Anniversary celebrations held for Scotland’s supersonic superstar
20 years since Concorde’s arrival at Museum of Flight
Celebrations are being held this week to mark the 20th anniversary of the arrival of Scotland’s Concorde in East Lothian.
The supersonic aircraft was delivered to the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune on April 19, 2004 following an epic,16day journey.
The logistics to transport the iconic aircraft from her base at Heathrow airport by river, road and sea were complex and involved a team of experts including transport specialists, engineers, police, local authorities and the army.
Scotland’s Concorde GBOAA, which once reached speeds of around 1350mph, is 173 feet long, weighs 42.2 tonnes and had to be partially dismantled for safe transportation. From Heathrow, she was led to a barge on the River Thames, travelling past the Houses of Parliament, out onto the open sea and up the coast of Britain via Felixstowe.
On arrival in Scotland, the aircraft was moored at Torness before beginning her final land journey, firstly along the A1 and then across 1700 metres of farmland with help from the Army’s 39 Engineer Regiment.
She was welcomed to the former RAF airfield near North Berwick by cheering crowds and an RAF Tornado flypast.
Reconstruction and restoration followed, with Concorde’s distinctive tail fin winched back into position and her wings and wingtips reattached.
The supersonic super
She flew higher than any other aeroplane at 60,000 ft, close to the edge of the stratosphere
star forms the centrepiece of a permanent Concorde exhibition at the museum, where she has been seen by more than 1.5 million visitors.
Concorde’s maiden flight took place on March 2, 1969.
The aircraft was retired in 2003 – when a return ticket from London to New York cost £6000 – and now only military aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound.
She flew higher than any other aeroplane at 60,000 ft, close to the edge of the stratosphere where the curvature of the earth could be seen from her windows.
The National Museum of Flight is open seven days a week from 10am until 5pm, www.nms.ac.uk/flight