Captain Mike Bannister, chief pilot of the fleet of British Airways jets, is not about to go quietly. Just this week, in fact, he set a record aboard one of the 62m-long planes.
With Captain Bannister at the helm, a Concorde flew from London's Heathrow Airport to Boston's Logan Airport in three hours, five minutes and 34 seconds, the fastest time ever.
The trip will stand as the Concorde's last to Boston. Citing the poor air travel economy, British Airways will cease operations of the famous but ultimately ill-fated planes by the end of the month.
The airline allowed students, the media and others to view a Concorde one last time before it moved on to New York earlier this week for its final visit there.
Since the first flight of a Concorde on March 2, 1969, the airplanes have represented the fastest and most luxurious type of commercial air travel, enjoyed so often by the world's most-recognized celebrities that the best seats in each plane are called "celebrity row."
Two factors have made it impractical to offer seats for about US$8,000 each, round trip, on jets that travel at more than twice the speed of sound.
In July 2000, an Air France Concorde bound for New York crashed outside Paris two minutes after takeoff, slamming into a hotel and killing all 100 passengers and nine crew members on board.
It was the first time a Concorde had crashed, but led British Airways to withdraw all of its Concordes from service.
After an investigation by British authorities, British Airways, Air France and the plane's manufacturer reconfigured the aircraft's fuel system, changed its tires and made other safety improvements.
By the end of 2001, the fleet was returned to service, with new seats, washrooms and interiors.
But a worldwide slump in air travel after the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks decreased demand for high-speed transatlantic flights, just as the Concorde was trying to once again find its audience.
"It is the economy," said Honor Verrier, spokeswoman for British Airways. "After 9-11, business travel just fell off. For us, it's very sad."
The British and French governments initiated a joint effort to create the Concorde in 1962. A prototype was rolled out by 1967. By the spring of 1969, Concorde 001 had flown from France, while Concorde 002 took off from England. Five more of the planes were ordered by British Airways in 1972 and took up service soon after.
Each Concorde contains 100 seats covered in Connolly leather, the same brand used in Jaguar and Rolls-Royce automobiles.
The seats are comfortably spaced, with enough room between them for an adult male to cross his legs, separated by a middle aisle. Tilt back, and the seat moves with you, cradling the body as nicely as a beloved family room chair.
Musicians and other celebrities have been some of the Concorde's biggest users.
Madonna and Jennifer Lopez have been regular passengers. Phil Collins took the Concorde from London to New York to appear on both sides of the Atlantic in one day for the Live Aid famine relief concert in 1985. Paul McCartney, Elton John, Diana Ross and even the Queen Mother have flown aboard the
Concorde.
It's difficult to appreciate just how fast a Concorde can fly. In flight, the planes cruise at 2,173kph, or two times the speed of sound. That is faster than any bullet shot from any weapon.
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