º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Economic Development

Bristol aerospace: Concorde's last flight was 21 years ago

The supersonic jet is now housed within the Aerospace Bristol museum at Filton

Concorde takes off from Heathrow, January 21 1976(Image: Bristol Post)

When Concorde came in to land for the very last time, Labour's Tony Blair was Prime Minister and Westlife's Mandy was at number one in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ charts.

It’s 21 years to the day since the iconic super-fast jet made its final flight over Bristol, famously dipping its nose as crowds across the city watched in their thousands.

The plane - Alpha Foxtrot G-BOAF - was the last aircraft of its kind to be built and the last Concorde to fly.

On November 26, 2003, the jet took off from London Heathrow, flew out over the Bay of Biscay and soared above the Clifton Suspension Bridge, before touching down at Filton.

Concorde retired all of its jets three years after an Air France Concorde crashed shortly after taking off from Paris Charles de Gaule Airport, killing 109 on board and four people on the ground.

The cause of the accident was attributed to a small metal panel, which had dropped from the previous aircraft to use the runway. It was the only fatal incident involving Concorde.

In 2017, Aerospace Bristol welcomed Concorde Alpha Foxtrot to its final home. The complex move was conducted with the greatest care by engineers from British Airways and Airbus, who towed the iconic aircraft across Filton Airfield and up a ramp into the new purpose-built hangar at Aerospace Bristol.

Captain Colin Morris, Concorde’s longest-serving captain, returned to the museum on Saturday to mark the 21st anniversary. He delighted visitors with stories from his remarkable career and a demonstration of Concorde’s famous nose droop.