Mention “Concorde” to any aviation enthusiast and chances are that they’ll get a certain look in their eyes. That is quite understandable, as the Concorde wasn’t just any other aircraft. Capable of flying at twice the speed of sound, it whisked the wealthy across the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. And for many, it remains the pinnacle of commercial aviation achievement.
Anglo-French ambitions take shape
The Concorde story began in the late 1950s. It was an era when everything seemingly was possible and optimism for what humanity could achieve prevailed, fueled by healthy (?) competition between the Western and Eastern bloc. Britain and France had during this period independently pursued supersonic transport programs, only to arrive at the conclusion that their work was better carried out together. Hence the British Aircraft Corporation and France’s Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) joined forces in 1962.
With an invisible line seemingly running between the English Channel, the partnership was challenging from the start. Designers of each nation apparently nurtured and favored different engineering philosophies, including measurement systems. It is no surprise then that even the name of the aircraft itself would be the source of bickering. The British preferred “Concord,” while the French slapped an “e” on the end, insisting it be “Concorde.” We all know which side won.
Brilliant engineering
Concorde’s designers faced unprecedented challenges. At Mach 2.04 (roughly 2,180 km/h or 1,354 mph, assuming a standard atmosphere at FL600) aerodynamic heating raised the aircraft’s skin temperature to 127°C (260 °F), causing the fuselage to expand by up to 25 centimetres (10 inches) during flight. The solution was an engineering masterpiece—an elegant workaround to the laws of physics, and a joy to look at.
The distinctive ogival delta wing was designed to provide lift with minimal drag penalties for a wide speed-range. Interestingly, it also lacked most of the moving parts found on wings of common commercial jet aircraft—such as flaps. To control pitch and roll, six “elevons” (combined elevator and aileron surfaces) were used. Horizontal stabilizer? Not needed. Elegant design, indeed.
The famous drooping nose lowered 5 degrees below horizontal for take-off and 12.5 degrees for landing, giving pilots visibility while maintaining aerodynamic efficiency. Engineers developed specialized fuel management systems that transferred fuel between tanks to maintain the aircraft’s center of gravity throughout the various flight stages.
Powering it all were four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 engines, each capable of producing a massive 38,050 pounds of thrust with afterburners. Yes, afterburners. Don’t you just wish your regular A320 would have those?
Fading interest
The first prototype took flight on March 2, 1969, from Toulouse, France. With the advent of supersonic flight for regular (well…) passengers, many envisioned a future where hundreds of Concorde would be built and put into operation. Airlines as diverse as American Airlines, Iran Air, Japan Airlines, Air India and Lufthansa all secured options to purchase units. But operating the aircraft turned out to be very expensive. The oil crisis of the 1970s surely didn’t help. Fuel prices soared, an especially sore pain point for an aircraft that wasn’t exactly modest when it came to guzzling kerosene.
Options faded and even converted orders were cancelled. In the end, only 20 aircraft were built—with only 14 reaching commercial service. British Airways (BA/BAW) and Air France (AF/AFR) each took delivery of seven new aircraft from the production line. The Concorde entered commercial service on January 21st, 1976. Merely three years later, production ceased in 1979.
The Concorde experience
For passengers, flying onboard the Concorde was something out of the ordinary. Not all of it was enjoyable. Former passengers have described the cabin as rather cramped, the width of the seats being similar to what you’d experience aboard any low-cost carrier of today. Those tiny windows probably didn’t help either.
Speaking of space however, the feeling of ogling through said windows at FL600 must have been a very redeeming experience. Passengers could clearly see the Earth’s curvature against the darkness of the stratosphere. The cabin theoretically seated 92 to 128 passengers depending on configuration, with every row made up of four seats divided by a narrow aisle. Both operators ultimately configured their cabins to cater for 100 passengers, in a single class layout.
Inflight entertainment consisted of screens mounted on the forward bulkhead displaying flight information such as speed, altitude and outside temperature. Either of the pilots would ceremoniously inform the passengers once they’d gone supersonic. To make up for the cramped cabin, the level of service aboard was superb. Meals were served using fine china, the cutlery was of the silver variety and the Champagne arrived chilled in crystal glassware. The trip between London and New York only took about 3.5 hours, the quickest hop recorded as being only 2 hours and 52 minutes long.
The speed and flair (bodyshaming seat width aside) came at a price. Adjusted for inflation, a one-way ticket between London and New York would set you back about 2,800 USD in the mid 1970’s, eventually soaring to about twice that number by the 1990’s. The pricing strategy consistently placed Concorde tickets well above first class tickets on subsonic aircraft.
Destinations of the Concorde
Most will recall the transatlantic routes operated by British Airways and Air France whenever the name Concorde gets brought up. And while London Heathrow (LHR/EGLL) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG/LFPG) to New York John F. Kennedy (JFK/KJFK) quickly became flagship routes, they were far from the only destinations seeing traffic from the spaceaged jet. In fact, due to political squabbles delaying landing rights, Concorde had been operating commercial flights for half a year before it touched down in the United States.
On its inaugural day in the sky, Air France routed the Concorde to Rio de Janeiro (GIG/SBGL), with a quick stop in Dakar. British Airways chose Bahrain as its premiere destination instead, trimming the flight time by approximately 1.5 hours compared to flights utilizing less speedy equipment.
