GROUP VOWS TO RETURN CONCORDE
TO FLIGHT
WILL A CONCORDE FLY AGAIN? Some aviation enthusiasts in Europe
are hoping so. A United Kingdom group called Save Concorde
Group (SCG), along with a French contingent named Olympus
593 (after the Rolls-Royce turbojet that powered the aircraft),
vows to return one of the retired supersonic aircraft back to
airworthy condition and fly it over the 2012 Olympic Games
in London. Another goal would be to fly a Concorde to EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh.
Olympus 593 recently received permission from the Le
Bourget Air Museum, Paris, to start working on the Air France
Concorde “Sierra Delta,” which is based there. In a post to its
website ( www.Save-Concorde.co.uk), SCG said it and Olympus 593
had negotiated with Le Bourget officials and that Sierra Delta’s
Rolls’ engines “will be powered up.”
Concorde was scheduled to be the main attraction at
AirVenture 2000, but the aircraft’s one and only crash occurred
in Paris that week, grounding the fleet. The fleet was officially
retired in 2003. Concorde made five previous Oshkosh
appearances, and the 40th anniversary of its first flight was
celebrated at AirVenture last year.
BETWEEN APRIL 2 AND JUNE 15, EAA’s venerable B- 17 bomber,
Aluminum Overcast, will visit 19 cities in six western states, starting
with Deer Valley, Arizona. This year marks the 75th anniversary of
the B- 17’s first flight (July 28, 1935).
Thousands of people have had the opportunity to fly “missions”
in the renowned bomber during the annual tours, which have taken
place since 1994. Tens of thousands more have experienced this
unique airplane through its visits and aircraft ground tours.
“EAA is dedicated to preserving the spirit of aviation through
B- 17 TOUR BEGINS OUT WEST
these B- 17 tours. This year, we also take great pride in saluting all
our nation’s veterans as the airplane makes its way throughout our
country,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA chairman/president.
For more information, including rates for flights and ground
tours, visit www.B17.org or contact EAA’s B- 17 Tour Office at 800-
359-6217.
Special pre-book rates on flights are available for EAA members
and nonmembers, and group ground-tour rates are available for
schools or other large groups.
