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45 years have passed since the Concorde made its very first commercial flight. The two main operators of the supersonic jet, British Airways and Air France, launched the service simultaneously from London and Paris respectively on January 21, 1976.
A tale of two cities
British Airways G-BOAA and Air France F-BVFA both took off at 11:40 UTC that morning. The UK Concordes flag bearer has been seen frequently in transatlantic operations over the years. However, the first flight took a different approach. He flew on a route to Bahrain. Meanwhile, the French national carrier flew to Rio de Janeiro with a stop in Dakar en route.
Heritage Concorde points out that the flight to Bahrain presented potential difficulties as the route included a subsonic leg over Europe, as well as a curved turn over the eastern Mediterranean. In addition, he had to carefully pass through a narrow corridor over the Middle East, which then went through instability. Still, the trip was completed in four hours, compared to 6.5 hours that a standard subsonic aircraft of the time would have taken.
The Air France flight was piloted by Pierre Chanoine. The plane landed in Dakar at 3:27 p.m. before leaving at 4:45 p.m. The plane then reached its final destination in Rio at 8:06 p.m. KST.
Two nations with one goal
The simultaneous flights of British Airways and Air France are symbolic of the collaboration between the carriers and their respective countries with the Concorde project. The guy made his first global flight just under seven years earlier, and those behind the program then worked intensely to bring it into service. Undoubtedly, the UK and France would have been elated when the plane was introduced.
Queen Elizabeth II spoke of the event with great pride. She emphasized the partnership between her nation and France.
“On the occasion of today’s inaugural flight of Air France and British Airways Concorde aircraft, I extend my warmest congratulations to you and the French people,” said the Queen of the United Kingdom, shared by Heritage Concorde.
“Today’s flights mark the culmination of 14 years of close collaboration between our two nations. It is a source of pride that our countries have today ushered in a new era in civil aviation.
Air France also expressed how even the name of the plane represented the collaboration. The airline noted that Concord and Concorde mean an agreement in English and French. In 1967, British Secretary of State for Technology Tony Benn concluded that the plane’s name would have the E at the end. This letter represented Excellence, England, Europe and the Entente Cordiale.
A sound path
There were a few notable VIPs on board the aircraft for both of these flights. The Duke of Kent Prince Edward, British Secretary of State for Commerce Peter Shore and Sir George Edwards appreciated this grand occasion.
The success of the commercial launch has helped give Concorde a promising base. Landing rights in the United States were awarded by US Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman the following month. After a few months of discussions, services to Washington Dulles began on May 24, 1976. Departure times were changed so that both operators’ planes land within a minute of each other in the US capital. .
As for the routes of the initial launch flights, both airlines ceased scheduled services to these destinations as the 1980s began to be in full swing. British Airways operations in Bahrain ceased in November 1980. After that, Air France ceased operations in South America in 1982.
A unique model
The Concorde would stop flying 27 years after its commercial debut. Nonetheless, he broke records along the way while leaving audiences in awe every time he crossed the sky.
“The Concorde used the most powerful pure jet engines on the market. All four of the aircraft’s engines took advantage of what is known as “reheat” technology, adding fuel to the last stage of the engine, which produced the extra power needed for takeoff and transition to flight. supersonic. The Concorde’s fastest transatlantic crossing was on February 7, 1996, when it completed the New York-London flight in 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds ”. British Airways shares on its website.
“The Concorde was almost 204 feet long and stretched between 6 and 10 inches in flight due to airframe heating. It was painted in a specially developed white paint to accommodate these changes and to dissipate the heat generated by supersonic flight. A team of around 250 British Airways engineers worked tirelessly, in conjunction with the relevant authorities, to ensure safety on board and the Concorde underwent 5,000 hours of testing before being certified for passenger flight. which makes it the most tested aircraft of all time.
Looking back
Air France ceased commercial operations with Concorde in May 2003. British Airways subsequently withdrew its aircraft in October 2003. The last scheduled commercial trip was BA002 from New York JFK led by G-BOAG. In the end, all of the remaining seven units of British Airways quickly left the airline. They left for safekeeping in Barbados, Edinburgh, Manchester, Hilton, New York and Seattle. One jet remained at Heathrow.
All in all, it was an exciting time for aviation as the Concorde made its commercial launch in 1976. There were high hopes for supersonic travel. However, this mode of transport would not take off as initially planned. Nonetheless, this launch event marks a nostalgic period in airline history. This reminds us that there is still a lot of potential to be had when it comes to aviation activity.
What do you think of the first Concorde flights in January 1976? Have you ever flown on the guy in the years before he retired? Let us know what you think of the plane in the comments section
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