Flying Concorde: A Pilot’s Perspective From the Edge of Space

Supersonic airliner was a truly remarkable engineering achievement and a testament to human ingenuity.

Saturday, August 30, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

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The sim at Brooklands is the only bona fide Concorde simulator in operation. It was used until 2003. [Credit: Jeff Berlin]

Key Takeaways:

The author recounts a luxurious past flight on Concorde, highlighting its celebrity clientele and the "otherworldly" experience of flying at the edge of space.
The core of the article details the author's experience flying the Concorde simulator at Brooklands Museum with legendary pilot Captain Mike Bannister, emphasizing the aircraft's intricate 1970s analog flight deck.
Concorde's design incorporated advanced features like fuel transfer for center of gravity control, variable engine intake ramps, and afterburners (reheat) for precise supersonic acceleration and supercruise.
Flying Concorde required meticulous control inputs and adherence to specific procedures, especially during its unique takeoff profile, transonic acceleration through Mach 1, and landing, revealing it to be a demanding yet precise aircraft to pilot.

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I’m seated in “Le Club,” Air France’s Concorde Lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG). It’s May 2000, and across from me, outside a panoramic window, Concorde waits in silhouette—poised, sleek, unreal.

Check-in was a breeze. The lounge, all blond wood, buttery leather, Badoit and bubbly, exudes curated calm. From my corner, I watch her—a stunning, slender swan with a droop nose, ready to jet us to John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) in New York.