On this day, 50 years ago, the first Concorde flight took off

When the misty skies cleared over southern France on the afternoon of Sunday March 2, 1969, the green light was signalled for the highly anticipated first ever flight of the Concorde.

Journalists had been alerted two days earlier that the test flight was imminent; the world had been waiting since the futuristic aircraft, with its pointed nose and triangular wings, was publicly presented in December 1967.

Here is an account, drawn from AFP reports, of the momentous day in aviation history when the supersonic turbojet first took to the skies 50 years ago.

Several hundred journalists and spectators were crowded near the runway of the airport at Toulouse, where prototype 001 of the Franco-British aircraft was constructed.

With French test pilot Andre Turcat at the controls and the event aired live on television, the sleek white plane started off down the runway just after 3:30 pm.

She picked up speed, eased off the runway and then powered into the sky, straight as an arrow.

“She flies! Concorde flies at last!” exclaimed BBC commentator Raymond Baxter. AFP sent out a flash alert: “Concorde has taken off.”

Given that it was a source of pride on both sides of the Channel: Britain and France had joined forces in 1962 to build an airliner capable of flying faster than the speed of sound, thus the name Concord or Concorde, reflecting the languages of both countries.
Via Phys.org