A Sample Feature From Aviation News

Concorde Chronology

Britain’s pioneering engineers of yesteryear would surely be impressed with many technological developments commonplace today. However, they would no doubt be equally perplexed by a number of facts: many train journeys now take longer than decades ago, traffic in London travels slower on average than when the horsedrawn carriage was prevalent and to top it all one of Britain’s greatest achievements, Concorde is to be retired without a supersonic successor in place. Indeed, dictionary’s may need to be amended to give a more accurate description of the word ‘progress’ if the examples highlighted are a sign of things to come. Unfortunately, it could be viewed as symbolic of Britain’s decline as a forward-looking World power.

In the years of Concorde’s creation Britain still led the world in many aspects, one of which was aircraft production and many of the advances used on the type were revolutionary. Today, the story is very different with the UK aerospace sector dominated by developments on systems that go on platforms (ie, aircraft) to use the current jargon.

It will truly be a sad day for aviation when the last Concorde rolls to a halt and the sight and sound of this aircraft in the sky is but a memory. No other aircraft has generated so much affection among the general public and the ability to stop people in their tracks to watch it fly by. Concorde’s beautiful shape was a product of engineering and aerodynamic necessity, though one could scarcely have come up with a more elegant design even if that had been the main aim.

BA was never likely to relinquish its flagship and associated premium passengers to Virgin Atlantic and the only way round this was if the UK Government had forced the company’s hand. however, this was not to be and Britain will be a lesser nation for the loss of this icon. What makes it all the sadder is that there was a buyer for these magnificent aircraft who was willing to keep the dream alive and in the air.

February 25, 1954	British experts meet at the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in Farnborough to discuss supersonic transport feasibility.
November 5, 1956	First meeting takes place of British Supersonic Aircraft Transport Committee (STAC).
1957	French Government invites aerospace companies to submit design proposals for an SST.
March 9, 1959	STAC recommends detailed design of two supersonic airliners, one with a speed of Mach 1.2 and a faster one for Mach 2.
1959-61	Feasibility and design studies are underway in Britain on the BAC 223 and in France on the Super-Caravelle. Preliminary Anglo-French discussions on Supersonic Transport (SST) requirements lead to investigation into possible collaboration.
1960	British Airways receives its first supersonic passenger reservation.
June 8, 1961	First discussions are held in Paris between the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) and Sud-Aviation.
November 29, 1962	Anglo-French intergovernmental agreement is signed for joint study, development and manufacture of supersonic aircraft.
1963
January 13,	French President Charles de Gaulle mentions the name ‘Concorde’ when referring to the Anglo-French supersonic aircraft.
June	Sales options for Concorde are signed by BOAC and Air France.
June 3	Pan American World Airways signs first sales option for Concorde.
1964
July	Rolls-Royce SNECMA Olympus 593 ‘D’ (Derivative) turbojet engine makes first run at Bristol.
1965
April	First metal is cut for Concorde prototypes.
October	Sub-assembly begins of first Concorde prototypes.
November	First run of Olympus 593 ‘B’ (Big) engine at Bristol.
1966
April	Final assembly of Concorde prototype 001 begins at Toulouse.
June	First test-bed run of Olympus 593 engine and variable-geometry exhaust assembly completed at Melun-Villaroche, France.
August	Final assembly of Concorde 002 begins at Filton, Bristol.
September	Vulcan bomber test-bed with Olympus 593 makes its first flight.
October	Olympus 593 achieves 156.6kN (dry) thrust on test at Bristol, exceeding ‘Stage 1’ requirements.
1967
February 1967	Full-scale Concorde interior mock-up presented to customer airlines at Filton.
April	Olympus 593 engine first test-run is completed at Saclay, France.
May	Concorde options reach 74 from 16 airlines.
December 11	Concorde prototype 001 F-WTSS is rolled out at Toulouse. Concorde name is officially adopted by the British.
1968
February	British Government announces provision of a £125m loan to launch production aircraft and engines.
August 20	Concorde prototype 001 undertakes first taxi trials.
September	Concorde prototype 002 is rolled out at Filton.
December	Olympus 593 ground testing reaches 5,000hr.
1969
March 2	Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS) makes 29min maiden flight at Toulouse. Crew comprises André Turcat, Jacques Guignard, Michel Rétif and Henri Perrier.
March	Governmental authority obtained for a total of nine Concorde airframes – two prototypes, two pre-production, two ground-test airframes, and three production aircraft.
April 9	British-assembled Concorde prototype 002 (G-BSST) makes its first flight from Filton to Fairford, piloted by Brian Trubshaw and John Cochrane, assisted by flight engineer Brian Watts.
June	Both Concorde prototypes make their first public appearance at the Paris Air Show.
October 1	Concorde (001) flies for the first time at supersonic speed (Mach 1).