In the other direction, a codeshare venture between British Airways and Singapore Airlines utilized a Concorde painted in a unique dual livery. This particular aircraft (G-BOAD) hence featured BA’s livery on the starboard side, while the other was dressed in SIA’s color scheme. It whisked passengers from London to Singapore in about 10 hours, with a 40 minute refuelling stop in Bahrain. That could have been cut further, had India allowed overflights and supersonic flight been utilized throughout the route.
The latter became quite the issue for operators. While passengers were oblivious (apart from receiving word from the flight crew) to when the Concorde went supersonic, anyone on the ground for sure heard the loud bang that reportedly could reach well-beyond 100dB. This effectively limited overland use of its full potential to sectors with sparsely populated areas, such as deserts. But even sandy dunes apparently had something to say about it. Saudi Arabia withdrew supersonic permissions after learning from nomads that camels were upset by the sudden noise from above.
The end of an era
Noise constrictions and a gargantuan thirst for fuel quickly had beancounters write the Concorde off as little more than a marketing tool. Even with ticket prices bordering on extortion, it was hard to make business sense out of the once futuristic metal bird. Still, she continued to grace the skies for decades before a tragic accident marked what undoubtedly was the beginning of the end for the Concorde.
On July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after takeoff from Paris Charles de Gaulle, killing all 109 aboard and four on the ground. Investigation revealed that runway debris punctured a tire, sending rubber fragments into fuel tanks and causing catastrophic fire. The tragic accident led to temporary grounding and safety modifications.
Concorde returned to service in November 2001, but its fate was already sealed. The September 11 attacks on US soil earlier that year devastated premium travel markets. Aging airframes required increasing maintenance. The murmur of the beancounters grew louder. On April 10, 2003, Air France and British Airways simultaneously announced retirement of the Concorde by the end of October the same year. Air France in fact effectively withdrew it from service merely a month later, while the British continued service through the summer season.
The final commercial flight took place on October 24, 2003, when flight BA002 sped travelers from JFK to London Heathrow, ending supersonic passenger service upon engine shutdown.
The Concorde legacy
Today, 18 surviving Concordes rest in museums worldwide, from New York’s Intrepid Museum to the Imperial War Museum in Cambridgeshire, England. Concorde proved that supersonic commercial flight was technically feasible and demonstrated what international cooperation could achieve (bickering aside). Modern supersonic developers, Boom Supersonic being perhaps the most famous one, study Concorde’s successes and limitations as they work to revive supersonic passenger travel.
More than two decades after retirement, Concorde remains aviation’s most elegant expression of speed, luxury, and technological ambition.
92 Responses
Why’s the concord legacy still not being repurposed with modern technology advances in engine technology, eliminating all previous disadvantages, that led to this magnificent aircraft being scrapped..
Check out Boom! supersonic aircraft research and development. They are getting close. There are also other companies looking into this.
Thanks so much
Idk I’m wondering the same thing
Omdat mensen dom zijn en egoïstisch
Unfortunately, The concorde consumed too much fuel into its 4 olympus engines and was extremely expensive to run.This caused british airways and air france to retire the concorde as they were not making money, but loosing it. Also, the concorde’s design was a problem. Its landing gear caused frequent issues and resulted in the air france disaster. This is why the supersonic era died soon after the concorde. Even though we can make better versions, it would never change the cost or the issues unless you just made a completely different plane. However, Boom supersonic is designing an supersonic plane currently to fix these issues which untimely brought the concordes tragic end!
I’ve seen this plane in the air and now on the ground it was my pleasure supersonic
For any Concorde enthusiasts living in or visiting the UK, I can highly recommend Brooklands’ “Gold” experience. You get to spend a day with Concorde pilots and often an FA will join. Half the day is spent in and around the museum’s Concorde, including a delicious lunch in Barnes-Wallis’ office with the pilots. The other half sees you fly the real ex-BA Concorde simulator, with one of the pilots flying as your FO, giving as much or as little assistance as you need. It’s not cheap, but gosh, it’s a seriously fun and interesting day!
Hi Mike
I was involved in the Concorde Fatigue Test @ Farnborough as a Test engineerand was involved in working as a Test Engineer. during my time there 1970-2, under British Aerospace (under supervision of Filton, Bristol) but held at the Royal Aircraft Establishment @ Farnborough.
There were 2 tests held there. A complete Concorde airframe which was controlled by 93 hydraulic jacks, through Computers and a smaller test of just the forward fuselage (from the nose to the start of the wings), both simulated the flying forces of flights to see when they would start to crack. This was for the U.S.A. airworthiness certificate needed for flights there. The tests also pressurised the cabin to 10.7 P.S.I. and were built inside ducts of systems to heat up to 100 degrees (it might have been 130 deg C?) and cool (With Liquid Nitrogen) to -30 degrees C. The tests were conducted 24 hrs a day unless there were faults. I worked on the smaller test which only had 9 hydraulic jacks and I think we used a Honeywell computer. I remember crawling around under the main test rig. It had so many pipes, you could get completely lost and lose orientation when working on it.
