It happened 50 years ago…

Here we take a few pages from number 54 of Concorde FLIGHT NEWS published jointly by BAC and AEROSPATIALE on October 15, 1973.

This issue relates the tour carried out by SA between September 18 and 26 linking South America and the USA.

Everything will be presented during our day on September 30 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the WASHINGTON – ORLY crossing in 3h33min

Concorde 02's record flight from Washington to Paris in 213 minutes on 26th September concluded a highly successful 13,000 mile tour to North and South America. The tour, which brought Concorde for the first time to the United States for the opening ceremony of the new Dallas - Fort Worth Airport, followed smoothly and without trouble the plans outlined in the last Flight News - the total block time of 19 hours 55 minutes being exceeded by three minutes. On its way out Concorde 02 flew the Paris - Caracas route, 4,650 nautical miles between the two capitals, in only 5 hours 12 minutes, about half the time required by the fastest subsonic airliners.

DISTANCE: 4,650 NM,

BLOCKTIME *: 6h 25 min

AIRBORNE TIME; 5h 12 min.

(* including refuelling stop at Las Palmas)

Taking off from Paris-Orly at 09.30, Concorde 02 landed at Caracas-Maiquetia Airport at 10.45hrs, Venezuelan time, after a low altitude pass over the airfield. A typical airline-type refuelling stop was made at Las Palmas in a chock-to-chock time of 44minutes. Although the greatcircle route between Western Europe and Venezuela normally calls for a stop at Santa Maria, Azores, Las Palmas airport was preferred on this trip for its existing servicing facilities, in spite of the 15minutes extra flight time involved.

A mere six hours separated Concorde 02's take-off from Orly from its taxiing in to the parking ramp at Maiquetia Airport. The 32 passengers aboard, who included 18 Venezuelan guests, heads of AIR FRANCE and BRITISH AIRWAYS, and international press editors, spoke highly of the smoothness and comfort of the flight

At 09.00 on schedule, Concorde left Maiquetia Airport heading for Dallas-Fort Worth . Guests on board included Mr. Lee JOHNSON, Vice-Chairman of DFW Airport, Mr. FABREGA, Panama’s Minister for Public Works, General BERCKEMEYER, Peru's Director of Air Transport, Mr. ACKER, President, and Senior Executives of BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL, Mr. GALICHON, Chairman of AIR FRANCE, Mr. ROSS STAINTON, Chief Executive of BRITISH AIRWAYS, and fifteen US journalists . The sector time (overhead to overhead) for this flight was 2h37mins. to which were added 10mins for over flying-the city of Caracas and 22mins for three low passes over the airfield upon arrival at DFW. The final leg between Galveston and DFW over land was flown at subsonic speed in accordance with U.S. legislation. At exactly 11.09 hrs local time Concorde 02 gently touched the runway in the first landing ever made by a supersonic commercial aircraft in the North American continent.

Concorde by flood light was the star of the International Charity Ball during DFW Airport dedication ceremonies, and the converging point of thousands of admirers.

DEMO 1

D E M O 2

Two typical operational flights were carried out on the morning of 21st September, carrying as guests officials of the US Government and Federal Aviation Agency, the Mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth cities, the DFW Airport Board members and directors, leading members of the Texan community and the US press. Both sorties were flown at Mach 2 over the Gulf of Mexico, down to the Yucatan Peninsula with subsonic inbound and outbound legs over the mainland. Concorde again demonstrated its excellent despatch reliability and maintainability.

« The most beautiful aircraft in the world » as it was described by Mr John CONNALLY, General Commissioner of the Airport Dedication in his address (upper right), took part in the Air Show that followed the opening of the great new DFW airport. Jean FRANCHI made a series of six passes in 02 before the thousands of spectators who were impressed not only with the aircraft's beauty.

Concorde left punctually at 14.00 hrs carrying 32 passengers and opened the second day's programme of the Air Show with two low - level passes before heading to Washington via the normal airways, at a speed of Mach .93 . When Concorde touched down at Washington's Dulles International Airport, it had proved to be "the world's fastest subsonic aircraft". The actual flight time between the last Dallas fly by and the landing at Dulles was Ihr.58min, a significant 20 minute gain over conventional subsonic airliners.

Guest passengers on the DFW- Washington flight included US Senator BENTSEN, Mr. R. D. TIMM, Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board, aviation officials from FAA and CAB, the French and British Ambassadors in USA, and executives of BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL

During the time Concorde remained in Washington, FAA and other top aviation officials had the opportunity to inspect the aircraft. Hundreds of visitors were also invited to have a look at the supersonic airliner. Visitors were brought from the terminal to the aircraft cabin by means of the airport mobile lounge units. Here again Concorde displayed its full compatibility with present airport facility conceps and equipment.

DISTANCE: 3.3 8 0 NM

BLOCK TIME: 3h. 47 min

AIRBORNE TIME: 3h. 33 min

The first-ever North Atlantic crossing by a supersonic airliner began when pilots Jean FRANCHI and Gilbert DEFER released the brakes of the 389,000 lb. aircraft at 07.46 hrs., with Orly Airport a mere 213 minutes away.

Aircraft loading at brake release on this record- breaking flight was as follows:

TOW: 389,100 lb

Fuel: 190,900 lb

Payload: 25,000 lb

ZFW: 198,200 lb

The payload comprised just over 8 tonnes of airborne test equipment plus 32 passengers with luggage.

The total crew was 10:

- 4 on the flight deck,

- 3 flight test engineers and

- 3 cabin attendants.

