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For nearly three decades Concorde was a magnet for the rich and famous, from actors to sports stars to captains of industry to royalty. Please enjoy our selection of some of the more significant events.
1976 - Jan 21
The first commercial passenger flights for British Airways and Air France were synchronised to depart at the same time from Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle respectively, both flights were packed with dignitaries.
Air France flight AF085 on F-BVFA piloted by Captain Pierre Chanoine flew to Dakar then Rio. Amongst those on board were:
Monsieur Marcel Cavelle, France’s Transport Minister
Pierre Giraudet, Chairman of Air France
General Jacques Mitterrand, Chairman and CEO of Aerospatiale
Mme Aurelie Ouille aged 82, who had throughout her life taken many significant inaugural voyages.
British Airways flight BA300 on G-BOAA piloted by Captain Norman Todd flew over the Alps to Bahrain. Amongst those on board were:
HRH The Duke of Kent
Peter Shore, UK Secretary of State for Trade
Sir George Edwards and Alan Greenwood of BAC.
1977 - Mar
British Prime Minister Jim Callaghan (later Lord Callaghan) flies on Concorde to an important meeting in Washington.
1982 - Nov 2
HM the Queen and HRH Prince Philip fly on Concorde for the first time.
1984 - Feb
HM the Queen and HRH Prince Philip embark on a 3 week tour of the Middle East beginning at Kuwait.
1985
Phil Collins performs in the Live Aid concert in the UK then takes Concorde to New York and performs in the US version of the historic charity event.
1985 - Aug 6
The Queen Mother flies in Concorde to celebrate her 85th birthday.
1986
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (later Lady Thatcher) flies Concorde to Expo 86 in Vancouver.
1987 - Oct 5
Patrick Mannix of Reuters becomes British Airways’ 1,000,000th scheduled transatlantic Concorde passenger.
1987 - Nov 22
Richard Noble, the one-time land speed record holder, marked the 10th anniversary of Concorde flights into New York JFK by setting a new record: he makes 3 Atlantic crossings in one day.
1989 - Mar
HM the Queen and HRH Prince Philip fly Concorde on a trip to Barbados.
1989 - May 2
Pope John Paul II flies on F-BTSC.
1991 - May 14
HM the Queen and HRH Prince Philip fly to Washington for the start of an official US tour.
1993 - Dec 3
The Bee Gees create the ‘fastest show on earth’ by playing on Concorde as it flies supersonic around the Bay of Biscay – raising money for Children in Need.
1995 - Sep 25
A victorious European Ryder Cup golf team take fly Concorde back from the USA.
1995
British Prime Minister John Major flies Concorde to Washington for a meeting with President Clinton.
1998 - Jul 1
David Beckam and other football stars fly from Nantes, France as G-BOAB brings home the 1998 England World Cup squad.
1999 - May
Barbara Harmer, the only female Concorde pilot, flies the Manchester United football team to their epic Champion’s League final in Barcelona. "I was thrilled and honoured to be asked to fly the team on their historic journey to Barcelona and felt quite emotional as I taxied the Concorde out to the runway, with British flags flying and thousands of people wishing the team luck on the way".
1999 - Sep 21
Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal set a world record for a golf putt during the Concorde flight taking the European Ryder Cup team to the USA on the eve of the tournament. His 150 foot putt down the length of Concorde’s cabin went in the cup first time. With Concorde traveling at 1,270 mph, the ball was actually in motion for 9.232 miles. "On the eve of the Ryder Cup it's great to be involved in a record for golf and for Concorde," said British Airways Captain David Studd who had lent Olazabal his putter. The flight time of three hours six minutes was also a record for a journey between London and Boston.
2001 - Nov 7
British Prime Minister Tony Blair flies Concorde G-BOAF to Washington for a meeting with US President George W Bush. This day was significant as it was the return to service of Concorde following the Paris crash.
2003 - Oct 24
The final transatlantic flight is BA002 on G-BOAG and is packed with famous faces including:
Sir David Frost
Joan Collins and husband Percy Gibson
Jeremy Clarkson
Lord Saatchi
Piers Morgan, at the time the editor of the Daily Mirror
Bernie Ecclestone from Formula One racing
Tony Benn
Model Joddie Kidd
Lord Marshall, Chairman of British Airways
Former model Christie Brinkley
Chris Gibson-Smith, Chairman of the Stock Exchange
Nigel Havers the actor
Chairmen and CEOs of several major corporations including GlaxoSmithKline, BAE Systems and Merrill Lynch
A traveller who had bought a regular ticket more than a year before not knowing it would be the last flight.
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