Last Concorde Flight

Today ended an era - last flight of the Concorde. It could be decades before ordinary folks fly at twice the speed of sound. It will be a long boring wait.

I had the luck of flying the Concorde - it was during the oil boom when the order was "go first class, fly the Concorde if you want." And I did. A little over 3 hours from New York to London, instead of 8. We got back to New York a hour before we left London. Loved it.

The one trip I remember the best was the day after Thanksgiving, probably 1979. Because of the holiday there were only 4 of us onboard. Ambassador Averill Harriman, his wife Pamela, another passenger and me. I should have introduced myself but I left them alone. I can't even remember what that trip was about.

But I do remember the incredible ride. When the pilot hit the throttles, it was like a fighter launch. It knocked me back into my seat --nothing like the slow roll of a 747. The steep climbout was at such a steep angle it felt like a space shot.

It seems as though "progress" is marching backwards. Instead of going faster we are traveling no faster than the first 707 jetliner. Those 14 hour Pacific Ocean hops to Hong Kong are the same. Whatever happened to the "Tokyo Express" Reagan's vision for a 2 hour flight from DC to Tokyo? Sadly, it's no where near reality.

We need a new American commitment to advancement, technology and progress - not in weapons but in transportation, medicine, space travel. We need less bickering with our global neighbors and more cooperation for common purposes. I don't see it happening, not yet...what a waste.