How time has flown...

Published on Friday 27 February 2009 20:20

"CONCORDE is like a great wine; you dream of it beforehand, you savour it while drinking, and remember it for the rest of your life!"

WITH these words, world-class sommelier Philippe Faure-Brac, who created the Air France Concorde's inflight wine list when Paris-New York flights were reintroduced post-9/11, gifted us with a perfect simile for the experience of flying on the legendary jet, whose maiden flight took place 40 years ago this coming week, on 2 March 1969.

This I can say as one of the privileged few to have travelled on the iconic, supersonic bird that is now lost to us. Even though it was a once-only experience for me, Concorde's passing is privately mourned during my every long airport trudge, from the departure lounge towards the furthest gate (the one which incurs the lowest airport charges for airlines), to board a no-frills craft for a no-thrills flight.

The great irony in being able to traverse the Atlantic in three and a half hours was that it was such an exhilarating experience, the first-time passenger might wish for it to go on for much longer, or, as with a heart-stopping fairground ride, crave to stay on board indefinitely, inwardly shouting "Again! Again!".

The drag-free take-off that left your stomach on Heathrow's runway; the muffled punch to your kidneys as the sound barrier was broken and supersonic speed was attained, enabling the unthinkable ascent to 55,000 feet; the humbling sight of the Earth's curvature at sunset espied from on high through its tiny windows; the incredible high-speed landing that truly brought home the meaning of the phrase 'reverse thrust': unbeatable and now, sadly, unrepeatable. Don't even get me started on the exquisitely soft navy-blue leather seats upholstered by luxury goods brand Connolly, the vintage champagne and the caviar served after take-off by the most immaculate and sophisticated cabin crew you were ever likely to meet.

Today, the Concorde lifestyle has never seemed more anachronistic – but it's a treasured memory for those fortunate enough to have enjoyed it.

So, 40 years after its initial 27-minute flight, and nearly six years after it was permanently retired, why is Concorde still such a hugely popular British icon?

At Scotland's National Museum of Flight in East Fortune, which celebrates the centenary of its aeronautical collection this year, Concorde G-BOAA has been a main attraction since it was transported there from London, by water and road, in 2004.

"Bringing Concorde to Scotland was a big task and it is great to see that the efforts of so many people have proved to be worthwhile," says Dr Gordon Rintoul, Director of National Museums Scotland. "The success we have had at the National Museum of Flight since the opening of The Concorde Experience has been fantastic."

Scotland's Concorde has the distinction of being the first of the British Airways fleet to have taken flight when commercial trips began on 21 January 1976.

Alastair Dodds, Principal Transport Curator at National Museums Scotland, says: "Concorde was the superstar of the skies and still holds a special place in the hearts of many. She had everything – from design and engineering excellence to glamour – and while her wheels now remain firmly on the ground, she is still a spectacular sight with an amazing story. We hope that this anniversary will remind people how special Concorde was."

We aim to do the same by celebrating its memory with these historic images.

&#149 For further information on The Concorde Experience see www.nms.ac.uk/concordeexperience_1.aspx