One day we heard that the Chief Test Pilot of Qantas would be visiting Fairford over the next few days to put Concorde through its paces to see if they were going to secure the options to buy it. We quickly hired a coach to take the team there to watch it. It was spectacular to see the aircraft doing circuits and bumps and climbing on only 2 engines (both on the same side) It climbed through the air crabwise! I did take a cine film of it but never received the film back from processing.
I ‘might’ even have a few static pictures of Farnborough test rigs if anyone is still alive and sufficiently interested.
Sounds fantastic! Thanks for the information, I will definitely check this out.
As a child I spotted the concord fly over our home, LUTTERWORTH Leicestershire UK. A memory I will never forget.
When I was a child I heard them testing the engines at nearby Wisley for a long time.
Also when I worked in Windsor we had to pause the meetings every time when Concorde flew over us.
It was great watching though.
The only aircraft that would make everyone on the ground stop and stare as it went over.
My first experience was on the Queen’s building at Heathrow ( circa 1977/78 – we still have the photo ) and many times after that.
I also lived in Twickenham for a while so would go out into the garden to watch it climb out full whack on easterlies…..
It flew several times into my local airport at bournemouth back in the 90’s .
Magic.
I have had a chance to do a round trip from New York to London taking the Concorde one week before it was canceled
I believe a 747 could beat a Concorde from London to Australia, due to the Concorde’s need for refueling and probably stretches when it could not fly supersonic. Also, 747s rarely fly without all passengers’ luggage, which Concorde sometimes had to do in hot weather.
They sometimes flew up Amersham high street on days when they flew their bay of Biscay short flights, wonderful sight .
In 1985 we received a visit of the Concord in Columbus, Ohio. It was a big deal to have this famous airplane show up in our midwest city. https://www.dispatch.com/picture-gallery/lifestyle/travel/2019/02/28/photos-when-the-concorde-came/519310007/
Happy memories of the early 80s when we lived in Gonesse, on the border of CDG, There were two Concorde take-offs per day: 11.20 and 17:20 and they usually came our way. Wonderful sight! The noise was unmissable , but they were gone so quickly it didn’t matter.
As a child I grew up in Putney under the flight path into Heathrow. The excitement on hearing Concorde approach, the windows and things on the shelves rattling as it passed overhead, I will never forget, she was a truly beautiful sight. It was always right on time, I remember 6pm and 9pm, you could pretty much set your clock by it. When it stopped flying I felt as though I had lost a member of my family.
Most memorable Concorde experience: needed to get from LHR to Gatwick and learned you could take a passenger helicopter. While waiting to lift off in front of a runway, a Concorde in full reheats was screaming down the runway. I was glued to the window with a clear view. Can’t explain the feeling other than remember “your first time.” Hope to actually fly a commercial supersonic aircraft before I “retire” for good. Hurry up Boom!
Jag har i alla påstått att jag såg en Concorde från Singapore Airlanes i London för en massa år sedan, nu fick jag bekräftat att jag inte drömde
I’d advise anyone interested in the demise of Concorde to read
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supersonic-Secrets-Unofficial-Biography-Concorde/dp/0954661702
Sadly the demise of Concorde was nothing, whatsoever to do with the accident. Actually BA intended to fly their fleet for many years into the future. Sadly the French didn’t do so well with their fleet, felt it was a drain on their business and ultimately led BA to sign the death certificate which was the final nail in the coffin.
It’s the tragic truth of the demise of an aircraft that remains, even in 2026, WAY ahead of its time.
I used to live in Old Windsor in the late ’70’s & nearly every day at about midday the Concorde flew in to Heathrow……..not the time to be making a phone call !
Magnificent to see it flying & on the ground.
I was told that Concorde always had priority ahead of other planes as its reserve fuel was not great.
Had to share my memories from Heathrow. I was in a small group from Soton Uni Aero Dept., that travelled up on January 21st. Talked our way on to a staff car park and voila…. Surprised you have no pictures of this proud moment in your article (I have several if you want to see them). This Concorde departure was witnessed by thousands from every building around 24L. Like witnessing the first Moon Landing, things didn’t work out as expected…. Here we are in 2026, 50 years later, just about to go back and orbit the Moon, and commercial transport is still limited by the sound barrier…
Tuve la suerte de visitarlo en Toulouse,.Ver la cabina de mando con esa infinidad de instrumental analogico. el fuselaje estrecho, las ventanas tan pequeñas, fue fascinante!
Due technical failure of initial flight (U turn after 3h over Atlantic 747 CDG MIA one engine failed) on biz trip with help of our CEO on trip we were reaccommodated to the Concorde CDG JFK (then local JFK MIA).
Most impressive, yes (it was surprisingly calm, resembled a DC9 size body inside but caviar and champaign was at the seat when entering. Most impressive was the permanent incline and reach 17000 meter seeing other planes below fade behind and sure the earth curve and the Mach 2 digit ;). As frequent flyer first with DC8 (retired) always remember this great flight, achieving such engineering (planes) should transmit some optimism and hope also in darker days.
