Rare image shows what Concorde’s cockpit controls looked like at Mach 2
- Check out this rare image of Concorde’s cockpit controls showing it flying at Mach 2
- It’s an image that can never be repeated
- The cockpit in question is that of Air France F-BVFA CDG-JFK on a flight in 1998
Published on Jul 04, 2024 at 8:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jul 05, 2024 at 7:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Check out this rare and never-to-be-captured-again image of the cockpit controls of a Concorde showing it flying at Mach 2.
The cockpit in question is that of Air France F-BVFA CDG-JFK on a flight back in 1998.
And it’s pretty impressive.
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The Concorde cockpit image
The image was posted to the r/aviation subreddit by jedieric six years ago.
The Reddit thread is dedicated to ‘anything related to aircraft, airplanes, aviation and flying’.
And it has an impressive 1.6 million members.
“Oh man, that’s so cool!” one Redditor commented on the cockpit controls image.
“That thing was an absolute monster of an airplane,” said a second.
A third added: “Never got to fly on it, and wish I’d taken one of those Egypt or Bay of Biscay tourist flights. What a magnificent machine.”
Pictures of Concorde’s cockpit have previously left everyone in awe.
The unique cockpit is unlike anything else out there.
In addition to the ‘usual’ dashboard, it had hundreds of gauges and switches on the right-hand side wall.
Footage has also been released of Concorde’s cockpit and cabin – and it seems extremely calm for a plane flying at Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph or 2,180 km/h).
Flying at Mach 2
Concorde had a maximum speed of Mach 2.04 (1,354 mph or 2,180 km/h) at cruise altitude, over twice the speed of sound.
Hailed as the world’s greatest airliner, it was renowned for its unique blend of technological innovation and outstanding design.
But several factors, from ticket prices to a catastrophic crash in 2000, led to the plane’s demise.
The cost of a ticket was astronomically high, costing about $12,000 in today’s money for a round trip across the Atlantic.
The last Concorde flight landed over 20 years ago.
The future of supersonic aviation
Fortunately, after two decades, several companies have entered the supersonic race.
In fact, NASA just unveiled a revolutionary ‘quiet’ jet set for commercial supersonic flights.
The typically loud supersonic boom is reduced.
Rather than the typical jarring sound, the sound of NASA X-59 is reduced to a ‘neighbor’s car door down the street being closed’.
That means the US Federal Aviation Administration is more likely to approve it for flights over populated areas.
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All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
