Air France Concorde, offering supersonic travel between Paris and New York, was relaunched on Nov. 7, 2001, with technical modifications approved by the certification authorities, the D.G.A.C. (Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile) in France. Air France Concorde saves time, with five weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Paris to New York, but also reduces fatigue as the trip only takes half the time of a subsonic flight. The new schedule offers greater convenience for passengers, with a departure from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 10:30 a.m. (replacing the previous departure at 11 a.m.), and arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 8:25 a.m. local time. This early morning arrival offers passengers numerous connections throughout North and South America, and minimizes waiting time at customs and immigration. On departure from New York to Paris, the Concorde will take off at 8 a.m., arriving at Paris-CDG at 5:45 p.m., thereby offering passengers 80 possible connections to major French and European cities via the Air France hub. Concorde flights are particularly comfortable since there is virtually no atmospheric turbulence at the very high altitudes at which it flies (18,000 meters/49,000 feet).
A British Airways Concorde, packed with some of the UK's top business leaders and hosted by the airline's chief executive Rod Eddington, departed at 10:30 a.m. GMT on November 7, 2001, arriving just over three hours later at New York's JFK airport at 9:25 a.m. EST. Rod Eddington said, "Concorde is back. Its return comes at a symbolic time. British business leaders have been invited on this first flight as a thank you for their support for Concorde over the years and to reaffirm our commitment to business travel between the UK and United States. We look forward to carrying our customers supersonically on our flagship plane for many years to come." Also onboard will be representatives from the government, the aviation industry and the media. New York's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, welcomed Concorde's return in New York. Mayor Giuliani, said, "New York has been home to Concorde for more than 20 years and it is with great pride that we welcome this symbol of European and American commerce back to New York. Welcome home Concorde. You were missed." British Airways is resuming Concorde flights with an initial six times a week service between London Heathrow and New York JFK, and from December a weekly service from Heathrow to Barbados.
Concorde Crash News - Concorde Crash Report
Families of the 113 victims of the Paris Concorde crash gathered at Charles De Gaulle airport to mark the first anniversary of the disaster.
Information about the Plane:
Following is a transcript of the voice recorder box of Concorde flight AF4590, released by the French Accident and Inquiry office:
FLIGHT CLEARED for takeoff at 4:42.17 p.m.
Controller: "Air France 4590, runway 26 right, wind zero 90 knots, authorized takeoff."
Co-pilot: "4590 taking off 26 right" (sound of switch).
Pilot: "Is everyone ready?"
Co-pilot: "Yes."
Mechanic: "Yes."
Pilot: "Up to 100, 150" (followed by unclear words, sound of switch). "Top" (noise similar to engines increasing power).
Unidentified voice on radio channel: "Go on, Christian."
Mechanic: "We have four heated up" (sound of switch).
Co-pilot: "100 knots."
Pilot: "Confirmed."
Mechanic: "Four green."
Co-pilot: "V one" (Low-frequency noise).
Pilot: (unclear)
Co-pilot: "Watch out."
Controller: "Concorde zero ... 4590, you have flames (unclear) you have flames behind you."
Unidentified voice (simultaneously on radio) "Right" (background noise changes, sound of switch).
Mechanic: "Stop (unclear)."
Co-pilot: "Well received."
Mechanic: "Breakdown, eng, breakdown engine two" (two sounds of switches, followed by fire alarm).
Unidentified voice on radio: "It's burning badly, huh" (Gong)
Mechanic: "Cut engine two."
Pilot: "Engine fire procedure" (sound of switch, end of ringing).
Co-pilot: "Warning, the airspeed indicator, the airspeed indicator, the airspeed indicator" (sound of switch, gong).
Person in control tower: "It's burning badly and I'm not sure it's coming from the engine" (Switch sound similar to fire extinguisher handle being activated).
Pilot: "Gear on the way up."
Controller: "4590, you have strong flames behind you."
Mechanic: "The gear" (alarm, similar to toilet smoke alert).
Controller: "Beginning reception of a Middle Marker."
Co-pilot: "Yes, well received."
Mechanic: "The gear, no" (Gong).
Controller: "So, at your convenience, you have priority to land."
Mechanic: "Gear."
Co-pilot: "No" (two switch noises).
Pilot: "Gear (unclear), coming up."
Co-pilot: "Well received" (fire alarm, gong, three switch sounds).
Co-pilot: "I'm trying (unclear)."
Mechanic: "I'm hitting."
Pilot: "Are (unclear) you cutting engine two" (end of smoke alarm).
Mechanic: "I've cut it."
Controller: "End reception Middle Marker."
Co-pilot: "The airspeed indicator" (sound of switch, end of ringing).
Co-pilot: "The gear won't come up" (fire alarm rings).
Aircraft instrument: "Whoop whoop pull up" (GPWS alarm, gong).
Aircraft instrument: "Whoop whoop pull up" (GPWS alarm).
Co-pilot: "The airspeed indicator."
Aircraft instrument: "Whoop whoop pull up" (GPWS alarm).
Fire service leader: "De Gaulle tower from fire service leader."
Controller: "Fire service leader, uh ... the Concorde, I don't know its intentions, get yourself in position near the south doublet" (sound of switch).
Pilot: (unclear).
Fire service leader: "De Gaulle tower from fire service leader authorization to enter 26 right."
Co-pilot: "Le Bourget, Le Bourget, Le Bourget."
Pilot: "Too late (unclear)."
Controller: "Fire service leader, correction, the Concorde is returning to runway zero nine in the opposite direction."
Pilot: "No time, no (unclear)."
Co-pilot: "Negative, we're trying Le Bourget" (four switching sounds).
Co-pilot: "No (unclear)."
Fire service leader: "De Gaulle tower from fire service leader, can you give me the situation of the Concorde" (two gongs and sound of switch, followed by another switch and sounds likened to objects being moved).
Pilot: (unclear, sounds like exertion).
Pilot: (unclear, sounds like exertion).
Pilot: (unclear, sounds like exertion).
Last sound noted on transcript at 4:44.30.18 p.m. Recording ends at 4:44.31.16 p.m.
Concorde : The Inside Story - No one can see a Concorde fly without watching the progress of this marvel through the sky. As chief test pilot for the Concorde, Trubshaw gives the inside story from its early days of planning in the 1950s, through its design and preflight testing, maiden flight, and demonstrations, and on to its certification and airline service. Trubshaw covers various aspects of the program, including high costs, tensions between the French and U.S. collaborators, problems obtaining landing rights in New York, and post-delivery modifications. His descriptions are interwoven with insights into the maneuverings of politicians, industrialists, and trade unions, which ultimately led to the decline of the British aircraft industry in the 1970s.
The Concorde Story - Authored by a Concorde pilot, this book includes both technical and historical information in detail, including such things as the relationship of MACH number to airspeed in the higher altitude and the effect of air friction and heat to the maximum speed the designers put on Concorde. The pictures are all informative and related to the topic being discussed, with side-bars discussing all the technical pictures and diagrams on that particular page.