You might enjoy my full Concorde in flight video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5I1Ub4sNW4
My husband bought me a short flight on Concorde for my 40th birthday in 1994. I lived in Birmingham and was bussed from Birmingham Airport to Heathrow where we boarded Concorde for the flight back. I was Very lucky to have a window seat. We were served champagne and canapés and given
A flight pack with a book and souvenirs. After an all too short trip back to Birmingham we landed to huge crowds and a band and were welcomed by the Lord Mayor as it was the day of the opening of Birmingham terminal 2. A day I will never forget. I also saw Concorde on her last day on special flight round the major UK airports and even on a horrible day weather wise she was magnificent and I still miss her
I have Certificate to say that I flew on Concorde between London and Washington on23rd December 1976 with my late husband and father-in-law.I will be 101yrs on31st March.and remember the excitement of that flight.
Living close to LHR in around 2001, I used to see the Concorde approach Heathrow to land some late afternoons. It seemed like everybody in the area would stop to witness this 1960’s marvel. Surprisingly small, it looked like a wasp hanging in the air; definitely a thrill to see.
RAF Fairford, summer 1969, sat in the back of Concorde 002 testing the Decca Navigator System during high-speed brake runs. Second (I think) run resulted in relatively brief tour around countryside while brakes cooled. Long landing run!
On many road trips round the M25 I was privileged to see a Concorde several times as it left the runway travelling west. I was also once at what is now John Lennon Airport at Liverpool when a Concorde landed with passengers on a day trip from Heathrow to see the horse racing at Aintree racecourse. Some day out eh?
Living just outside Bristol and right under the flight path into Filton, I saw the birth and the unfortunate demise of this beautiful aircraft. I used to see the Vulcan fly over with the Olympus 593 engine strapped underneath during the pre flight testing . She regularly flew on and out of Filton during the rigorous testing phase. When Concorde eventually went into service I would eagerly await her return from New York roughly about 5/6 o’clock at night and hear the double boom just as she slowed down prior to landing at Heathrow. I never got tired of seeing her overhead. In October 1994 a dream came true for me when I got to actually fly in her departing filton out over the bay of Biscay , going supersonic at 60,00 feet and returning to Filton 2 hours later . The flight included a visit to the cockpit and a superb meal. I was deeply saddened when she was taken out of service but at least I’m lucky insofar as I can visit the Concorde museum at Filton and still see her in all her glory.
Concorde was an aircraft of such beauty that everyone would stop and watch her in the sky if she ever passed overhead. As a photographer, I have a great collection of Concorde images and hired a cherry-picker to get a high-level video of the three Concordes in a row making their final landing at Heathrow.
My wife, a former Air Hostess (Stewardess) treated me and herself to a flight to the Bay of Biscay return one. She sat on the flight deck (by invitation) for take off from LHR whilst I had to sit in the cabin ………..but with a glass of champers and the Purser. Cheers!.
So many memories.
Chasing the incoming flight down the M4 on my way home from Central London several nights a week. Seeing over flights at air shows, hearing take offs 10 miles away, and shedding a tear on the final day watching TV. Still got the plastic model and lots of first-day covers.
Heck, I almost forgot ? I watched the British prototype take off from Filton all those years ago. Never thought then I would have a ride in her. Since seen her resting in the hanger.
I had the privilege of being able to make a one-way Paris-New York by Concorde at the end of winter 2003, a few months before the final stop. It was an unforgettable experience. I dreamed of it for 25 years and it was memorable. Certainly the cabin was narrow and the leather seats quite basic. But I would have gone sitting on the floor or in the toilet if I had been offered it. Remarkable on-board service and a single class cabin. The First for everyone.
Taking off already is something else. We see the illuminated boundaries of the track, off, like a solid line. I believe that the Vr must be around 400km/h (to be checked), and here, it changes everything. The initial climb is incredible. Still in the track axis, the ground is already very small. At the first corner to take the course on Brittany, we see CDG in very small and the 4 tracks very far away. When the plane is put back on the plane, at about 270, 280, the machmeter is stabilized at 0.7. It’s been barely 2 minutes since we took off. We will stay below the Mach until the crossing of the coastline because of the noise pollution and the pilot announces that we will accelerate to reach the cruising altitude. Have the chance to see the Machmeter in the cabin climb quietly and simply exceed the 1.0, then continue. Without having felt anything. No vibration, no different noise. Nothing, we are in Supersonic. A small pause in the acceleration around 1.7 of Mach, to allow the plane to lighten a little so that it goes up a little higher.
And the acceleration resumes to stop at 2.1, 2.2 from Mach at 18000 m altitude.
I learned later that to save the plane, the 2 companies were limited to a speed close to 2.0 Mach.
And during the flight, I still have in mind the dark blue color of the space that seemed so close and the curvature of the earth clearly visible.
A flight that is too short, usually we can’t wait to arrive, but now, I would have liked it to last 7 hours or 8 hours. I had the chance to go see the cockpit where the crew worked to drive this formula 1 from the sky. We were still on a cruise and I knew that we could see the extension of the fuselage in the post at a specific location. Between the back partition of the station and the furniture of the navigator mechanic, there, you could pass your fingers widely. While on the ground, I was able to check it at the hangar, it was impossible, there were only 2 millimeters.
The descent then took place in the softness. No ear problem. The cabin pressurization management was very well done. We landed at JFK in the early morning, the sun had just risen, while we had taken off from Paris around 11:15 a.m. Throughout the flight, as we flew west, I saw the sun gradually retreat to the east and we were heading towards the night ahead of us. We were going faster than the sun. It was a fascinating and unforgettable experience.
