmingham - first time it landed at Birmingham.

Low fuel and no luggage on board only the passengers.

Took off on full thrust + afterburners, he managed to achieve the height required to avoid noise restrictions before he left the perimeter of Heathrow.

Came in to land at Birmingham and there were thousands of people at the airport and lined up along the A45 with the traffic stopped.

Full landing trim as he approached, wheels down about 100 feet off the runway and he suddenly applied full power. Screamed along the runway and off for a fly over Birmingham!

Apparently the noise could be heard miles away!

My dad flew from New York on it again back to Birmingham.

[rogerch]

It didn't change much over the years, I believe that to be the cockpit simulator, before the plane itself ever flew.

[Backmarker]

Thanks Sparky.

It truly is a work of art.

The closest I ever got to Concorde was at the Farnborough Air Show.

Would have been about 35years go.

I think the plane was a prototype. I certainly remember it had one white wing and one black wing.

Touched down but kept the nose off the tarmac, then took off again before reaching the other end of the runway.

The noise and the ground physically shaking beneath me is something I'll never forget ..................... brilliant

[tinywillyuk]

The chap under the Olympus appears to be dancing a dodgy rendition of YMCA

I really really must take some time and pop up and see what you've all done on DG.

[Bibs]

That's a good plan, we must arrange that and we've contacts at MBW too so could have a nice day out

I have Concord parts on my Esprit.

[fmxa]

I remember seeing some pics of concord flying around the UK with the red arrows, very impressive.

[Rick Edwards]

Like this one

[Jonathan]

Great pics of concorde, dont get me started on it though....

In 10 years time there will be a great public charity to get it flying again after they let all of them goto the pot.

It's by far the most beautiful aircraft ever to have flown, totally un-surpassed and they let it goto the scrap heap....

I remember when they retired it, must admit to a small tear in my eye

[fmxa]

That's the picture! I was saving all my BA mileage for an upgrade to concord when they retired it.

[Katie]

Great pics of Concorde, thanks for posting them; a backward step for aviation, ridding the skies of her, IMO. Sadly never flew on her, though Jason's grandma did, to New York, and loved it!

Also a bit jaw dropping to see Quantas first class, I have often wondered what you get in first class, though I'll likely never experience it myself. I'm more of a premium economy girl, at best!