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 article recounts the author's unique experience flying the iconic Concorde, first as a passenger in 2000 and later in 2023 in the only operational Concorde flight simulator, guided by former chief pilot Captain Mike Bannister.
The simulator session provided an in-depth understanding of Concorde's complex analog cockpit and demanding operational characteristics, including its precise flight control, specialized fuel trimming for center of gravity management, and multi-stage takeoff procedures.
It highlights Concorde's engineering marvels, such as its powerful reheat system for takeoff and transonic acceleration, variable-geometry engine intakes for supersonic efficiency, and the counter-intuitive "faster-is-better" fuel economy at Mach 2, cementing its status as a "100-seat fighter jet."

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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.