The approach made us feel the very important angle that the plane had compared to a conventional airliner. The delta wing forced him to be very barred. Quite similar landing but as at takeoff, it rolls quickly on the runway.
The ride to the parking lot and terminal also showed the fascination that this plane aroused in the public. As the plane passed, all the employees, all the trucks, cars, buses that circulated on the airport’s traffic lanes stopped and watched him pass by while greeting. And that, for almost 30 years, every day.
For me, this dream of a day had to stop. I landed at the deserted terminal because it was the first flight to arrive in the morning, and I wisely waited for the evening flight to return to Paris. But unfortunately, in B 777, I did not have the budget for the return to Concorde.
Memory of a life for an aviation enthusiast.
Concords used to fly over us daily in Wokingham at 1100 and 1105 to New York and Washington. Could set your clock by them. I was lucky enough to see 4 fly over within an hour, heading to LHR for the last goodbye get together. Good times indeed.
I have always felt/believed that there was immense jealousy from other plane makers and countries as they didn’t have the skills to build their own aircraft.
They certainly had the money.
To see these amazing, magnificent aircraft just sitting outside or in museums is very sad, and the longer they stay there lessens the probability of them ever gracing the sky’s again.
In 1979, I think it was December I was the purser on board JFK-LHR. We were given a flight time of 3h:15m, which was about average. When we landed we had become the first ever sub-3hr crossing in a passenger aircraft. The official nose-wheel up to nose-wheel down time was logged as 2h:59:36s. Yes, it was done faster, but we were first.
I toured the Concorde flight test aircraft on a business trip to Airbus. I have seen BA fly at Oshkosh as it has visited at least a couple of years and gave rides to Canada for a short flight. I was told that on the last flight of aircraft before retirement, the flight crew would sign their caps and place them on the end of the engineer’s panel during supersonic flight and they would be captured when the aircraft cooled.
Beautiful airplane in the air with it’s delta wing.
Concorde F-BVFF is near the hotels close to CDG Terminal 1
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonf45sphotos/35692565040
Kathleen’s dad worked on the design teem at Hawkers in Kingston, Surrey.
He passed away at the age of 42 and didn’t live long enough to see Concorde fly.
We lived on the flight path into Heathrow and would watch it go over almost daily. We had aspirations to fly but it was way beyond our budget. Then came the Paris aircrash and we thought our chances had gone. When it came back into service we were sitting in our back garden talking about how we could do it. And there it was, a big beautiful bird coming home.
We decided hell with the cost we owe it to Kathleen’s dad. Six months later we spent our 25th wedding anniversary in the USA and returned home on Concorde from JFK to LHR.
The single most exhilarating flying experience of our lives, and a fitting tribute to Kathleen’s dad. Reginald Worsdell.
We took a charter (by Canterbury?) Concorde (G-BOAA) flight from Heathrow to Nice in 1996 to celebrate my 50th birthday. We flew supersonic out over the Bay of Biscay before slowing down to cross Spain to the Mediterranean. I don’t remember it being claustrophobic but perhaps that was because we were sat in the 2nd row, with the speed and height indicators on the panel ahead of us. To my recollection the seats were luxurious and the lunch (outbound) and dinner (inbound) was 2nd to none. Certainly the afterburners provided a strong kick in the back on take-off. We were invited to the flight deck and saw the flight crew busy with their heads down studying charts and check sheets. After watching the Monaco F1 Grand Prix we returned to the waiting Concorde at Nice Airport and retraced our route home to Heathrow. An amazing day out, worth every penny of 4,000 UK pounds for the pair of us – which included a posh lunch in Monaco with a view of the race.
Em 1971 ele veio ao Brasil, em vôo de demonstração, eu o vi, no Aeroporto de Viracopos – Campinas -SP (Brasil)
08/09/1971 – 13:00 h .. . Não esqueci a data e nem de poder acompanhar o pouso e a decolagem 13:30h… Foi muito bom!
I remember as a child living in Singapore in 1972, going out to the3 airport precinct to watch a Concorde coming in and then later taking off. It was loud, and I watched rocks bouncing on the ground as she flew over. Based on these dates, this must have been promotional flights
From 1976 to 1989 I worked just 5 miles from Filton (Bristol).
Every Concorde came overhead when returning from test flights and every time work stopped to watch it glide gracefully over.
Wonderful days.
I had the chance to board the Concorde on the ground and even visit the cockpit during an airshow in Liege, Belgium in 1983 or 1984, being struck by the lack of space everywhere…..but what a beauty from the outside. I treasure the pictures taken at the time, another era. That day we could buy a one-way ticket Liege to Paris (and back by bus) for 8.000 Belgian francs (200 euros), much too much for the student I was. And of course no way to break the sound barriers.
Lounging on the grass at Kew Gardens one summer in the late-’80s, enthralled as a Concorde approached Heathrow directly overhead. Maybe the residents of Hounslow weren’t, so much.
I had the privilege of flying on the Concorde once — the only day I’ve ever seen the sun set twice. From start to finish, the experience felt almost unreal. Exceptional service began at check-in, followed by the Concorde lounge at Heathrow with direct boarding and a personal welcome from the captain, who outlined the supersonic Atlantic crossing ahead.