November 8-10	First airline pilots from Air France, BOAC, Pan Am and TWA take the controls of prototype 001. Concorde reaches Mach 1.3.
1970
February	Longest single test run of 300hr carried out on Olympus 593 engine – equivalent to nearly 100 transatlantic flights.
March 25	Concorde 002 achieves Mach 1 for the first time.
May	New TRA (Thrust Reverser Aft) engine nozzle specified for production Concordes.
September 13	Concorde 002 appears at Farnborough Air Show and makes first landing at London Heathrow. The aircraft is seen below at Fairford.
November 4	Mach 2, twice the speed of sound, is reached for the first time (001).
November 12	Concorde 002 first achieves Mach 2.
1971
April	Four more production Concordes (numbers 7-10) are authorised, together with the purchase of long-lead materials for the next six (11-16).
May 7	French President Georges Pompidou becomes the first head of state to fly supersonic.
May 13	Concorde 001 makes first automatic landing.
May 25	The first international flight is made when Concorde routes Paris-Dakar, piloted by Jean Pinet, completing the 2,796 miles (4,500km) flight in 2hr 35min.
June	Concorde flight-test time reaches 500hr; engine testing totals 10,000hr.
September 4-18	Concorde prototype 001 undertakes trouble-free tour to Brazil and Argentina.
September 20	First pre-production Concorde 01 rolled out at Filton.
December 7	Basic sales price of £13m for Concorde agreed in Paris by British Minister for Aerospace Frederick Corfield and the French Minister of Transport Jean Chamant.
December 14	FAA states that Concorde will be within American airport noise limits.
December 17	Concorde 01 (G-AXDN) makes first flight from Filton to Fairford.
1972
January 6	All three Concordes land at Fairford.
January 12	HRH The Duke of Edinburgh pilots Concorde 002 during a two-hour supersonic mission.
February 12	Concorde 01 reaches supersonic speed.
April 7	Concorde 001 reaches 500hr on its 245th flight.
April 13	The British and French Governments authorise production of a further six aircraft (11-16).
May 19	British Prime Minister Edward Heath flies in Concorde 002.
May 25	BOAC announces intention to order five Concordes.
June 2-July 1	Concorde 002 makes world sales tour to 12 countries in the Middle East, Far East and Australia.
July 24	Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) signs a preliminary purchase agreement for two Concordes.
July 28	Air France and BOAC place first firm orders for Concorde, for four and five aircraft respectively.
August 28	China signs for a third Concorde.
September 14	Government approval is given for the procurement of long-lead materials for a further six aircraft (17-22).
September 28	Second pre-production Concorde 02 is rolled out at Toulouse.
October 5	Iran Air signs preliminary purchase agreement for two Concordes, and takes out option for a third.
December 11	British Government approves increase in production loan from £125m to £350m.
1973
January 10	Second pre-production Concorde 02 (F-WTSA) flies at Toulouse, powered by Olympus 593 Mk.602 engines.
January 31	Pan Am and TWA drop their Concorde options.
February 23	Concorde 02 makes 3,728 mile (6,000km) roundtrip between Toulouse and Reykjavik in Iceland – equivalent to Paris-New York – in 3hr 27min, of which 2hr 9min are flown at Mach 2.
September 20	Concorde 02 makes first landing in USA at Dallas Ft Worth.
September 26	Concorde makes first non-stop North Atlantic crossing, Washington-Paris-Orly in a record 3hr 33min.
October 19	Concorde 001 makes last flight to Paris Le Bourget for display at the Musée de l’Air, after completing 812 flying hours, 254 at supersonic speed.
December 6	First production Concorde 201 (F-WTSB) flies at Toulouse.
1974
-	Aérospatiale begins studies into an advanced successor to Concorde.
February 13	Second production Concorde 202 (G-BBDG) flies from Filton to Fairford.
June 5	Concorde 02 completes Paris-Rio de Janeiro-Paris roundtrip in one day, spending 11hr 20min in the air.
July 19	Britain and France agree initial production run of 16 Concordes.
September 12	Concorde flight-testing reaches 3,000hr.
October 21	Supersonic flight time reaches 1,000hr.
November 7	Concorde 01 flies from Fairford to Washington, via Bangor, for de-icing trials, making fastest civil Atlantic crossing.
1975
January 31	Production Concorde 203 (F-WTSC) makes its first flight.
February 27	Production Concorde 204 (G-BOAC) flies.
March 3	FAA publishes Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on proposed US operations by Concorde.
May 28-August 2	Following award of a special-category Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA) by the French authorities, Concorde 203 (re-registered F-BTSC) makes 125 endurance flights to Rio de Janeiro, Gander and Caracas, covering a total of 367,914 miles (592,100km).
