In a timely tribute to the next 25th anniversary of the Concorde accident, students of the aviation communication class and aerospace communication from Embry Aeronautical University produced a convincing documentary exploring the remarkable design of the emblematic plane, the history of theater and a final tragic accident.
The first in the film, which took place on April 1 at the Mori Hosseini Student Union during the university College of Arts & Sciences The activities of the week presented a projection of the documentary, followed by a round table with the creators of the film and experts in selected matters, including Robert L. Sumwalt, Executive Director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safetywhich was previously president of the National Transportation Safety Board. The discussion also included a session of questions and answers led by Dr. Andy Oler, associate professor and president of the Department of Human Sciences and Communication.
Jillian Preite, student of Embry-Rriddle, a senior Communication The major on the piece of meteorology of broadcasting, led the project after it has become fascinated both by the history and innovation of the Concorde.
“The Concorde was a technological masterpiece,” said preit during the projection. “The plane design work was carried out in the 1960s, and its first commercial flight took place in 1976. When you think of advanced innovation – from the design and manufacturing at supersonic speed – it really revolutionized travel by commercial aircraft at the time.”
Preit also noted the Concorde disaster on July 25, 2000, as part of the inheritance of the plane. “The plane itself has this incredible arch of history-a story of triumph and tragedy,” she said.
“One of the greatest technical achievements of humanity”
With cruise speeds up to 1,350 mph, the Concorde stolen at Mach 2, twice the speed of the sound. By way of comparison, most typical commercial line planes have a cruising speed of 514 MPH.
“What (Concorde) did was absolutely breathtaking,” said Concorde John Tye in an interview for the documentary. Tye was one of the 134 pilots to pilot Concorde for British Airways.
“We had just received a color TV when Concorde stolen for the first time, so it was one of the greatest technical achievements of humanity,” he said.
The experience of flying on the Concorde was also “very high -end and sophisticated”, according to Jeffrey Tucker, who often stole from Concorde for commercial purposes. The salons, the driving crew, the food and the decoration were refined and elegant.
Concorde has become an aviation icon. The supersonic jet stolen from Mach 2 and could cross the Atlantic in three and a half hours. (Photo: Getty Images)
‘An absolute tragedy’
On July 25, 2000, at 2:42 p.m., the Air France 4590 flight took off from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris when one of the left tires of the plane hit a small piece of left sheet on the track. The damaged tire debris struck the aircraft fuel tank, leading to a catastrophic fire.
About 90 seconds after the take -off start, the Concorde crashed into a neighboring hotel. The accident made 113 lives.
Sumwalt, a commercial airline driver at the time, remembered the accident.
“As an aviator, your heart is grasped when you hear about any accident with a loss of life,” said Sumwalt, who served 15 years at the NTSB and held the post of president from 2017 to 2021. “And the reputation and visibility of Concorde made the accident even more catastrophic.”
Anthony Brickhouse, associate professor of Aerospace and professional securityexplained that the French government and the regulators had conducted the accident. The investigation later revealed that a crucial scanning of the track for debris did not occur, leading to the chain of events causing the fire.
“The fire was so intense that he actually damaged the plane to the point where they could not control (the plane),” said Brickhouse during an interview for the documentary.
The fleet was later founded until November 2001. Subsequently, Concorde stolen only for two more years until its last flight on November 26, 2003, when its operations ceased due to excessive costs.
‘It is essential that we never forget’
During the film’s premiere, Preite and colleague Mallory Kinahan, student in communication with minors in business administration and Latin American studies, discussed the intensive production of the film.
“It took a long time and efforts to gather videos, carry out interviews and modify the last part,” said PREITE. “The video editing alone took 10 hours, not to mention preparation and in -depth research.”
She added: “The interviews with John Tye and Jeffrey Tucker, as well as Professor Brickhouse, have put the information in a context that cannot be found in any other historic Concorde recording. Their participation in the project offers a unique perspective. I am also grateful for the help of Maxime Kirschner, who.
Steven Master, associate professor and coordinator of the baccalaureate program in communication, congratulated the students for their work. “Jillian and Mallory managed to tell Concorde’s story in a way that respects the technological meaning of the plane while remembering the tragedy that took place and honoring lost life,” he said.
Sumwalt accepted. “It is essential that we never forget the details of the tragedy so that we can learn errors and apply the lessons learned to improve the technology of the future.
The documentary is currently subject to various film festivals, in order to share the story of Concorde with others. An upcoming projection will take place on Saturday April 12 at 6 p.m., at the Cinematique Daytona in Daytona Beach, Florida. Visit www.reelfilmfoundation.org To find out more.
For those who wish to show the documentary, contact Jillian Preited to jpreite25@gmail.com For more information.
Posted in: Aviation