The Ultimate Ride
Concorde flight to New York - June, 2003
British Airway's First Class lounge at Terminal 4 is busy with the usual hotchpotch of people travelling to destinations around the world. Passengers quietly chat or read their books whilst enjoying glasses of champagne or Pimm's. Suddenly a buzz spreads through the lounge as all heads turn to watch the arrival of Concorde.
Suddenly a buzz spreads through the lounge as all heads turn to watch the arrival of concorde.
Passengers suddenly resemble the paparazzi as lenses are pressed against the glass to get a close-up shot of this famous celebrity. Cameras are exchanged as strangers take pictures of each other and the novelty of having your photo taken with Concorde becomes contagious. The atmosphere is charged with excitement, which intensifies every time the words “supersonic transatlantic flight to New York” are announced over the loudspeaker.
Concorde’s departure gate is located behind a double set of glass doors at one end of the lounge. Those travelling on flight BA 1 detach themselves from the first class passengers proudly brandishing their boarding cards and wait their turn to board. People from all walks of life, age and nationality join the queue - the youngest is only six months old. Some are in designer suits and others in their favourite jeans and everyone has a camera be it digital or disposable. Yet for all the differences everyone shares the same goal – to travel on Concorde.
The interior is narrow and compact with a seating configuration of 2 by 2 with dark blue leather seats and large cushions in soft pink, grey or blue. The cabin smells like a new car and has the appearance of a private jet. There are two cabins divided into rows 1-10 and 11–26 separated by washrooms and a miniscule galley.
Maybe it is different up front but in the rear cabin it feels more like taking a seat on a roller-coaster ride than a plane. The crew join in the party atmosphere volunteering to take photographs of each twosome as they buckle in for the ride of their life. Soon the cabin is filled with flashes and the sound of laughter accompanied by a medley of snapping cameras.
The cabin smells like a new car and has the appearance of a private jet.
At 6.35 pm the plane pushes back and the smell of fuel replaces leather. Concorde shakes and rattles as it rolls towards the runway and everyone peers out the face-size windows. Its 6.50 pm and we are on the North runway. Anticipation and excitement increase by the second and then the intercom broadcasts the telltale “ping pong” and we are blasting down the runway. The cabin fills with the noise of powerful engines and before we know it we are in the air.
It’s 7.00 pm and the plane is gliding through the sky and two display units come to life on either side of the cabin entrance. On the left the display shows in yellow the MACH and FEET and on the other side TEMPERATURE and MPH. At Mach 0.94, 26,000 ft and 630 mph canapés and champagne are served. As we pass over patchwork fields a voice, barely audible, from the cockpit informs us that Devon is on our left and Wales to the right. The flight is smooth although now and again there is a surge of power similar to when a 2.0 litre automatic car kicks from one gear into the next. We are now at Mach 1.
The rest of the passengers have noticed the constantly changing display and take turns standing in the doorway to have their photo taken. The only other entertainment is the view out the window, the contents of the seat pocket and a trip to check out the toilet. The catalogue featuring “The Collection” has a disappointing selection of Concorde memorabilia for sale however the catalogue itself might one day be a collector’s item.
Maybe it's different up front but in the rear cabin it feels more like taking a seat on a roller-coaster ride than a plane.
7.40 pm and its getting darker outside. A square of white linen is placed on folded-down tables and lobster and tabbouleh salad is served followed by a choice from four entrees, then dessert or cheese. The only thing that looks out of place and stops everything from being perfect is the regulatory white plastic cutlery. The in-flight menu provides a detailed description of today’s selection of wines from the Concorde cellar of which there appears to be an endless supply as glasses are frequently replenished.
Mach 2, 50,500 ft and 1,330 mph and the noise level in the cabin appears to be keeping pace helped by the superb wine. The sky has now turned dark blue and for a moment you wonder what it would be like if the plane’s destination was outer space but unfortunately 56,000 ft is the highest we go. The white clouds below are now a white haze and if you look left and right along the horizon it really is possible to see a slight curve of the earth.
At times like this it’s worth making a conscious effort to stop and concentrate on th present before it vanishes into a memory. Remembering the disappointment when we discovered that Concorde was going out of service in October to the exhilaration when we booked our flights. Then there was the fun afternoon spent with the personal shopper at Harvey Nichols looking for something suitable to wear and the sleepless nights as the departure date came closer. It’s hard to believe that I’m now sitting here, in seat 12A, on Saturday 28 June 2003 savouring the precise moment when a life long dream becomes reality.
As the numbers on the display continue to fall the captain announces that we have 20 minutes to landing. Watching the decreasing speed and increasing temperature helps ease the transition as we head back down to earth. As the plane rapidly approaches the runway it starts to vibrate and on hitting the ground the cabin becomes engulfed with a deafening roar that seems to pass through the length of the plane. When the noise dissipates it is replaced by the loud pounding of your heart that only returns to normal as the plane comes to a halt.
It’s 5.20 pm New York time and we landed 1 hr and 30 minutes before we took off from London with a flight time of only 3 hours and 25 minutes. As we step off the plane we are handed certificates to prove we have flown Concorde and 100 smiling passengers thank the cabin crew and say a silent goodbye to the most amazing aircraft in the world.