Gadianton wrote: But this story about getting off the plane on a technicality because he had no luggage -- it's so insanely stupid that nobody would make it up as a miracle story. Some of the timing is probably embellished or invented, but yes, I'm sure it basically happened, because nobody would make that up.
Dean Robbers,
Looks to me as if Nelson just might surprise you. Please consider:
- Block hour operational costs for the Concorde in 1972 were the equivalent of more than $23,0000 in 2020 dollars.
- The Concord could not go supersonic from Heathrow (LHR) to Manchester (MAN), so block to block time would have been an hour or so each way, considering traffic.
- Then there would have been airport landing fees (about $2,600 in 2020 dollars) for every landing made during the entire saga.
Does anyone really think that British Airways (BOAC before 1974) would spend the equivalent of 46,000 dollars, plus landing fees of say five grand or so, and delay the passengers by who knows how long, to refuel at Gatwick (LGW) and then fly 200 miles to MAN when LGW is only about 6 miles further from Central London than LHR? The taxi, train, and bus services to Central London from either airport were pretty much equivalent in the 1970s.
Being diverted from LHR to LGW because of weather at LHR was not that uncommon in the 1970's. Diversion to MAN would only happen if LHR and LGW were both socked in.
Furthermore, on the North Atlantic great circle route, JFK is about 150 miles closer to MAN than to LHR. LGW is even further from JFK than LHR.
So why would they fly an extra 150 miles to LGW to refuel just to turn around fly back to MAN?
If Gatwick were available, no international LHR-bound flight would land there to refuel, while holding passengers on board, just so they could then fly to Manchester to clear customs.
If it happened at all, It happened pretty much as IHAQ described upthread.