Posted 8:23 AM by Paul
Goodbye Concord - Bonjour Concorde?

Concord took its last commercial flight yesterday. Three planes touched down within minutes of each other. Two excursion flights fulls of excited competition winners were followed finally by the last flight packed with captains of industry and celebrities including Joan Collins - the quintessential jet setter.

Millions of words have already been written about the end of the super sonic era and this symbol of national pride capped I think by the comment from John Cochrane the original Concord test pilot:

"From now on progress goes sideways or backwards."

A number of reasons have been given for the cancellation of the Concord passenger service including the collapse in demand following September 11th. The terrible crash just after the plane took off from Charles de Gaulle airport killing everyone on board also did not help matters, despite the suggestion that the disaster was caused by debris on the runway, not faults in the aircraft.

All this said, even the most enthusiastic Atlanticist would have to concede that consecutive US governments did not help matters. The plane was banned from flying supersonic over the States and for a time was prohibited from landing at several Eastern seaboard airports - because of "noise". Concorde was a very noisy airplane. But less noisy than the US fighter jets, which regularly shatter the peace and quiet of rural Norfolk and for that matter rural America.

In fact, the bans and restrictions were about maintaining US aeronautical supremacy by making life difficult for the UK and France. Later Boeing announced that they would no longer manufacture the spare parts for Concord. This means that the plane would have had its certificate of air-worthiness revoked next month anyway.

"Now guys come on! Throw us a bone here! We are never going to challenge you. Just give us a break. won't you? What about the Special Relationship?"

But no. Concord is gone; the death hastened if not caused by US protectionism and non-tariff trade barriers.

If makes you wonder about the real value of the Special Relationship. A relationship so special, that tariffs on imported UK steel imposed to garner votes in Pennsylvania create unemployment in Yorkshire. More and more the relationship is looking like that between master and servant. Of course, the loyal butler gets invited into the Den for a Bourbon on the rocks after a long day's work. He even gets to loosen his tie and be on first name terms with the master for an hour or so before returning to his duties.

Traditionally, the British are soft on the USA and highly critical of France. Amazing then that the only two truly world class feats of engineering we have been involved in in the last 40 years - Concord and the Channel Tunnel - have been a partnership with the French. Maybe it is time to apologise for the rubbishing we gave them over them not joining the invasion of Iraq and re-commence the Entente Cordiale.