Former crew to mark 50 years since debut flight

AEROSPACE Bristol is set to welcome its biggest gathering of former Concorde flight crew to the museum today, with ex-captains, first officers and engineers coming together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the supersonic plane's first commercial flight on January 21, 1976.

- IAN LEWIS

Concorde Alpha Foxtrot G-BOAF at Aerospace Bristol

Between 11am and 12.30pm, the museum is inviting the public to hear stories and anecdotes and learn more about the famous aircraft.

The anniversary will be brought to life in dramatic fashion as Concorde Alpha Foxtrot - the last Concorde to fly from Heathrow to Bristol 23 years ago - performs a timed “droop nose” moment at 11.40am, marking the exact time the first commercial flight took off from London Heathrow five decades ago.

In a rare, synchronised tribute, two other supersonic Concorde aircraft in the UK, at Manchester Airport Runway Visitor Park and IWM Duxford, will simultaneously droop noses creating a national nod to one of aviation’s most recognisable rituals.

The “droop nose” remains one of Concorde’s most impressive visuals - a hydraulically operated nose cone pivoting down to give pilots visibility during takeoff and landing, overcoming the obstruction caused by Concorde’s famously streamlined shape.