Expo 86' Concorde flying low over downtown Vancouver

[Bootyholic]

Random question for all the old folks.

Anyone remember Expo 1986? I remember the Concorde flying around. Very low over downtown Vancouver. Specifically Denman street. I was only 4 but remember hearing a loud sound. Went to the balcony(8th floor) and saw the wing woosh past. It was rotated on its side not to hit the 4 or 5 high rise apartment buildings. My parents also remember.

Yes this sounds crazy and random queston to ask. But I was only 4. Want to know if anyone else can confirm this low flying Concorde story.

THANKS.

 

[masterpoonhunter]

Hey, we're not that fucking old!
But Yes, the Concorde was awesome and Expo 86 was a blast.
Mellisa Etheridge and Colin James as break out stars.
Julian Lennon doing his dad's songs.
Van Morrison before his shows reflected his serious stage fright.
More music than I can remember.
The Spirit Lodge.
The Russian Pavilion with a dining room that served the best vodka I had ever tasted.
Belgium waffles.
The laser shows (I ahem, provided a lot of the tech in almost all of those, got in to see a lot of the pavilions on a VIP pass).
The Korean pavilion and the smoking hot women in there - good lord.
The strip scene in the city, great at the time but ramped up big time.
A great great time it was.

 

[westwoody]

It was $600 to fly out over the Pacific, go supersonic, then return. The plane was actually cramped inside and didn’t look like it held many people. Pretty short flight but a once in a lifetime chance.
Every flight was sold out almost instantly. My brother couldn’t decide and ended up not being able to get a ride.
I had seen Concordes at Heathrow and really wanted to go on one! Good thing I did because they’re gone now.
I still have a stamp in my Expo86 passport.

edit: $800!!!!

 

[angry anderson]

I watched it take off to go home from Abbotsford air show if I remember correctly. The sound as it propelled upwards at about 70 degrees was more than deafening. It was the loudest sound I think I ever heard. That was one of the major complaints against it. I like the idea of going from London to New York in three and a half hours though.

 

[Mrmotorscooter]

A new Super Sonic jet is on the way and the orders are already in!

 

[uncleg]

Random question for all the old folks.

Anyone remember Expo 1986? I remember the Concorde flying around. Very low over downtown Vancouver. Specifically Denman street. I was only 4 but remember hearing a loud sound. Went to the balcony(8th floor) and saw the wing woosh past. It was rotated on its side not to hit the 4 or 5 high rise apartment buildings. My parents also remember.

Yes this sounds crazy and random queston to ask. But I was only 4. Want to know if anyone else can confirm this low flying Concorde story.

THANKS.

Didn't happen.....sorry. YVR out and back.....except for take off and landing the plane was restricted to flying over water only. That's why London to New York and Paris to New York were it's primary routes.

 

[masterpoonhunter]

UncleG pretty sure I haven't gotten confused or early stage dementia etc but I do quite distinctly recall being at a Monday meeting on W Broadway, building had a nice south east view, and all of us hearing a louder jet noise than usual and out the window, looking out over South Van, there was the Concorde. I don't know if it was landing or preparing to take off but it was moving as slow as any big plane I can recall and it passed along - maybe over the Fraser - out past YVR then circled back again, wider path it seemed and did that a couple times. I remember being in a holy shit moment for about 10 minutes. No way it could have been lower than regulation altitude but it was circling around a good part of Van City and Richmond.

 

[grusse]

Woke up on a Saturday morning thought the house was shaking.
Looked outside and it was flying over East Van.
Probably just over stall speed?
Nose was higher I believe?
Loud as f..k,lol.

 

[uncleg]

UncleG pretty sure I haven't gotten confused or early stage dementia etc but I do quite distinctly recall being at a Monday meeting on W Broadway, building had a nice south east view, and all of us hearing a louder jet noise than usual and out the window, looking out over South Van, there was the Concorde. I don't know if it was landing or preparing to take off but it was moving as slow as any big plane I can recall and it passed along - maybe over the Fraser - out past YVR then circled back again, wider path it seemed and did that a couple times. I remember being in a holy shit moment for about 10 minutes. No way it could have been lower than regulation altitude but it was circling around a good part of Van City and Richmond.

Might have been circling over water, or as mentioned approaching YVR. At slow speeds those planes were like the old CF-104 Starfighters...there was a reason they called them widow makers. Is it possible they did a level flight over the City, sure...but the scenario described by the OP...no way.

 

[westwoody]

Didn't happen.....sorry. YVR out and back.....except for take off and landing the plane was restricted to flying over water only. That's why London to New York and Paris to New York were it's primary routes.

Yes the excursions for tourists were over the water.

A few other flights were low level over south Van and the west end, but not carrying passengers.

An Air France Concorde also came for a quick appearance and also did a few low level flights over the Expo site and downtown but no passenger-carrying ones. It was parked by the south terminal and lots of people went to see it.

They looked funny going slow because the nose was hinged and tilted down at slow speeds for visibility.

 

[six1961xis]

Anyone remember Expo 1986? I remember the Concorde flying around. Very low over downtown Vancouver. Specifically Denman street. I was only 4 but remember hearing a loud sound. Went to the balcony(8th floor) and saw the wing woosh past. It was rotated on its side not to hit the 4 or 5 high rise apartment buildings. My parents also remember.

Is this what you saw?
circa July 11, 1986

 

[masterpoonhunter]

That was it six1961xis. Good to know my memory of Expo is still intact!!

 

[papillion]

Random question for all the old folks.

Anyone remember Expo 1986? I remember the Concorde flying around. Very low over downtown Vancouver. Specifically Denman street. I was only 4 but remember hearing a loud sound. Went to the balcony(8th floor) and saw the wing woosh past. It was rotated on its side not to hit the 4 or 5 high rise apartment buildings. My parents also remember.

Yes this sounds crazy and random queston to ask. But I was only 4. Want to know if anyone else can confirm this low flying Concorde story.

THANKS.

I remeber that.
IIRC it flew into YVR with chuck & Di, and then took off bound for the Abbotsford airshow, it has 4 rolls-Royce turbojets which are extremely loud! I lived in south van back, and the noise from those engines sounded like a freight train rumbling beside my house, the dishes were rattling, the roof shook, it was f**kin LOUD.

 

[Ctian]

Yup I remember it perfectly, I was driving down Commercial Dr in my Convertable Vette and hear this roar and looked up and there it was i could almost touch it, it was flying so low

 

[klamkracker]

Living on Harwood near Burrard Street. Everyone looking outside. What a sound 👌 the Silver Streak also was buzzing around alot too I think with it

 

[masterblaster]

I remeber that.
IIRC it flew into YVR with chuck & Di, and then took off bound for the Abbotsford airshow, it has 4 rolls-Royce turbojets which are extremely loud! I lived in south van back, and the noise from those engines sounded like a freight train rumbling beside my house, the dishes were rattling, the roof shook, it was f**kin LOUD.

Engines were originally developed by Bristol, first used in the Vulcan V bomber. Their placement in the wing roots of the Vulcan caused a particular resonance at the intakes known as the Vulcan howl.

 

[Bootyholic]

Is this what you saw?
circa July 11, 1986

Pretty much yes. My memory made it feel like it was flying a bit lower though...

 

[Mrmotorscooter]

Engines were originally developed by Bristol, first used in the Vulcan V bomber. Their placement in the wing roots of the Vulcan caused a particular resonance at the intakes known as the Vulcan howl.

Loved that thing, used to go to the Abbotsford Airshow just to see it!