One of the guest passengers was Robert HOTZ, Chief Editor of AVIATION WEEK SPACE TECHNOLOGY. With his permission we are reproducing his editorial report on the flight overleaf.

Concorde Opens New ERA

Concorde streaked across the North Atlantic last week carrying a full payload from Washington's Dulles Airport to Paris' Orly in 3 hr. 33 min. to open the supersonic era of air travel. The historic transatlantic supersonic flight came at the end of an eight-day trip of over 10,000 mi. in South and North America during which Concorde successfully demonstrated its capabilities as an airline aircraft to passengers, airline operators and airport hosts. It flew airline payloads over airline stage lengths using less runway than is already available at major airports and with no smoke pollution and no higher external noise levels than many current subsonic jets. It did all this in half the time of subsonic jets over the same routes and was ready for continued service within the one-hour airline standard for turnaround. It was abold and dazzling performance that did much to fortify Concorde's credentials as an operating airliner and establish the inevitability of supersonic passenger travel.

The historic transatlantic crossing, on which we were among 32 passengers included in the 25,000 lb. payload, began under gray Virginia skies at Dulles at 7:45 a. m. EDT when pilot Jean Franchi released the brakes and unleashed the full 152,000 lb. of thrust of the four Rolls-Royce Snecma Mk. 602 turbojets and lifted off* 386,000 lb. goss weight after a 36 sec. take-off run. Franchi, with Gilbert Defer as co-pilot, headed east on his subsonic climb out to leave the U. S. mainland south of Atlantic City and begin his supersonic acceleration over the Atlantic. Passengers felt a slight nudge as Franchi cut in afterburners at Mach .95 and 27,000 ft., but there was no indication other than the digital cabin machmeter when the Concorde went supersonic. Passengers were reading their Wall Street Journals, Figaros and Washington Posts. Except for the trilingual chatter, it might have been a routine early morning shuttle flight to New York. At 8:25 a. m., with the sandy curve of Cape Cod beaches gleaming in the sun far below to the left, Concorde was climbing at Mach 1.81 on the Great Circle course to Brittany. As the machmeter moved upward, papers were folded. Conversation waned and all eyes concentrated on the changing red numbers on the cabin machmeter. At Mach 1.99, the numbers froze for a few minutes. Silence descended on the cabin. Finally, at 8:35 a. m. EDT, Mach 2.00 flashed on. Everybody cheered. There was no sensation other than a calm sense of suspension in space and time while the globe whirled by below and the sun raced westward overhead.

This was our second Mach 2 cruise in Concorde. The basic lack of sensation was the same, but passenger comfort was much improved. In 1971, the prototype 001 was strictly a test aircraft, with a few jury rigged seats for observers. But 02 is transitional between test and airline service and about two thirds of its fuselage is still filled with technical equipment. The aft section is in an airline configuration with 32 comfortable tan leather double seats in four-abreast rows divided by an aisle. With the aircraft in cruise climb edging slowly upward from 51,000 ft. at a steady Mach 2 as fuel burned off, breakfast was served by a steward and stewardess—flaky croissants, omelet, bacon, steaming coffee. A fragrant carnation was on the tray.

In the cockpit, the eternal sun of altitude streamed through the tucked-up nose visor. Despite the readings of airspeed indicator, machmeter and altimeter, Concorde seemed motionless in space and time. Only an occasional shudder of mild turbulence served as a reminder that Concorde was indeed flying.

Pilot Franchi and his crew are almost as calm and motionless as their aircraft appears to be as they monitor the systems and lister to radio chatter from the subsonic traffic far below. Only his blue baseball cap, headset and worn gray cotton gloves distinguish Franchi from a business man in his office as he pre sides over a smoothly functioning flight. At 9:30 a. m. EDT mid-point is reached. Paris is only an hour and forty eight minutes ahead. Concorde is cruising at 53,000 ft. now and outside air temperature is -51C— about 6 deg. above normal.

Back in the cabin, the stewards are serving a snack of pate de fois-gras, fruit salad and a choice of mellow Bordeaux, fragrant Burgundy or sparkling champagne. Only the astronauts have eaten meals while traveling faster than these Concorde passengers and of course there was no pate or champagne aboard Apollo or Skylab.

At 10:20 a. m. EDT, Lands End, the westernmost tip of England, is off the left wing. Cape Finisterre, the farthest projection of France, is off* the right wing as Concorde enters the English Channel 57,000 ft. above the waves and moving at a ground speed of 1,350 statute miles per hour. At the altitudes at which Concorde has been cruising, there has been an essen tially no-wind condition.

Deceleration begins on approaching the Brittany coast and Concorde ends 2 hr. and 16 min. cruise at Mach 2. Sliding below Mach 1 at 11 a. m. EDT, Concorde completes 2 hr., 40 min. of supersonic cruise and makes a subsonic landfall at Mont St. Michel, with a heading toward Chartres and Orly. A straight in approach and touchdown follows at 11:18 a.m. Washington time. It is 3:18 p. m. Paris time, with the shank of the afternoon and a whole evening ahead for passengers, who still feel fresh and bear no travel stains.

Concorde has concluded a remarkable performance as an airline aircraft. It has performed slightly better than contract specifications. These require hauling a full 25,000 lb. payload over 3,390 naut. mi. (6,300 km.), somewhat longer than the standard New York/Paris transatlantic leg, under temperature conditions slightly worse than normal and with appropriate fuel reserves. What is perhaps more important for its future in airline service is that it has delivered a load of passengers a remarkably fresh and unfatigued condition that will make them head back toward the 7-8 hr. of a subsonic crossing with the greatest reluctance.

Robert Hotz