Read one of the first ever Concorde flight reports

This is how the legendary Bill Gunston described his 3.5-hr flight from London to Tehran in Concorde G-BBDG back in 1976

A droop-nosed Concorde lines up ready for take-off at Fairford. Below, a take-off from Heathrow. Note the small, twin-wheeled tail bumper beneath the rear fuselage.

The promise of Mach 2 passenger services by Concorde in the second half of the 1970s was an exciting time for commercial aviation. Aeroplane Monthly was invited on a flight as part of the ongoing trials of the supersonic airliner. Respected aviation journalist Bill Gunston described his impressions of flying on this amazing aircraft in the January 1976 issue from the early days of Concorde and provides a fascinating account. Indeed, such was the novelty of Concorde’s design that the aerodynamic effects witnessed from his seat were in one case surprising and startling, even for this seasoned aerospace writer, that he wrote: “For an instant I thought the right wing had come off and that this was fuel.” So let’s go back in time when Concorde was new and going supersonic while relaxing with a drink in hand was to become the ultimate way to fly in style…