There’s simply nobody else in the world better able to bring to life the incredible story of an aeroplane that meant so much to so many people.’

Above all it is a thrilling, revelatory, intimate and insightful account by the man who knew her best. Tom was an absolutely charming chap," recalls Mike. "He brought the trophy up and allowed us to take photos. When the stewardess said his lunch was ready, he left the trophy with us. Mike Bannister has spent more time flying at supersonic speeds than anyone else in history, spending longer on the other side of the sound barrier than most of the world’s air forces put together. When Concorde led the Red Arrows down the Mall for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, Mike was at the controls. When Concorde returned to the skies after the tragic crash that nearly ended her career, it was Mike in the pilot’s seat for the first flight. At feet you see the of the quarter of square "I'd wanted to fly from the age of seven, so to pilot Concorde was a dream come true. I can remember taking her up for the first time in training at RAF Brize Norton. With no passengers or baggage, the aircraft weighed 120 tonnes, but she could carry 65 more tonnes, so we had 65 tonnes of excess thrust available - that's a lot of power. I was very young when the Concorde crash of 2001 happened and didn't understand much of the news reports but as a kid who loved the plane was very sad learning of this news. Reading this provided much insight into what happened and why Concorde was grounded soon after.

Creative Play

To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Anglo-French treaty that marked Concorde’s inception, former Concorde Chief Pilot, Mike Bannister will publish a personal account of the most distinctive, iconic and awe-inspiring flying machine in history. When it was my turn to hold the silver Claret Jug, I dropped it on the control panels and put a dent in it. Whether the dent is still there, I don't know." For all the books written on Concorde, it is surprising that until now there has been none written by Mr Concorde himself, Mike Bannister. As someone who spent 22 years on the aircraft, rising from First Officer to Chief Pilot his perspective adds a new viewpoint to the existing material. The definitive account of the rise and fall of the iconic Concorde plane from British Airways' former Chief Concorde Pilot

As boss of the UK Concorde fleet, Mike was closely involved in trying to unravel what had happened in France. He discovered considerably more fuel had been pumped into the aircraft than there should have been and that one fuel tank had ruptured from within. Mine involves taxying out at Heathrow and me as a young aviation obsessed 6 year old spotting Concorde off the left hand side of my aeroplane taxying out for a trip. I proceed to yell with such excitement whilst glued to the window “Concorde, look Grandma Concorde” that everyone, not just the other children on board stared and marvelled at her. My Grandparents still tell me about that day with fond smiles.I was on Concorde for 22 years, so I felt I needed to capture the story of an incredible aeroplane," he says.

Bookings can be transferred, where sessions are available within 7 days of the original booking,only if more than 24 hours notice is given of the original booking taking place. Mike also provides a novel glimpse at what it meant to be an airline pilot in the glory days of post-war air travel. His early counterparts are ex-bomber pilots who display exceptional handling skills, but would certainly struggle in the era of CVRs and FDM. When Concorde’s retirement was announced it was Mike who masterminded the celebrations, flying the last ever Concorde scheduled flight in October 2003. When, after that terrible crash, the cause had to be established, Mike was a member of the British team that was part of the investigation. And when the French-led investigation led to unsafe criminal convictions, Mike was the expert witness whose evidence help see them overturned, while at the same time as restoring the reputation of his beloved aeroplane.The author describes how because it was supersonic there were many things to flying Concorde that were quite different to conventional airliners. It must have been incredible to fly at sixty thousand feet and see the curvature of the earth. The rest of the fuselage would sizzle at 100 degrees Celsius, equal to the boiling point of water. Such temperatures meant the airframe stretched a staggering 10 inches during flights.