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Flying high on Concorde
By CNN's Richard Quest
LONDON, England (CNN) -- It doesn't matter how cynical or jaded you are, I defy anyone not to have a smile from ear to ear when they board Concorde. I definitely had a feeling of "yes" I've made it -- somehow, somewhere, the gods have shined down on me, as I managed to get on board without paying the exorbitant $8,000. For me, even though it was not my first time, I still grinned like a cat as I boarded Speedbird 001 to fly from London to New York. The most common criticism that people say about Concorde is that it is small and cramped -- this is certainly true up to a point. But the seating, two spaces either side of the aisle, is definitely more comfortable than your average economy seat. Set in two cabins there are only 100 passengers on the plane and with the grey-blue Connelly leather executive-style seats it looks more like an executive jet. Even though Concorde is a single class plane, where you sit often says a great deal about who you are. Traditionally regular Concorde passengers, such as chief executives of top corporations, minor royalty and A-list celebrities, demanded the first five rows. The middle of the plane is for lesser mortals, with the rear cabin filling up with upgrades and those flying just once-in-a lifetime. But it really doesn't matter – it's the Concorde experience that matters. From takeoff to mach twoConcorde doesn't really behave like a normal airplane; take off is much faster than your average 747 and the captain warns you of this before you begin. He describes it as a "normal Concorde departure using the afterburners to get greater speed," in other words they switch on the extra rockets at the back. As you take off you feel the thrust increasing as the plane goes faster and faster on the ground, before it lifts off steeply into the sky. The next time those rockets are used is when the plane is about to go supersonic -- which is a small kick in the back, rather like a car accelerating. The only way you notice that you are now traveling faster than the speed of sound is the mach meter at the front of each cabin which clocks up through 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1...until mach 2 or twice the speed of sound. It has been said that you can see the curvature of the earth on Concorde because it travels at 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) or 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) in the sky; this is twice as high as a normal plane. However, our flight was in darkness, I saw no curvature -- I want my money back! The other way you can tell things are slightly different is by touching the windows. Firstly the outside porthole is very small, and it heats up because the plane is going so fast. In fact the purser on this trip invited me to put my hand into the door frame where I could actually feel the red-hot metal of the plane. The length of the plane actually expands during the flight by about eight inches (20 centimeters), because friction with the atmosphere swells the metal outside. However, it's not something you notice and no gaping holes appear! On board, the service is superb -- champagne, canapés, caviar -- and a five-star, three-course meal as well. In fact it never stops. From the first drink to the last chocolate the staff are running up and down the aisles. On my first Concorde flight some years ago the flight attendant summed up the service philosophy -- "there is no such word as 'no' on Concorde. If your button falls off, they stitch it back on." The final countdownThe passenger profile on Concorde has changed dramatically since British Airways announced it was finishing service. According to Concorde's Chief Captain, Mike Bannister, flights are made up of 80 percent corporate clients, 10 percent celebrities and 10 percent traveling on their once-in-a-lifetime trip. However, this has now been completely reversed, on its final flights the plane is full of people who are up and down taking pictures in front of the mach meter, people who are out to have a good time -- people like me. By the time we started slowing down to normal speeds I had spent more than $300 on Concorde souvenirs such as cuff links and key rings, which will undoubtedly end up as Christmas presents for family and friends. We had already passed many planes that had left London hours before we did, but now we were about to join the ranks of the ordinary. The touchdown at JFK airport in New York was every bit as exciting as the takeoff. Like a sports car, the plane bucks around and is sensitive to every move and jostle -- and then it was over. After three hours and 20 minutes with speeds of 1,350 mph (2,172 km/h) it was all over and way too soon. My smile on boarding had become a frown on leaving the rocket.
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