The steep takeoff, the distinct push of the afterburners as we left the coastline behind and accelerated through Mach 1, and the warm windows revealing the curvature of the Earth were constant reminders of just how high — and how fast — we were traveling. Looking down at a 747 far below, inching across a layer of cloud, put everything in perspective.
Arrival at JFK was equally surreal — only a few minutes from disembarking to clearing immigration, luggage in hand. And then came the paradox: a journey engineered to be as fast as humanly possible is one you wish could last much longer.
Fantastic! Enjoyed a on-off inaugural flight from Heathrow to Warsaw. Hit mach 2.2 and the hnour of being seen on Polish TV – which is how the CEO of PZU recognised me the next morning.
Takeoff from Heathrow was a kick in the butt! WoW! Acceleration was an adrenaline rush!
I flew a BA Concorde between Heathrow and Cleveland, OH.
AAA had a charter flight which involved taking the QE II across the Atlantic and the Concorde for the return leg. We stopped in New York for customs and then continued to Cleveland (sub-sonically). I wasn’t rich, but I really wanted to fly on the Concorde, and this charter flight was reasonably priced considering what it included. There were quite a few people watching as we landed on a rainy day at Hopkins airport.
The service and food were elegant and wonderful. The plane itself was tiny. One hundred passengers. I’m fairly tall, and my head almost touched the roof of the plane as I walked down the aisle. The seats were narrow with little legroom. Frankly, in terms of comfort, I think an A350 would be much better, albeit slower.
as a child at rockaway beach, I used to wait for the 9:30 or so AM departure from Kennedy. what a thrill! What a sound!
I flew Concorde from JFK to LHR as a result of a promotion when BA took over British Caledonian. To make us discover the BCal Gatwick hub, they offered a ‘fly business to JFK and Concorde back’ promotion.
I was sitting next to a courier (didn’t ask what he was carrying) who had paid only 500 dollars for his ticket. We were on the morning flight out. Apparently it was not so popular as First Class passengers preferred to fly the night before, subsonic, to get the better service and to sleep.
I remember the day that both a French and British Concorde landed at MCO on parallel runways at the same time. Wow
In 1990 I was lucky enough to get a business trip to the UK. We were guests of Shell Oil in London and were taken out to Heathrow and onto the Tarmac where got to walk around the Concorde while she was refueling. Still remember the kerosene dripping out of the wings. We were told that the fuel tanks did not seal completely until the air raft reached supersonic flight and grew to its final length. Apparently 10 to 12 inches. We then were taken by bus to the end of the runway and wat he’d the Concorde take off. A sight I will never forget. Unfortunately no cameras were allowed.
This is from memory. I was at Heathrow in 1970 when the first 747 landed and if the dates are correct the Concorde did a slow ‘fly-by’ around the airport. It was so beautiful, and the 747 so enormous.
I used to love watching it take off at Heathrow. At that time, I used to drive a 40 foot long artic and the rear was trailer was made of aluminium. When I was empty and waiting to be loaded, Concorde took off and it was like a rocket and the whole of my empty trailer vibrated and shook. It was a great feeling to experience that vibration plus the sight of it taking off….
I flew London to NYC with three of my business colleagues. We were all so excited but were suprised by how small the cabin and seats were – made worse in my case when a large man sat next to me and immediately fell to asleep, all over me! Most of the other passengers also seemed to be asleep but I was like an excited 10 year old watching the front screen as the speed eventually edged up to Mach 2 – amazing excitement when it got there! Even though it was still morning our crew member offered champagne and eventually left the bottle with me, I didn’t want the flight to end. In NYC Concorde had its own terminal and arrival protocol was so civilised, the opposite of airport arrivals today. Such a pity this is all lost for current day travellers.
I hold the belief that if the British government had leased the aircraft to BA and retained ownership they could have let Richard Branson operate it .
He would have made it work and maybe not a full commercial service but he would have been able to provide a pleasure flight experience which many would have taken up . Or is that view incorrect based on facts I don’t know ?
Hi Les, from reading other articles, I think the problem was the maintenance required to keep the fleet going. Airbus took over the contract and eventually withdrew support. I guess if Air France had given up on their 7 aircraft, there would have been plenty of spare parts available for the other 7…
I never had the chance to fly in Concorde; however, I witnessed one land at Capetown CPT directly from Fulton prior to commencing “Hot and High” testing out of JNB in 1976.
Many years later I was at MAN waiting for a BA Flight to LHR when I watched and photographed one taking off for one of the last “Joy Flights” undertaken prior to withdrawal from service.
I have a huge desktop model of the British Airways Concorde – one of my favorite models!
Hello every Concorde Lover,
In 2000, July 5th, I flew this beautiful bird from Charles de Gaulle to JFK, and back 6 days later.
Almost 2 weeks before its crash…
That has been my first and second supersonic flights.
I will never forget this experience…
Thanks Concorde…
Hallo,
Indertijd werkte ik bij de Regie der Luchtwegen op de Luchthaven Oostende. Wij waren dan ook heel verheugd toen deze unieke, gestroomlijnde vogel als eerste in België in Oostende landde. Dit moet in het jaar 1978/1979 zijn geweest
Het was echt genieten om de landing en het opstijgen te mogen bijwonen. We hebben de Concorde ook van heel dichtbij mogen bezoeken en zelfs mogen binnengaan om de cockpit te bewonderen. Die was werkelijk een technisch kunstwerk.
