Everyone has a favorite airplane, and in the UK it would seem that Concorde still holds a place in the hearts of the British. The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has held an ‘Aircraft World Cup’, polling members of the public and pilots on its Facebook and Twitter pages, with thousands of votes cast as the competition was whittled down from 32 types of commercial aircraft, to a final head-to-head between two iconic aircraft: the Boeing 747 jumbo and the supersonic Concorde. Ultimately Concorde won, but it was close, with Concorde taking 57% of the votes.
Indeed Concorde has lovers all over the world. Fans of this iconic aircraft will enjoy this fantastic article by expert Jennifer Coutts Clay and these wonderful photos by Fred Finn, who flew on Concorde more than 700 times
The progression of the Facebook voting campaign
Captain Brendan O’Neal, EVP of BALPA, said: “What a final. The public have shown their love for these two iconic aircraft and pilots have voted for the remarkable machines that help them do their jobs day in, day out, ensuring passengers are safe and comfortable and helping bring more than £52 billion to the UK economy every year.
The Twitter voting process
“Piloting any aircraft takes skill and huge amounts of training. Both the B747 and Concorde are no different. But it’s no surprise that Concorde, the unique supersonic aircraft that BALPA had a hand in the development of, has taken the title. This Aircraft World Cup has been a bit of fun, but also shows the pride pilots have in the job they do and the interest and respect the public has for the aviation industry as a whole. Congratulations to Concorde and thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.”
