zzrmark

I have never been one to go ogle aircraft at airports in the same fashion as a trainspotter but in July 2000 I made an exception and went with the family and in-laws to see Concorde taking off from Exeter Airport. Spectacular. Both the kids wore ear defenders. I always wondered how noisy it was on board, hanging onto the chainlink fence around the perimeter of the airport it was bloody loud. Exeter's 2km runway looked very short that day.

As plane noises go, it's pretty impressive when the USAF jets roar overhead, even more so when you see them below you in the Ogwen valley, you can't beat the beautiful roar from a Rolls Royce Merlin at the airshows but for sheer noise Concorde taking off is quite possibly the loudest thing my ears will ever be subjected to.

DexterBerkeley

The fact that you can be sat in a bar having a beer, having checked into your hotel, inside 30 mins of getting to the gate is not something I would like to see change. It's one of my favorite airports to fly in and out of because of that, and flying Alaska that's using the tiny old terminal and not the nice airy new one.

steveq

I vividly remember taking Lizzyq and both our little boys to see Concorde land at Manchester for the last time. It was a very moving occasion for many there.
Concorde was the last plane ever designed without the aid of computers.

Pulaski

Did you never see a Vulcan, the original carrier of Britain's airborne nuclear deterent? I saw one several times at airshows in the UK, and if Concorde was a bus, then the Vulcan bomber was a sports car, with more or less the same engine.

The Vulcan could turn on a dime, ignite the afterburner and ever fibre of your being would resonate. It was unbelievable, and I can't imagine anyway to recreate the experience. It wasn't just the sound, it was a visceral experience. Concorde came close, but the crowd was much closer to the Vulcan. I am glad that I saw it, and sad that I will never see it again.

Pulaski

Interesting, though I suspect that hinges on how you define "computer". Which reminds me, do you know the reason why the F-117 was all angular like origami, and the B-2 is rounded off like a bar of soap?

scrubbedexpat091

It's my home town so I have a soft spot for it, and I worked there for several years so good memories too, but I love the location, its a wonderful landing there as well. Departures are pretty good too. The location cannot be beat though, easy access to I-5, downtown, and easy to get in and out.

I used to fly Alaska a lot from Vancouver to San Diego connecting in Seattle, but they keep cutting back Vancouver, so the last couple of years its been Delta through Seattle. Only non-stop is typically an Air Canada CRJ-900 and I would rather connect then sit on one of those things for 3 hours.

Back when I was a kid, the parking lot at the east end had no blast walls, and was open to the public, so my dad would me there to watch planes land, oh and the planes that used to cross from the Coast Guard station across Harbor Dr onto the airport property to depart or vice versa, always fun to see the plane cross the road, cars stopped like it was a train crossing.

Always fun to watch planes landing at North Island if they are on a certain approach, it looks at first like they will land at San Diego airport, before turning left and cutting across the bay to North Island.

Its not as common anymore, but back in the 80's and early 90's it was far more common but sometimes it still happens.

Excuse the lady screaming she is 2 cars from Obama, he wasn't on that plane, but it was the only video I could find, smart phones didn't exist back in the day, and its not common anymore which explains the lack of videos.

zzrmark

I have a vague recollection of seeing a Vulcan parked up but never airbourne.

markonline1

I flew in the bubble for the one and only time when I took my flight out to settle out here. Loved it. Quiet, private, great views out of the window. Best flight ever (or would have been if it wouldn’t have been for all the emotions going on LOL).
As for Concorde, had the chance to fly on it for about 400 quid when the ex worked for BMI. That’ll rank as one of my biggest f*** ups ever LOL. My first job at Heathrow was security for BA. Got to go on Concorde regularly and often did the guard on the ramp. Managed to get some nice souvenirs off it.
we had a cool photo in the ops building of Concorde being led by some ops vehicles on the final taxi in. It was signed by the entire crew. Pretty cool. I know a couple of the guys went on it after it stopped flying and was stored in various parts of the airfield. It was like a scene out of a call of duty scene apparently. The inside was just totally abandoned and in an awful state.

sid nv

I saw the V-bombers quite a few times at RAF Gaydon in the 1960s. The Vulcan was overwhemingly impressive, the noise and power were breathtaking. Looks like the Vulcan was finally grounded in 2015, so we may never see the Vulcan fly again.
These days at the local airshow I get to gape in awe at F-22 Raptor.

scrubbedexpat142

I believe the Valiant entered service one year before the Vulcan but what the hell, you're right, the Vulcan was an incredible aircraft!

civilservant

I was about to say exactly the same thing. The Vulcan was not the first V bomber in service, however the point remains the same.

I saw XH556 several times at Yeovilton before she was retiring from flying again and it was always the highlight of the air day. Those Olympus engines spooling up was such a visceral sound. I never got to see Concorde taking off 'in the flesh' but I imagine it was a similar feeling.

chawkins99

Back in the 80's I was driving in Suffolk and pulled over for lunch outside a USAF base, right at the end of the main runway.

Sat in the car with the sunroof open when 2 fighter jets took off with full after-burners. About 50ft above my head.

WOW! I felt all of my internal organs resonating.

jkeller

Was a Vulcan the plane that was stolen in the Bond 007 film Thunderball?

civilservant

Sure was

caretaker

They "borrowed" the plane in order to steal the hydrogen bomb it carried. A Vulcan that was visiting the Moose Jaw airshow years ago flew to Regina and performed several touch and go landings as I was driving by, and I pulled over and watched. Impressive is an understatement; she's loud!