Er mochten zelfs 100 personen van de Regie der Luchtwegen mee terugvliegen van Oostende naar de luchthaven Le Bourget. Helaas had ik pech en kon ik net niet meer mee. Dat heb ik altijd jammer gevonden.
Bij interesse kan ik het met een Dubbel-8-camera opgenomen filmpje van de aankomst van de Concorde op de luchthaven van Oostende bezorgen.
My father was the commanding officer at RAF Prestwick in Scotland when the Concorde was doing its Artic trials. His house was on the edge of the airport and Concorde was parked literally at the bottom of his garden every night. Never to be forgotten.
An experience not to be forgotten. The G force at take off was wonderful.Had the opportunity to fly to Washington and Caracas. Never to be forgotten moments. Its demise very sad and far too soon.
I have a certificate to say I flew on Concorde between London and Washington on 23Dec1976 with my late husband and father-in-law. I will be 101yrs on 31st March and remember the excitement of the flight.
I had 3 flights on the Concorde.Two with Air France and 1 with BA.It was just awesome.You left at 10:20 AM from Paris arriving in NY at 8:30 AM.Just in time to have your meetings in Manhattan.Next day or two days later going back at 8 AM from NY arriving at 5 PMin Paris..
It’s true that comfort on board was limited but great food and the limousine service from home to the airport and back wa great.Just miss it.
I worked as an engine specialist on this beautiful aircraft for about 6 years, moving to another project about the same time that it entered service. Flew on 3 different aircraft – all French registered – including the ill-fated F-BTSC (then with the test registration F-WTSC). Hard work, but a huge thrill every time it took off.
To address the question posed by Bhojarajan Karunakaran, my understanding is that it was mainly the economics of supporting such a small fleet. For instance, when new safety regulations were introduced, such as GPWS, the costs of certifying the system divided by 16 operating aircraft were gigantic. For a similar system for the 747, Boeing could divide them between 1000 operational aircraft, with obvious benefits.
It’s still the most beautiful aircraft that I have ever seen and I’m very proud that I worked on it.
I was lucky enough to see (and hear!) Concorde daily. In fact this was a seriously loud aircraft, even when not going supersonic. Whatever I was doing, I always heard her go over.
I worked in a large hotel close to Heathrow for a while, in an office that was in the centre of the hotel, on the ground floor: no windows, rooms and corridors all around us and several floors above us to block the noise. Yet every morning, when Concorde took off, we had to stop what we were doing and ask telephone callers to hold the line – no-one could hear a thing except Concorde. The noise was deafening!
I have to admit it made me smile every single time!
Did Russia ever get their supersonic passenger aircraft into commercial operation?
TU144 went into service on internal routes but only carrying freight. The problem was that it needed to use reheat in the cruise, which consumes fuel at a horrendous rate. In contrast, Concorde only used reheat for take off and transonic acceleration. It cruised at M2.02 in dry thrust only, thanks to the efficiency of the R-R /SNECMA Olympus 593’s.
We lived in Weston-super-Mare, UK in the early ‘80s and regularly watched Concorde fly over from JFK, having flown up the Bristol Channel and then starting its approach into Heathrow.
My father was privileged to take a trans-Atlantic flight on the Concorde in the early 1990’s as the guest of a company with whom he was working. He was 6’4″ tall and although “skinny”, I remember him say that the seating was very tight; he also said that the cabin became uncomfortably warm during supersonic flight. However, remarking on the attentive service, views of the earth, and the short travel time, he enjoyed the trip very much!
I’ve seen the British Airways ones many times in the air and on the ground. My favourite memory is of taxying past one visiting my home airport, Glasgow, after one of my flying lessons in a Piper Tomahawk.
During the 1980s I lived in Ayr, Concorde was a frequent visitor to Prestwick PIK doing north and south circuits and touch and goes over the Firth of Clyde. The sound was incredible and unmistakable!!
I saw Concorde doing a slow fly past RAF Woodvale whilst I was flying Chipmonks as an air cadet, she was on her way up to the Southport airshow, an amazing sight seeing her at low level.
In 1972 I worked in an office building which was located just a few km from Heathrow and between the approaches for the 2 runways. We could see all the planes passing on both sides of the building. The building insulation was so good we could not hear the aircraft except for the concord which was so noisy even on approach to landing.
When I was a kid, early 1970s my father’s job involved travelling near Thurleigh Bedfordshire and I remember being shown Concord flying low, presumably test flights, noisy definitely but so sleek and modern looking. I thought it looked like everyone’s idea of a paper plane being white of course. Saw later in life too above London but those first memories stick. Now we seem to have lost the future somehow and it all seems slower.
BA172 on 7 April 1979, Seat 17A, JFK to LON: What a live time experience it was! The start sequence was very impressive. An immediate left turn to the open sea was felt like flying in an fighter aircraft. Likewise the approach: 18 degrees of pitch in low speed flying towards the airport. I will always remember, The ticket cost was USD 719.00 at a rate of 4 to one Swiss Franc.
