Concorde Aircraft Histories - British Production Aircraft

British Production Aircraft

British Airways had seven production aircraft in commercial service:

• G-BOAC (204) The flagship of the fleet (because of its BOAC registration) first flew on 27 February 1975 from Filton UK. It made its final flight to Manchester Airport viewing park, (where a special "glass hangar" has now been built for its display), on 31 October 2003 after flying 22,260 hours.

• G-BOAA (206) first flew on 5 November 1975 from Filton UK. This was the aircraft that flew with the Red Arrows on 2 June 1996 to celebrate 50 years of Heathrow Airport. It last flew on 12 August 2000 as BA002 from New York JFK to London Heathrow after flying 22,768 hours, and it never received the modifications after the Paris crash. For its final journey it was transported to the National Museum of Flight (run by National Museums Scotland), East Fortune, near Edinburgh, over land to the Thames, then by sea to Torness, then over land again to the museum from 8 April to 19 April 2004.

• G-BOAB (208) first flew on 18 May 1976 from Filton. Its last flight was a positioning flight on 15 August 2000 as BA002P from New York JFK to London Heathrow after flying 22,296 hours. It remains at Heathrow Airport. It was never modified, and so never flew again after returning home following the Paris crash.

• G-BOAD (210) first flew on 25 August 1975 from Filton. Repainted with Singapore Airlines livery on the port side and British Airways livery on the starboard for a joint service by the two airlines between Bahrain and Singapore International Airport at Paya Lebar for three months in 1977, and from 1979 to 1981. It departed from Heathrow for the final time on 10 November 2003, and flew to JFK airport in New York, from where it was then transferred (on a barge originally used to move Space shuttle external fuel tanks), to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York (USA), past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River. Its engines were removed to reduce weight. Its temporary home was on a barge alongside the aircraft carrier Intrepid, pending the proposed creation of a quayside display hall; however, in December 2006, this Concorde was moved to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where it was kept in poor conditions. G-BOAD's nose cone was knocked off by a truck at the end in June 2008. The damage was repaired and subsequently the aircraft was moved back to Pier 86 in Manhattan (and placed on the pier, rather than on a barge) on 20 October 2008. G-BOAD spent more time in the air than any other Concorde at 23,397 hours.

• G-BOAE (212) first flew on 17 March 1977 from Filton. On 1 July 1999 it flew in formation with the Red Arrows to mark the opening of the Scottish Parliament. Its last flight was to Grantley Adams Airport in Bridgetown (Barbados) on 17 November 2003, with 70 members of BA staff on board. The flight, lasting less than 4 hours, reached the maximum certified height of 60,000 ft (18,300 m). It flew a total of 23,376 hours. A new exhibition was constructed to house the aircraft, east of the airport at the old Spencers Plantation.

• G-BOAG (214) first flew on 21 April 1978 from Filton. The aircraft that flew the final Speedbird 2 service from New York on 24 October, left Heathrow for the final time on 3 November 2003. It spent a day "resting" and refuelling in New York before making its final flight on 5 November 2003 from New York JFK to Boeing Field, Seattle in an unusual supersonic flight (which required special permission) over the uninhabited part of northern Canada, to Seattle, where it is currently displayed at the Museum of Flight, alongside the first 707 that served as Air Force One and the prototype Boeing 747. This Concorde was once used as a source of spares, before being restored using parts from Air France's F-BVFD and has flown 16,239 hours.

• G-BOAF (216) first flew on 20 April 1979 from Filton and was the last Concorde to be built. It made Concorde's final ever flight on Wednesday 26 November 2003. Departing from Heathrow at 11:30 GMT, it made a last, brief, supersonic flight, carrying 100 BA flight crew, over the Bay of Biscay. It then flew a "lap of honour" above Bristol, passing over Portishead, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol International Airport and Clifton Suspension Bridge, before landing at Filton, soon after 13:00 GMT. It was met by Prince Andrew, who formally accepted its handover. It has flown a total of 18,257 hours. This aircraft is open for public viewing at the Concorde at Filton facility. The aircraft will be the star feature of the proposed Bristol Aviation Heritage Museum.