After British Airways retired its Concorde fleet last autumn, all remaining examples were flown off to various museums including those in Seattle, New York, Barbados, Manchester and Bristol, as well as one remaining at Heathrow for display by its new Terminal 5, currently under construction with the help of 62 cranes.
However, British Airways still had one other example lurking in its hangar, which had not been airworthy for the last four years. This aircraft, which operated the airline’s first supersonic service back in 1976, was earmarked for display at East Fortune, near Edinburgh. With the type’s airworthiness certificate now withdrawn, its journey there was a little unusual.
A few nights ago, it was transported from Heathrow to Isleworth in west London to be loaded on the sea going barge Terra Marique. Delayed by tides, it finally left there on Monday morning to start its journey along the River Thames and eventually along the North Sea coast up to Torness, where once again it will make a short road journey to East Fortune, the aviation part of the National Museums of Scotland.
Today, it was specially raised up from the barge to pose in front of the Houses of Parliament for just over an hour. Then about six o’clock, after being lowered into the barge once more, it continued its journey eastwards, soon passing the capital’s famous landmark, the London Eye.
You can see my shot of it posing in front of the Houses of Parliament HERE.