Concorde flight engineer gets chills recalling what it's like to cross the sound barrier for the first time

For former Concorde flight engineer Peter Hazelby, few moments compare to the thrill of watching the supersonic jet slice through the sound barrier.

Concorde wasn’t just a plane; it was a phenomenon, capable of crossing the Atlantic in little more than three hours while flying faster than a rifle bullet.

With its needle-like nose and thunderous afterburners, the world’s only successful supersonic airliner was as glamorous as it was groundbreaking.

Behind the champagne service and celebrity passengers, few realize that a cockpit crew was constantly working at full tilt to keep everything running perfectly.

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Almost nobody knew what a flight engineer did

Hazelby shared his story in an interview with CNN.

Hiss aviation career began long before Concorde, back when aircraft still needed a third person in the cockpit: the flight engineer.

He worked on the Lockheed Tristar L1011 and later became British Airways’ chief flight engineer.

By the 1990s, however, computers had begun replacing the role entirely.

“Everybody’s heard of pilots. No one’s ever heard of a flight engineer,” he joked.

He also added that those who’ve heard of a flight engineer probably don’t know what they do.

By the 1990s, most airliners no longer needed a flight engineer, as automation had taken over.

But Concorde was different; it was a complex, high-maintenance aircraft that demanded a human touch.

According to Hazelby, there was ‘always something to do’.

Unlike flying on a Boeing 747, where the system ran itself once the aircraft was cruising, the flight engineer onboard Concorde was always busy.

Between adjusting valves, watching gauges, and managing fuel transfers, Hazelby said he could ‘never switch off’.

Even mealtimes were a luxury.

Having five minutes to eat a meal was considered a luxury, and even while you were eating, you were still scanning all the instruments between bites.

During takeoff, Hazelby’s seat swiveled forward so he could face between the pilots, monitoring the engines and airspeed during what he calls ‘the most critical time of the flight’.

Crossing the sound barrier on Concorde required precision

And then came the moment every Concorde crew member remembers: crossing the sound barrier.

Hazelby said he would never forget his first day on the job.

Feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension, he faced the colossal panel of knobs and dials that controlled Concorde’s aircraft systems, engines, fuel and hydraulics.

Without so much as a cup of coffee, he made sure to make the adjustments needed to ensure the aircraft safely passed the sound barrier to reach speeds of over Mach 2.

“The first time you go through the sound barrier, that’s quite an experience,” he said.

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