June 30	Special-category CofA awarded to Concorde 204 by UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
July 7-September 13	Concorde 204 undertakes 130 endurance flights to Bahrain, Bombay, Singapore, Melbourne, Beirut, Damascus and Gander, covering 326,220 miles (525,000km).
September 1	Concorde 204 operates four North Atlantic crossings during the same day.
October 9	Concorde obtains French Certificate of Airworthiness.
October 25	Production Concorde 205 (F-BVFA) flies at Toulouse.
November 5	Production Concorde 206 (G-BOAA) flies at Filton.
December 5	Concorde receives CofA from the UK CAA.
December 19	Air France takes delivery of its first Concorde (F-BVFA).
1976
January 5	Public hearing on Concorde held in Washington, DC, by US Secretary of Transportation, William T Coleman.
January 6	Air France receives its second Concorde (203, F-BTSC).
January 15	BA takes delivery of its first Concorde (206, G-BOAA).
January 21	At 1140 GMT, Air France Concorde No 5 and British Airways Concorde No 6 take-off simultaneously on the world’s first scheduled supersonic services. The Air France service is from Paris to Rio, via Dakar; BA flies from London to Bahrain.
February 4	US Transportation secretary William T Coleman decides to allow trial services into the US for 16 months.
February 13	BA takes its second Concorde (204, G-BOAC); UK Treasury authorises free transfer of Concorde 002 to Science Museum and 01 to Duxford.
March 6	Concorde 207 (F-BVFB) makes its first flight.
March 11	Concorde is banned from John F Kennedy Airport for six months by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, while it observes noise levels at Paris, London and Washington.
April 8	Air France takes its third Concorde (207, F-BVFB).
April 9	Air France inaugurates Concorde services to Caracas, Venezuela, (4,735 miles [7,620km]).
May 18	Concorde 208 takes-off from Filton on its first flight, reaching Mach 2.5 at 19,200m.
May 24	Air France and BA add Concorde services to Washington, DC, on the same day.
May 26	French-built Concorde 02 is handed over to Aéroports de Paris (ADP) for public display at Orly.
May 28	Australian Minister for Transport, Peter Nixon, gives approval for Concorde to begin regular services to Australia. BA was due to fly to Melbourne in February 1977, but the service never started.
June	Aérospatiale abandons work on Concorde successor.
June 26	British PM James Callaghan flies from London to economic meeting in Puerto Rico in a chartered BA Concorde. The 5,220 mile (8,400km) flight took 4hr 10min.
July 26	Concorde 002 transfers to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, Somerset.
July 9	Concorde 209 (F-BVFC) makes first flight at Toulouse.
August 3	Air France accepts its fourth Concorde (209, F-BVFC).
August 25	Concorde 210, G-BOAD, flies at Filton.
September 30	BA receives its third Concorde (208, G-BOAB).
November 2	Concorde 203 leaves on Far East demonstration tour.
November 30	Fairford flight test base is closed, all operations transferred to Filton.
December 6	BA takes delivery of its fourth Concorde (210, G-BOAD).
1977
February 10	Concorde 211, F-BVFD, makes its maiden flight at Toulouse.
March 17	Concorde 212, G-BOAE, flies at Filton.
March 26	Air France takes delivery of Concorde 211, F-BVFD.
July 20	BA receives its fifth Concorde (212, G-BOAE).
August 20	Pre-production Concorde 01 is retired to Duxford.
October 19	Concorde 201 begins proving flights into New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport.
November 2	On the occasion of the silver jubilee, HM Queen Elizabeth II flies on Concorde from Barbados to London after completing an official state visit to Canada and the Caribbean. The 4,176 mile (6,720km) flight takes 3hr 45min.
November 22	Air France and BA begin simultaneous scheduled services to New York from Paris and London.
December 9	BA extends its Bahrain service to Singapore in conjunction with Singapore Airlines, flying supersonic over the Indian Ocean. Service suspended after only three flights because of overflying ban by Malaysia.
1978
April 21	Concorde 214, G-BFKW, flies at Filton.
June 26	Concorde 213, F-BTSD, flies at Toulouse.
August 10	BA carries 100,000th Concorde passenger.
September 18	Air France receives its fifth Concorde (213, F-BTSD).
December 26	Concorde 215, F-WJAN, flies at Toulouse.
1979
January 9	Concorde obtains its US type certificate.
January 12	US airline Braniff, in co-operation with Air France and BA, begins subsonic Washington DC-Dallas Ft Worth services as an extension from the Paris and London flights.
January 24	BA and Singapore Airlines resume Bahrain-Singapore service.
February 12	HM The Queen and Prince Philip fly Concorde G-BOAE to Kuwait, continuing later to Bahrain and Riyadh.
February 22	British Government writes off BA Concorde purchase costs and agrees receipt of 80% of operating surplus.
April 20	Last production Concorde (216, G-BFKX) makes its first flight at Filton.
