Footage taken by a passenger shows a glimpse of the Concorde traveling from London to New York.
This iconic plane was one of two operational supersonic airliners, the other being the Soviet Union’s Tupolev Tu-144, which could fly from London to New York in less than three hours.
Dennis Teppen filmed the entire flight from London to New York, including boarding the Concorde and views of the cabin during the flight.
One thing to note is that the noise was quite loud. But I think that’s to be expected given the speed of the plane.
But what about the Concorde’s signature speed?
Video shows this was prominently displayed as passengers hurtled across the Atlantic Ocean.
A series of screens showed passengers two dials to adjust the aircraft’s altitude, outside temperature and speed.
That’s because one measures speed in miles per hour, and the other measures speed in Mach, or relative to the speed of sound.
This meant passengers could know exactly when the aircraft was about to break the sound barrier and produce its signature sonic boom.
Also, due to the large sonic boom, the aircraft had to wait until it passed over a populated area to launch to supersonic speed.
The Concorde was marketed as an expensive, luxury travel option due to its high running costs and low passenger capacity.
A round trip to and from London can cost as much as $12,000, which is quite expensive.
This was necessary due to the huge amount of fuel per passenger. Otherwise, the plane would not be economically viable for the airline.
But let me be clear, that meant a lot of luxury. On board, we’re talking a frankly insane selection of champagnes, including Dom Pérignon 1992, Pol Roger and Taittinger.
And, of course, most of the red wines available were expensive Grand Crus. Not a bad basement for an airplane.
As for food, depending on when you fly, you can expect steak, lobster salad, caviar, foie gras, and more.
British Airways’ historic menu also included cigars. How times change!
Teppen’s video was shot just months before Concorde was permanently retired.
The disaster, which killed all on board, combined with the plane’s staggering running costs, ultimately led airlines to retire the Concorde.