May 20, 1976, 50 years ago, arrival at Orly of F-WTSA - Part 6

Finally… SA arrives to replace WOODY.

At the beginning of July, with all the development work completed, the move to parking lot P7 begins by the technical services of Aéroport de Paris.

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The first exit from the airport area SA and the crossing of the road towards P7.

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Upon arriving at the parking lot, the first lucky ones see a real Concorde arrive to replace WOODY.

Everything is being done by the staff of Aéroport de Paris for crossing the road coming from Paris and the green spaces up to the parking lot.

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You can see the two people who are indicating to the person in charge of the maneuver the location where the wheels of the MLG should be.

One last look and the maneuver will be successfully completed in a few moments.

When the SA arrived at parking lot P7, Woody was still there for a few days before his disappearance.

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During the consultation of the archives we also found this copy of the letter that the chief engineer of the southern operations department, (one of the top « bosses » of ADP) sent this letter to those in charge of the relocation.

It deserves to be shared with our readers.

Translation for our English readers.

Orly, July 7, 1976

SOUTHERN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT

OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC SERVICE

Mr. BERAT

Mr. GRAVUS

ORLY - Concorde 02 Installation

My congratulations and thanks for the successful installation of Concorde 02 on P7.

The coordination of operations, which you ensured perfectly, and the decisions you made "on the spot" were the foundation of this success.

The Chief Engineer

J. VAN WORMHOUDT

COPY TO The Chief Administrator of the DX.S Department as a report

Mr. DETERVILLE - I will not forget the important work you carried out to ensure the success of this difficult operation.

GF - for the records of those involved.

Back then, department heads didn't need AI and knew how to thank their collaborators and colleagues. (a small personal reflection from the writer).

Thank you, gentlemen.

And to conclude this brief account of the arrival of the SA at Orly, we can't resist revealing the final contract between SNIAS and ADP, signed on June 14, 1976… which demonstrates the great trust between the two parties, for whom only the result mattered.

Translation for our English readers.

ARTICLE I – PURPOSE OF THE CONTRACT –

The purpose of this contract is to specify the conditions under which the CONCORDE 02 aircraft will be delivered by S.N.I.A.S to PARIS AIRPORT in order to allow the latter to operate an aircraft inspection service at ORLY airport.

ARTICLE 2 - OBLIGATIONS OF SNIAS

2.1. SNIAS undertakes to deliver the CONCORDE 02 aircraft to ORLY Airport, at the exhibition location designated by AÉROPORT DE PARIS, in perfect condition for public viewing.

2.2. The operations to be carried out by SNIAS include:

2.2.1. Performing the necessary flight restoration work in TOULOUSE (recovery and installation of equipment required for flight, testing and preparation for flight, etc.).

2.2.2. Ferrying the aircraft in flight from TOULOUSE to ORLY.

2.2.3. - Execution, at Orly, of work intended to make the aircraft ready for inspection.

2.3. - The aircraft must be positioned so that it can be operated no later than July 1, 1976.

2.4. - Upon completion of the work, a handover report will be drawn up jointly by the parties and will contain a detailed description of the aircraft.

2.5. - SNIAS also undertakes to provide Aéroports de Paris with all documents and technical information concerning the Concorde 02 aircraft and necessary, in particular, for its maintenance.

ARTICLE 3 - LIABILITY - INSURANCE

The terms of liability and insurance are determined by the certificate of acceptance attached to this contract.

ARTICLE 4 - FINANCIAL TERMS –

As compensation for the operations described in Article 2 above, AÉROPORT DE PARIS will pay S.N.I.A.S. the fixed and final sum of 635,000 F (SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND FRANCS), including VAT.

This sum will be paid as follows:

10% upon completion of this agreement, before the commencement of the operations described above;

40% upon the aircraft's arrival at ORLY Airport;

50% upon final delivery of the aircraft and its entry into service.

ARTICLE 5 - JURISDICTION

Any dispute concerning the interpretation or performance of this contract shall, in the absence of an amicable agreement between the parties, be submitted to the competent courts of PARIS.

"Subject to acceptance of the terms of our letter no. 38R/A/AF/AE/76"

For SOCIETE NATIONALE INDUSTRIELLE AEROSPATIALE,

The Director of the Aircraft Division

André ETESSE

June 14, 1976 Done in triplicate in PARIS, on

For AEROPORT DE PARIS

and by delegation,

the Director of Operations,

F. AILLERET

The search continues for new revelations, but for that we will have to wait a little longer.

In conclusion: it feels strange to say that it happened 50 years ago already… but SA still has plenty to reveal.