Concord's final flight: When you've only got 1 frame to get it right

[Rob C]

I guess there is more shutter criticality in shooting a Mach 2,04 airplane than there is in shooting a blonde under a California sunbounce. 

The equation is always the same - shutter/aperture/ISO/light, but more complicated with flash instead of a reflector.

A leaping blonde produces her own problems for you, and unlike an aircraft, her trajectory is much more brief and bound to rapid change in direction.

Never underestimate a woman. But you knew that...

:-)

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Interesting point about the mode of the front part of Conkie. I thought those aircraft were prohibited from going supersonic over Britain. I also thought that the half-opened penknife attitude was essential for low speed flying...

I think you are right, Rob. The nose-up mode is more likely in preparations for landing. They were only 6 miles from the airport! in other words, only 2-3 min from landing.

[Peter McLennan]

The nose-up mode is more likely in preparations for landing. They were only 6 miles from the airport! in other words, only 2-3 min from landing.

Sorry, precisely the opposite is true. Nose up is for supersonic flight, nose down is to allow the pilots to actually see the runway.

Thanks, Alan.  I identified the pilots from the tail number and emails to the squadron with the exact time of flight.  I made a few prints and sent 'em off.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Sorry, precisely the opposite is true. Nose up is for supersonic flight...

They are in supersonic mode 6 miles from the airport??? They are returning to the airport, not leaving it.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... The nose-up mode is more likely in preparations for landing...

Sorry, I wasn't clear. What I meant is that the front of the airplane is higher than the tail. Which to me indicates slowing down in preparations for landing.

[Peter McLennan]

They are in supersonic mode 6 miles from the airport??? They are returning to the airport, not leaving it.

I don't believe she was on final for that image. She's in a relatively tight turn, so it appears from the camera angle that she's at a high angle of attack.  There's no way she'd be making that kind of turn that close to the ground if she was landing.  That was a demo pass. I think the nose is in the retracted position for photography, not for landing.  Concorde looks WAY prettier with the nose up.

I had the singular pleasure of witnessing a takeoff in Rio. Right at the end of the runway. My ears are still ringing.

[Alan Klein]

I don't believe she was on final for that image. She's in a relatively tight turn, so it appears from the camera angle that she's at a high angle of attack.  There's no way she'd be making that kind of turn that close to the ground if she was landing.  That was a demo pass. I think the nose is in the retracted position for photography, not for landing.  Concorde looks WAY prettier with the nose up.

I had the singular pleasure of witnessing a takeoff in Rio. Right at the end of the runway. My ears are still ringing.

I agree that he was turning but not landing.  Then nose is down for landing.  One thing about the noise.  As a New Yorker where Concorde landed and took off at Kennedy Int'l, I recall that there were a lot of complaints about the extra noise this jet made compared to all the other jetliners.  Concordes had afterburners that they used for the first minute or so of takeoff.  You can see that in this night video where the flame caused by the afterburners disappear after the burners are shut off.  They iused them again when going thru the sound barrier but shut them off again while cruising at 1.7 mach.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7mt6AKKhq4

[Ivo_B]

I can confirm Slobodan’s theory by analogy.

One of my ex girlfriends nose was also always up when she was landing.
And the noise she made in the taking off, talk to my neighborhood to believe.

🤐

[Ivo_B]

I can confirm Slobodan’s theory by analogy.

One of my ex girlfriends nose was also always up when she was landing.
And the noise she made in the taking off, talk to my neighborhood to believe.

🤐

And their is more analogy with the Concorde. I also don’t fly here anymore.
 

[Ivo_B]

But where is Russ in this discussion? He will now, I’m pretty sure he will tell us, he flew one of the first Concorde home from Korea to Charles De Gaulle airport in the late ‘60...
 

[LesPalenik]

I can confirm Slobodan’s theory by analogy.

One of my ex girlfriends nose was also always up when she was landing.
And the noise she made in the taking off, talk to my neighborhood to believe.

I can recall similar situations, but usually these were night landings in poor light conditions, so I didn't pay too much attention to the nose and concentrated on the core of the body. As to the noise, yes, it always got louder after the touch down. But the riders seemed relaxed at that moment.

[Rob C]

I can recall similar situations, but usually these were night landings in poor light conditions, so I didn't pay too much attention to the nose and concentrated on the core of the body. As to the noise, yes, it always got louder after the touch down. But the riders seemed relaxed at that moment.

Hence the stealth bomber. You never know if it's coming or going, and by the time you find out it's too late.

[RSL]

But where is Russ in this discussion? He will now, I’m pretty sure he will tell us, he flew one of the first Concorde home from Korea to Charles De Gaulle airport in the late ‘60...
 

No, Ivo, at that time I was commanding a radar site in the Vietnam delta. I always thought the Concorde was a dangerous mistake, and I was right. At that time our knowledge of the problems associated with supersonic flight just wasn't extensive enough to allow us to build a safe supersonic commercial aircraft.

[Alan Klein]

As I recall it was junk on the runway that was sucked into the engines that caused the last crash and doomed the Concorde from future use.

[Alan Klein]

I also recall that America had a supersonic commercial plane. But it was canceled because they didn't think it could make a profit. Actually that's what happened to the Concorde as well.  Operational costs exceeded income. But it was a pretty plane.

[Peter McLennan]

Re: Alan's post on an American supersonic transport:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_2707

[degrub]

As I recall it was junk on the runway that was sucked into the engines that caused the last crash and doomed the Concorde from future use.

Here is a summary of what happened.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_France_Flight_4590

[dreed]

Such a detailed story, yet these crucial details still missing: camera, lens, f/stop, shutter speed, and ISO used?

hahahahaha!

Perfect response

(Or in other words, today people think that reporting all of these things is important because it will make their photos better when in actual fact the numbers are totally irrelevant and being able to work out what they should be is the real skill that matters but nobody cares about that any more.)

[dreed]

Speaking of Concorde image... the plane was in a landing phase, where speeds are usually 150-200 miles per hour.

Have a look where that bridge is. Look at where the airfield it is going to is. That plane is not "on approach." This was the last flight so expect some sort of "show" being a part of the flight plan. Why would it be a "show" flight? The Concorde was made in Bristol (where that bridge is) and this particular plane is still there, in Bristol, to this day.

[Rob C]

Have a look where that bridge is. Look at where the airfield it is going to is. That plane is not "on approach." This was the last flight so expect some sort of "show" being a part of the flight plan. Why would it be a "show" flight? The Concorde was made in Bristol (where that bridge is) and this particular plane is still there, in Bristol, to this day.

Well of course it is! They can't get permission to fly it since 5% of the world's kerosene supply has just been bombed!

I suspect that was just a noisy, flashy diversion to hide the fact that Bibi's tenure may soon be over, and his time to serve in another, very different place may be approaching fast!

All of which reveals that Nature has a wonderful sense of equilibrium and natural justice. Of all people, he should be one to know that so it has been written on tablets of stone. But perhaps he will find a one-way ticket-for-two to Venezuela just in time.

;-)