Concorde

At 60,000 feet above the Atlantic, flying at a stunning 1,355mph, you are sitting in a roomy leather seat sipping an expensive glass of champagne. As you look out your window, the streaming white and blue of the sky reminds you that you are flying faster than the speed of sound, on Concorde, the fastest commercial airplane ever to fly. Going from London Heathrow to JFK in an astonishing three and a half hours. Although in its time, Concorde was a technological marvel, Concorde has plummeted to its end.
This technological marvel’s research began in 1956 in multiple European countries. After six years of failed tests, British Aerospace and Aerospatiale of France started a joint operation in 1962. Creating such an aircraft that will fly faster than the speed of sound required a lot of time and money. Finally in March 1969, a sleek aerodynamic prototype arrived, Concorde was here, the supersonic dream was now reality. Five short months later in October, the prototype flew for the first time, a mere glimpse of what was yet to come (World Book Advanced).
One of the most important aspects that British Aerospace and Aerospatiale France had to consider when constructing Concorde was the layout. Concorde was 9½ foot wide and a 204 foot long aircraft that could seat 100 passengers in spacious leather seats. It was a delta winged air craft with a wingspan of 84 feet. One of the most unique characteristics about the aircraft was its nose, Concorde had a drop nose that would point down during takeoff and landing, and straight while flying. Concorde carried its many passengers at a breath taking 1,355mph, twice the speed of sound. The aircraft also had a shocking cruising altitude of 60,000 feet, twice that of a 747's 30,000 foot cursing altitude (World Book Advanced).
Once the prototypes layout was perfected, it was time for Concorde's first commercial flight. Taking place on January 21st 1976, Concorde flew its first ever commercial flight. There were two "kick-off" flights in January 1976, with the first ever commercial flight on the 21st via British Airways from London Heathrow to Bahrain and a second flight shortly after that via Air-France from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport to Rio de Janiero (World Book Advanced). One month after the first flight, in February 1976, British Prime Minister James Callaghan and French President Giscard d'Estaing requested landing rights for the Concorde at JFK. President Carter allowed a 16 month trial run before giving full landing rights (Carter). By the year 2000, almost all of Concorde's supersonic flights were between New York, London, and Paris (World Book Advanced).
After Concorde's first flight, it served 24 years of safe service, until July 25, 2000. On the 25th of July 2000, an Air-France Concorde plummeted down from the sky and crashed into a hotel sending shrapnel in every direction killing 113 people. This Air-France Concorde's left engines had failed a mere two minutes after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle Airport. Failing first was the number two engine, which had allegedly been repaired shortly before takeoff. Shortly after that, the number one engine failed causing the aircraft to go plummeting down where it crashed into a French hotel near Charles de Gaulle Airport (Rubin). Immediately after the crash, Concorde was grounded. The certification of the aircraft was revoked and "Worlds Favorite Airline" British Airways flew a little slower (Ford).
Concorde came back with its certification after a few months, but only to fly a little longer. The ending came for Concorde on October 24, 2003, only three short years after the Air-France crash. Flying at supersonic speed wasn't the only thing that mattered anymore. Concorde's had quite a bit of pollution, and with an unstable economy it was time for Concorde to go. Retiring the world's only supersonic commercial aircraft was a day that will remain in infamy. "Heathrow, England, Oct. 24--Concorde took to the skies Friday for its last ever flight, sending world's only supersonic airliner flying into the history books after 27 year” (Walker). Three Concorde's cruised the Atlantic that afternoon all landing at the British Airways terminal at London Heathrow International Airport (Walker).
Concorde has gone from a masterpiece that no one thought could have failed, to a display in the museums and a page in the history books. It only goes to show that something that has taken years of time to create can so easily be ended.