BA Concordes ceased passenger flights last October
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A British Airways Concorde will pass the Houses of Parliament as it travels on the River Thames towards its final resting place in Scotland.
The trip will form part of a nine-day road-and-sea journey that will end with
the supersonic aircraft arriving at the Museum of Flight outside Edinburgh.
The bulk of the journey will be by sea up the east coast of England on the
Terra Marique vessel.
High costs forced BA Concordes to cease passenger flights in October.
As well as being the last Concorde to find a new home, Concorde G-BOAA was the first to go into service - being chosen for BA's very first supersonic commercial flight from Heathrow to Bahrain in January 1976.
The aircraft will be transported by road from Heathrow on 4 April, making its way along the A30 and A4 to the River Thames at Isleworth where it will be manoeuvred onto the Terra Marique, a multi-purpose pontoon.
On 6 April the aircraft, which will be partially dismantled to make the trip,
will pass the Houses of Parliament, go under Tower Bridge and then along the
Thames and out into the North Sea.
The aircraft will "land" at the Torness power station near Dunbar on
Scotland's south-east coast and will be taken by road to the East Fortune
museum, arriving on 13 April.
Concorde will then be restored and it is hoped it will go on display by late
summer.
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FINAL TRIP
4 April - road trip from Heathrow Airport to River Thames
6 April - pass the Houses of Parliament and go under Tower Bridge on a multi-purpose pontoon
13 April - road journey to the East Fortune museum, outside Edinburgh
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The museum's director, Dr Gordon Rintoul, said: "This is a very exciting time for both Concorde and the British people, allowing people from both London and Scotland to share in the start of a new era for this great aircraft.
"We are proud and excited to welcome Concorde's arrival at the
national Museum of Flight. By August, thousands of visitors will be able to see
one of Britain's most exciting and innovative inventions."
The trip to Scotland completes the final stage in providing homes for the BA
Concordes which, on cost grounds, ceased scheduled passenger services in October 2003.
One of the BA Concordes is at Filton in Bristol where it was first made,
another is at Manchester Airport and another is on show at Heathrow Airport.
Two have gone to America - one to The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in
New York and another to a flight museum in Seattle, Washington state.
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