In 1972 I was living in Nightcliffe, Darwin, NT Australia. On Thursday the 15th of June I was riding home from work along Bagot Road on my Honda CB250 when the Concorde flew across the road right in front of me on it’s final approach to runway 11; it was an amazing experience. It departed early on Saturday morning (I am pretty sure it was Saturday) and the noise was incredible as was the rumbling of the ground; just like an earthquake. It even blacked out the local Radio Station during take off.
On 4th.April 1998 a Concorde was used to convey guests to the Grand National Horse race at Aintree, Liverpool,UK. My house is directly below runway 27 LPL (at 5 miles) used that day. I’ve never forgotten the noise and gracefulness of that aircraft.
I lived in Cheltenham when Concorde did its development flights. I don’t think it ever went supersonic bit it thick black vapour trail regularly stained the sky. Noise was another noticeable characteristic and when the wind was in the right direction, take off from Filton was often heard. BUT it was beautiful and although rare the site of it from Cleeve hill as we flew r/c gliders was spectacular!!
Yo lo vi en el cielo Londres y lo vi presencialmente en el aeropuerto de Valladolid, España, en un viaje que para empleados o jubilados de Caja Salamanca, creo recordar y causaba en mi una sensación de admiración por la tecnología, que no he vuelto a sentir.
Le plus avion du monde a l époque où la France était fière et belle. Merci Concorde. Désolant que la France est laissé tombé et arrêté cet avion.
June 24, 2003 will forever live in my memory. Flying on the Concorde from London to NY with my wife was more than a trip—it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The elegance, the speed, the impeccable service, and the sheer magic of breaking the sound barrier together made it unforgettable. Sharing that extraordinary moment with the love of my life turned an iconic flight into a cherished memory we will treasure forever.
I was on the way back to London from Harpenden after completing a visit with Ian Chichester-Miles and his Leopard experimental aircraft when I saw the Concord on final approach–I was very excited to see it in flight,,,he was nonchalant but he pulled off the highway so I could watch. A side note to this==he was in the process of changing the engines on the Leopard from the Noel Penny to the Williams FJ-X. I am a very senior person now,,but I think the details are correct.
This brilliant piece of technology was killed because of corporate greed and greed alone. There are many cars still being made that consume large amounts for fuel and although fuel consumption between automobiles and airplanes cannot really be compared, it speaks to corporate greed again and again. Airlines could have used other perks and costs to offset the cost to continue to fly the concorde, but wait a minute, the jet was mostly sold out for wealthy and the corporate was not willing to innovate and extend the opportunity to others. Sort of like the wealthy buying certain cars, only to have them sit in a warehouse whereas others could purchase and enjoy them if only their respective prices weren’t put out of reach. Very sad.
P.s – I was working at West Drayton as an air traffic assistant in the London Terminal Control Centre on the day of Concorde’s final flights into Heathrow – such a buzz to be part of the team dealing with the flights in.
I was doing a job for Port Authority of New York at JFK in 2000 and the guy I was working with took me down to watch Concorde take off and land from ground level adjacent to the runway. An amazing experience.
My first “encounter” with Concorde was in 1969, at age 5, when my godfather got me a book (when I could barely read) about an airplane that had just made its first flight. In the center was a press-out-and-assemble card-paper model that could be swung around overhead while tethered with string, while a rubber band snapped around the fuselage at the forward section of the wing produced a buzzing sound. Already fanatical about airplanes, I was very familiar with the essential parts of an airplane and recall being somewhat unenthused by this new airplane. It had a suspiciously long pointy nose that could move, strangely shaped wings, lacked horizontal tailplanes and whoever heard of SQUARE engines! Years later, I spent the summer of 1977 in Manama, Bahrain, about 10 miles from the airport. I never saw Concorde there but I could hear the double thunderclap when she departed at around 10 am (occasionally later) on her way to Singapore. That distant thunder, uncharacteristic of any other airplane, ignited a fascination with Concorde that has never ceased. Fast forward to 1984: I was in a terminal at Heathrow, waiting to catch a connecting flight to Seattle to begin my studies in aeronautical engineering, when I heard a tremendous roar unlike the usual sound of a departing airplane. I immediately thought “Concorde!” and rushed to the huge glass panes where I caught sight of her climbing out, the one and only time I’ve witnessed her in flight. The sound, unmistakably the rumble of thunder, seemed incompatible with the sight, so sleek, so graceful, so surprisingly small, almost fragile. The incongruence between sight and sound was thrilling, like witnessing something renegade that should not be possible, yet there it was. The sight of Concorde climbing out and disappearing all too soon into the low cloud layer caused a racing pulse and shortness of breath that took a long time to subside. It left me simultaneously proud to see the proof that when humans put their minds to it they can produce something so amazing, and despondent that they so rarely put aside their differences, petty squabbles and fears to do so.
I first saw Concorde fly over London, with Red Arrows, circa 1969. Then there was a fly-pass at Farnborough (early 70’s) which captivated my bored-out-of-her-mind mother.
Consequently, my father, who worked for BA, arranged for us to fly from LHR to JFK (approx 1978). An amazing experience.
But mind-bogglingly, when Dad was negotiating with the FAA, he made two trips to Washington on Concorde … there and back in a day!