Mark Jealous and I were proud to be lucky enough to to be part of the small band who loved the life of flying Concorde.

Just a trip down memory lane and the last few years of Concorde.

  Concorde 002 on maiden flight. I was 7 at the time.

I have added some personal Concorde material which has never been seen before I hope you enjoy it.

Machmeter at Mach 2

OK so how fast is Mach 2?

Well it depends. 

I'm sorry to have to be so vague, but the answer to your question is "it depends!" The reason we can't be more specific is that it all depends on what the speed  of  sound is through a substance under certain conditions. Now if you had asked how fast is Mach 2 in the standard atmosphere at sea level, the answer could be found  simply looking up the speed of sound at sea level in a standard atmospheric table and multiplying it by two. Since the speed of sound through the standard atmosphere is 761 mph (1,223 km/h) at sea level, Mach 2 then follows as 1,522 mph (2,447 km/h). If you were to ask how fast is Mach 2 at an altitude of 30,000 ft (9,150 m), we would use the same methodology to find out that it is only 1,356 mph (2,180 km/h) because the speed of sound generally decreases as altitude increases. Got that.

Faster than the sun

This sight will never again be seen by ordinary mortals, the sun rising in the west as we fly faster than the earth rotates away from us!

     Leaving New York for the last time

Final take off

Up up and away

Our view of press greeting at LHR.

The countdown............      24th October 2003: Concorde final day in Commercial service

G-BOAE with Capt Andy Baillie and Capt Les Brodie flies a return flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh

G-BOAF Flown by Capt Paul Douglas and SFO Mark Jealous flys Concorde’s final round the bay trip in and out of Heathrow

G-BOAG operates the final BA002, with chief Concorde pilot Mike Bannister and SFO Jonathan Napier at the helm

The aircraft land one after the other at Heathrow shortly after 4pm - G-BOAE first followed by G-BOAF and G-BOAG.

30th October 2003: BA announces the final destinations of their now retired Concorde fleet.

The end of the final commercial Concorde flight.