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Edinburger 666 · Guest

Museum feeling supersonic as it lands a Concorde

CHRIS MOONEY

CHAMPAGNE corks were popping at Scotland's national aviation museum today
after the news that it had landed one of the decommissioned Concordes.

In what is a major coup for the Museum of Flight, one of the supersonic
aircraft will have its permanent home in East Lothian.

British Airways bosses were expected to officially announce their decision
to give a Concorde to East Fortune today.

One of the leading lights behind the campaign to secure one of the planes
for the museum, Lothians MSP Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, said he was
delighted.

Lord James led calls in the Scottish Parliament to back the Museum of Flight
's bid and secured signed support from 49 MSPs and an official endorsement
from First Minister Jack McConnell.

He said there had been an overwhelming case to have a Concorde on show in
Scotland, adding that it would be a huge boost to tourism, jobs and
educational visits.

"Concorde represents a symbol of the Scots being at the forefront of the
cutting edge of technology and the pursuit of excellence.

"Whatever sadness may be felt for the passing into history of this brilliant
supersonic aircraft, we can express pride at the magnificent contributions
made by Scotsmen and women to the development of the aviation industry which
has helped to make the world a smaller place."

Campaigners to bring one of the jets to East Lothian pointed to its local
credentials, with the designer of Concorde's wings, Sir James Arnot
Hamilton, from Penicuik.

The news that the museum has been successful is a huge financial boost.

The Scottish Executive has already pledged funding, thought to be worth
hundreds of thousands of pounds, to enhance the museum's facilities.

The Museum of Flight was one of 16 bidders to have been shortlisted in the
race to secure one of the seven planes when owners British Airways announced
a shortlist of contenders in July.

BA had received 60 bids worldwide to bag one of the Concordes, with
proposals coming from as far afield as China, Australia and the United
States.

Many believed the East Fortune museum's bid was given an unofficial stamp of
approval after a senior BA official visited the attraction earlier this year
to hear detailed proposals of how Concorde would be displayed.

BA has always maintained that it wanted to see its Concordes readily
accessible to the public.

East Fortune's rivals included a planned aviation museum at the former
British Aerospace plant at Filton, near Bristol, where the Concorde fleet
was built. And strong overseas challenges came from, among others, the
Seattle Museum of Flight and the USS Intrepid, which is now a floating
museum on the Hudson River in New York.

Concorde, which can fly at 1350mph - nearly twice the speed of sound - is
the world's only supersonic passenger jet.

It has been in service for 27 years but both British Airways and Air France
decided to phase out the aircraft earlier this year after it failed to
recover economically from the Paris crash which killed 113 in 2000 and the
post-September 11 downturn in air travel.

The plane made her last appearance in the skies over Scotland as part of a
farewell tour last Friday. Concorde flew into Edinburgh Airport before
taking off for Heathrow for the last time.

Concorde also visited Edinburgh in 1999 to mark the opening of the Scottish
Parliament.

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Joe Curry · Guest

The message <Pkbob.1047$_b1.763 (AT) news-binary (DOT) blueyonder.co.uk>
from "Edinburger 666" <spammerssuckdick577 (AT) fuck (DOT) com> contains these words:

Jiffy · Guest

Straight from the horses mouth at:
http://www.nms.ac.uk/concorde/index.htm

Cheers, Jiffy

Joe Curry · Guest

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miyagi · Guest

How good if they can fly it in???
east fortune has 1800 metres of useable runway.

Joe Curry · Guest

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fox1 · Guest

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