Concorde On Display In Barbados

Concorde

When you arrive or leave the Grantley Adams airport in Barbados, you can view the French supersonic jet Concorde plane, now being displayed at a specially designed museum.

British Airways announced in April 2003 that it would take all its seven Concordes out of service and retire each of them to separate locations in Britain, the United States and Barbados.

Barbados was chosen after British Airways took into consideration several criteria including the host country's ability to properly exhibit and preserve the aircraft, geographical location and accessibility to the public. The particular Concorde plane in Barbados made its maiden flight on March 17, 1977, flew 23,376 hours, made 8,383 landings, and the last flight was on November 17, 2003.

We remember lying on the beach and hearing the Concorde approach, and them rumble across Dover Beach and on to the airport. Flights would fly across the beach all day, but when Concorde came over the island, everyone was aware. I can't begin to imagine the sound at or near the airport. Barbados was the only island in the Caribbean with airport size and facilities that could accommodate the plane, and the island had the distinction of having two Concordes fly to the island every week when the planes were in operation. 

I've never flown on the Concorde, and have heard from British visitors to Barbados that the ride was not the most comfortable, but it was FAST, and the service was GREAT! I can imagine those frequent travelers miss those quick flights, and it's really a shame to take such a great airplane out of service.

Comments

[Mike Anderson]

Concorde was not a French supersonic airliner...It was created jointly by the British and the French and should therefore be refered to as the Anglo/French supersonic airliner.