September 20	Air France extends its Paris-Washington Concorde service to Mexico City.
September 21	British and French Governments announce that unsold aircraft and spare engines are to be placed with Air France and British Airways.
December 16	British Airways Concorde makes London-New York flight in record 2hr 59min 36sec.
1980
February 6	BA receives its sixth Concorde (214, G-BFKW/G-BOAG).
June 1	Services from Paris and London to Dallas Ft Worth are discontinued.
June 13	BA receives its seventh Concorde (216, G-BFKX/G-BOAF).
October 23	Air France receives its seventh Concorde (215, F-BVFF).
November 1	BA London-Singapore service discontinued.
1980
January 21	Concorde completes five years of service, accumulating 50,500 hours on 15,800 flights, and carrying 700,000 passengers.
March 29	Air France discontinues its Paris-Washington flights.
April 14	Industry and Trade Committee publishes its report on Concorde, expressing dissatisfaction with costs and suggesting that the project ‘had acquired a life of its own and was out of control’. It urges efforts to ensure that costs are shared equally with France.
July 14	In its reply to the Committee’s report, the government dismisses criticisms of forecasts as ‘unwarranted’, and confirms taking action to reduce costs and ‘to press for the implementation of the equal sharing provisions of the 1962 Anglo-French Agreement’.
September 11	British and French Governments commission joint studies on future of Concorde.
October 29	British and French ministers meet in London to study three options for future of Concorde proposed by officials. The three options are cancellation from April 1, 1982, a phased rundown, and indefinite continuation.
December 2	British Government review of relative costs of Concorde cancellation/continuation presented to Parliament by the Department of Trade and Industry.
December 9	Officials from the UK Department of Trade and Industry give evidence to the Industry and Trade Committee.
1982
January 20	Air France announces cessation of its Rio and Caracas services from April 1.
May 1	BA creates separate Concorde Division to develop its supersonic charter activities.
November 1	Air France discontinues the New York-Washington and Mexico City extensions.
1984
March 27	BA extends London-Washington Concorde service three times a week to Miami.
1985
February 13	First Concorde charter flight leaves London for Sydney, taking 17hr 30min.
March 28	A BA Concorde flies from London to Cape Town in 8hr 8min.
1986
November 8	First Concorde round the world flight departs London and returns via New York, San Francisco, Honolulu, Guam, Hong Kong, Bali and Cairo. The 28,249 mile (45,463km) trip is covered in 29hr 59min flying time.
December 2	An Air France Concorde makes an 18-day round the world flight from and to Paris via New York, Oakland, Honolulu, Papeete, Sydney, Jakarta, Bangkok, Colombo and Bahrain.
1991
January	BA ceases the Washington-Miami extension of its Concorde schedule.
1994
April	Aérospatiale, British Aerospace and Dasa sign MoU for a jointly-funded European Supersonic Research Programme (ESRP).The Alliance Mach 2 proposal is seen here.
October 12	An Air France Concorde makes a record round the world flight in east/west direction in 33hr 1min.
November 1	BA suspends its London-Washington Concorde service, but begins regular winter charters to Barbados.
1995
August 16	An Air France Concorde makes another record round the world flight, this time in a west/east direction in 31hr 27min.
1996
April 2	Air France Concorde F-BTSD is rolled out in Pepsi colours for launch of a new corporate identity.
2000
July 25	Chartered Air France Concorde F-BTSC crashes two minutes after take-off from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, killing all 109 on board plus four on the ground. The tragedy is Concorde’s first fatal accident. Air France stops all Concorde flights pending the results of the accident investigation.
August 16	Concorde CofA suspended.
September 21	Air France Concorde F-BVFC is ferried back to Paris after being stranded at New York JF Kennedy. Special authorisation obtained from French DGAC.
2001
January 18	Subsonic flight-test by Air France Concorde to test new fuel tank linings.
March 24	Brian Trubshaw, pilot of the first British-built Concorde dies aged 77.
July 17	BA Concorde ’OAF test-flies new fuel tank liners, wheels and undercarriage changes, prior to re-certification for service.
September 5	UK CofA reinstated.
November 7	BA and Air France resumes Concorde transatlantic services, flying G–BOAE and F–BVFB.
2002
April 20	BA Concorde services to New York return to a daily frequency.
2003
April 10	BA and Air France announce the withdrawal from service of their Concorde fleets, the former on October 24 and the latter on May 31.
June 12	Air France delivers F-BVFA to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington. On June 14 F-BTSD, flies in to Le Bourget for presentation to the Musée de l’Air. June 27 saw the last Air France Concorde flight when F-BVFC was flown to Toulouse Blagnac for preservation by Airbus.
August 30	BA ends its London-Barbados Concorde service.
October 24	BA ends scheduled Concorde services with last New York-London flight.