First published by British Airways Wednesday 21 January 1976.
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The Future Begins Today
BRITISH AIRWAYS introduces a new era in civil aviation this morning with the start of services for fare-paying passengers in the supersonic Concorde.
Taking off at 11.30am from London’s Heathrow Airport, the airliner which cruises at 1,350 mph will streak over the 3,500 miles to Bahrain at least two hours quicker than the fastest subsonic jet — in spite of more than an hour of subsonic flight across the continent of Europe.
Businessmen in the world’s major financial, industrial and commercial centres are already viewing Concorde as an important new business tool.
Many of them are booking seats on the twice-weekly British Airways services to Bahrain, with its convenient connections to the Gulf.
Prestige Flights
Departures from Heathrow have been timed to connect with incoming flights from many of the big cities in Europe and the USA. Taking the British Airways Concorde from Heathrow, at a cost of just £45 more than the normal one-way first-class fare, they will arrive at many destinations in the Gulf sooner than if they had flown direct by subsonic jet.
Concorde will help the world business community to make better use of their time, getting to their destinations fresher and more alert, while giving their companies a prestige which no other form of travel can bestow.
As Concorde climbs away from the Heathrow runway on its first scheduled service in the new supersonic era, it will be the culmination of 20 years of planning by the British aircraft industry.
It was in November 1956 that a Government committee first met to consider the feasibility of an airliner which would carry passengers in comfort at speeds up to 1,350 miles an hour.
Six years later, Britain and France signed an agreement to design, develop and manufacture such an aircraft.
5,500 Hours
First flight took place on March 2, 1969, and by the time it enters service, the Concorde will be the most tested new airliner in the history of aviation.
When it received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority in December, Concordes had flown a total of more than 5,500 hours — of which over 2,000 were at supersonic speeds.
British Airways has been closely associated with Concorde planning for many years. Indeed, it began detailed examination of supersonic aviation as far back as 1958.
Every detail has been worked out so that a Concorde trip will be as quick and effortless, both in the air and on the ground, that no businessman who has experienced it will want to fly any other way.
Symbol of success
CONCORDE will be an ambassador abroad for good British design, right down to the crockery, glasses, knives, forks and spoons — all of which bear a distinctive Concorde motif
British Airways has ordered 212,000 pieces of specially designed tableware from Royal Doulton. Each piece is in blue and white bone china.
Silver-plated cutlery has been made by the Midlands firm of Arthur Price of England, while the glasses are made of blown glass.
Today’s menu
FIVE YEARS of planning by British Airways cabin services department have gone into making each flight in Concorde a gourmet’s special experience.
Today’s luncheon menu, for instance, offers canapés, smoked salmon; breast of duck bigarade, or fillet of steak beef with cafe de Paris butter; fresh strawberries with double cream; cheese, coffee, petits fours — and a choice of three excellent wines.
The galleys are built in a new lightweight material, and their equipment is controlled by sophisticated electronics to ensure the meals are perfect.
The crew who will make history
THE MAN who will mark up a notable aviation “first” today by being in command of the first supersonic passenger service is a 51-year-old Londoner, Captain Norman Todd — who has already flown over 100,000 miles in the Concorde.
Captain Todd joined the airline in 1946 and since then has flown a wide range of aircraft, including Constellations, Stratocruisers, VC10s, Boeing 707s and 747s.
Another notable first was when he made the initial transatlantic flight in a VC10.
His association with Concorde goes back to 1974 when he was appointed fight training manager.
Captain Todd lives at Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. He has a wife and two daughters, one of whom, Deborah, aged 21, is a British Airways stewardess on 747s.
His co-pilot on this historic occasion will be Captain Brian Calvert, Concorde Flight Manager Technical, while Senior Engineer Officer John Lidiard will complete the flight-deck crew.
Captain Calvert said in a recent talk: “Concorde is the shape it is – because it flies at twice the speed of sound – Mach 2 – two-and-a-half times the speed of other jets – twenty miles a minute in the cruise.
“Precision in the manufacture is the key. Precision in detail. It is a very special aircraft built for a special purpose – speed.”
Doctor’s Orders
TRAVEL by Concorde could be just what the doctor ordered for the busy and stress-prone executive.
According to Dr Frank Preston, principal medical officer of British Airways, supersonic travel offers three major advantages over subsonic:.
- It reduces travelling time dramatically, so leading to less disorientation of the body.
- Cabin pressure is equal to an altitude of 5,000 feet, as against 7,000 feet on a subsonic jet. This means there is less reduction in oxygen levels, which makes breathing easier.
- The fact that Concorde flies at higher altitudes – up to 60,000 feet – compared with subsonic jets means less turbulence in flight, with a less tiring effect on passengers.
