Maiden flight from Toulouse. The pre-production aircraft were used to refine Concorde’s design and bring it closer to the configuration needed for commercial service. Tasks included engine development, wet runway taxi trials, hot and cold altitude trials and the testing of many new systems and components such as thrust reversers, carbon brakes and a redesigned nose section with better pilot visibility.
1973 - Feb 23
A non stop return flight from Toulouse to Iceland of 3,728 miles is achieved in 3 hours 27 minutes.
1973 - Mar 3
A return flight from Toulouse to West Africa of 3,900 miles is achieved in 3 hours 38 minutes.
1973 - Sep 20
Arrival for the opening ceremony of Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Washington marks the first to the USA by a Concorde.
1973 - Sep 26
Returns from Washington to Paris in 3 hours and 33 minutes, a new record for a commercial aircraft.
1974 - Feb 7
Flies to Fairbanks, Alaska for cold temperature trials.
1974 - Jun 5
A return trip to Rio de Janeiro of 12,000 miles takes 12 hours 47 minutes.
1974 - Jun 17
As a sales promotion exercise, F-WTSA took of from Boston’s Logan Airport at the same time as an Air France 747 took off from Paris. The Concorde flew to Paris, spent over an hour on the ground and got back to Boston before the 747 arrived.
1974 - Oct 20
Starts a sales tour of the American Pacific coast that includes Mexico City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Palmas.
1975 - May 30
Appears at the Paris Air Show.
1975 - Oct 4
Visits Montreal as part of the opening celebration for the new Mirabel International Airport.
1976 - May 20
Retired to Orly Airport in Paris.
Final Resting Place
F-WTSA is kept at the Museum Delta, Athis-Mons near Orly Airport. It is open for public viewing, for more information visit the web site at museedelta.free.fr
