Gone East

Supersonic Transport Era Ends

The Concorde flies its last flight today. I had hoped that it would last long enough to visit Oshkosh one last time.

Over the years, the Concorde visits have consistently been one of the most impressive events at the fly-in. If you've never heard it in person, you can't really imagine the sound that comes from those massive engines. And the look of it as it approaches on short final, the fuselage tilted up at a high angle, with the adjustable nose drooping down.

I didn't see it in person, but on its first visit, the Concorde touched down and immediately went to full power, lifted off, retracting gear and rasing flaps as it surged into the air. Concorde touch-and-goes! Only at Oshkosh.