Flight of the Concorde

By Scott Clifford / EHM0695
 
Sunday, 13th April, 2003
 
“Your attention please…this is a final boarding call for EuroBusiness flight 885 service to Vancouver. All passengers should be through security and onboard the flight. Once again, final boarding call, EuroBusiness flight 885 to Vancouver.”
 

 
Scattered cloud and unrestricted visibility. It was a beautiful afternoon in London. As the 100th passenger boarded the airplane, the crew secured the cabin and final checks were made for this afternoon’s flight. Our destination was Vancouver with a scheduled refueling stop at Kangerlussuaq in Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland (BGSF). This would prove to be my most challenging Concorde flight to date. After dozens of London-New York-London trips, I have taken the assignment to push Concorde to its very limits on this journey across the Atlantic and the vast country of Canada.

EHM885: “Heathrow Ground, EuroBusiness 885 Heavy ready for pushback.”
LHR Ground: “EuroBusiness 885 Heavy, Ground. Push and start approved. Call ready for taxi.”

The crew carefully eased our aircraft away from the gate and the churning roar of the Rolls-Royce / SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 610 turbojets turned heads and stopped people in mid-step. They all knew another group of travelers were about to experience something special – a supersonic flight.

EHM885: “Heathrow Ground, EuroBusiness 885 Heavy push and start complete, ready for taxi.”
LHR Ground: “EuroBusiness 885 Heavy taxi to Runway 09R and hold short.”
EHM885: “Taxi to Runway 09R and hold short, EuroBusiness 885 Heavy.”
 

 
EHM885: “Heathrow Tower, EuroBusiness 885 Heavy holding short 09R.”
LHR Tower: “EuroBusiness 885 Heavy Wind 080 at 5 knots Runway 09R, Clear for takeoff.”
EHM885: “Clear for takeoff Runway 09R, EuroBusiness 885 Heavy.”

Concorde is lined up with the runway and ready for departure. Flight crew completes all checks and the cabin crew ensures all onboard are ready for takeoff. Every phase of flight is critical for Concorde and everyone onboard must be prepared. The throttles are advanced… engine reheat is engaged… Concorde comes to life as the four Olympus engines light up and the Delta-wing airplane begins to roll.

Through 176 knots I pull on the yoke and the nose rises quickly. 12.5 degrees and 184 knots I feel a gentle shudder as we pull away from the ground.
 

 
Concorde accelerates quickly and beads of sweat form on my forehead as I work to stabilize the airplane and configure for climb.
 
Gear is up. Nose and heat shield are locked and engine reheat is disengaged. Our flight has begun!
 

 
Once clear of Heathrow Tower’s airspace, ATC clears us to turn on course and climb to our subsonic altitude of 28,000 feet. (Note: Flown online but, no ATC was available). I set the autopilot to climb at 3,500 feet per minute and though 6,000 feet Above Sea Level (ASL) I accelerate to 400 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS). I ease Concorde into a smooth right turn. In this brief moment of serenity, I glance out the window below. Clouds are moving into Heathrow for another evening of rain.
 

 
The climb to subsonic cruise was smooth. Concorde settled into a M0.95 cruise speed and we only wait now to leave the mainland for the open sea. {Concorde is not permitted to fly supersonic over populated areas} The VOR at Land’s End comes alive and preparations for the transonic phase of flight begin.

Within minutes, the English coast falls behind us rapidly and we initiate transonic climb procedures. Engine reheat is re-engaged and the autopilot is set for our cruise altitude of 51,000 feet. In the weather briefing for this flight, the normal cruise altitude of 55,000 feet yielded a strong headwind. Based on my fuel calculations I will burn less fuel at 51,000 feet with friendlier winds.
 

 
Concorde climbs gracefully through the blue sky and speed steadily increases until we are vaulted passed the speed of sound – Mach 1.0 The fuel gauges are spinning fast as the Olympus turbojets accelerate Concorde to near twice the speed of sound before the engine reheat is disengaged – Mach 1.7.

Now the climb is reduced to about 1,000 feet per minute and Concorde continues to accelerate. Nearing 51,000 feet and Mach 2.02, the flight crew can begin to relax as the creeping rise (100 feet per minute) brings Concorde into cruise configuration.

Champagne glasses clink as passengers celebrate their achievement. The Speed display screen at the front of the passenger cabin reading Mach 2.0.
 

 
The flight to Greenland was rather un-scenic as an overcast layer obscured the view below. The cabin crew was vigilant to keep champagne glasses full and passengers entertained. 300 miles from our destination it was time to begin the deceleration phase of flight and the long descent for our landing in Western Greenland. I locked the ADF to the Sondre Stromfjord NDB and tracked it directly from the course on the INS. The approach briefing complete, the flight crew and myself prepared for a challenging landing. The plan was to fly to the NDB then track the ILS outbound down the river with a full procedure turn to join the ILS for Runway 10 at Kangerlussuaq. A procedure turn in Concorde was unusual since she flies at a high speed. Nevertheless, the ceiling was at 6,000 feet and I wasn’t about try an unsafe maneuver with a full load of valued EuroBusiness customers.
 
As expected, I broke through the ceiling at 6,000 feet and leveled Concorde at 4,000 feet outbound on the localizer. Speed was below 250 knots; it was time to configure the aircraft for landing.
 
Heat shield down, nose 5 degrees and speed down to 210 knots.
 

 
At 4,000 feet I was able to maintain visual reference to the surrounding terrain but forward visibility prevented me from proceeding with a visual approach. I maneuvered a ‘Concorde-style’ procedure turn and joined the localizer for Runway 10. 
 
There is now glide slope on this ILS so I set a gradual descent and slowed to 180 knots – Nose and Gear down.
 

 
Landing with a slight tailwind tightened my grip on the yoke. Circling for Runway 28 was not an option due to a narrow valley on the east side. My touchdown speed (at present weight) would be 155 knots. The runway, although technically (according to Concorde specs) long enough for Concorde to use, is going to be short. I had maintenance triple-check the brakes before departing London. I eased the airplane down for a low approach to the runway and then idled the throttles to settle the main gear on the pavement. Touchdown was on the button and Concorde decelerated smoothly with plenty of runway to spare.
 

 
(I took this opportunity to take a shot of the landing in a replay since I was far too busy during the actual approach to try and snap a picture).
 
It should be noted now that this flight should not be attempted unless you have a proper weather briefing for BGSF including the TAF. On final approach, I had at best 45 minutes of fuel remaining – hardly enough to fly to any suitable alternate airport. Even with a good weather forecast, check the weather and TAF while enroute passing Iceland. I would have diverted to Iceland if there were a weather change that would have made this flight unsafe.
 

 
The first leg of my journey to Vancouver was a success. After refueling, EuroBusiness flight 885 was airborne once again. This second leg requires careful fuel management as Concorde will be flying the majority of the flight at subsonic cruise speeds. 
 

 
The plan is to fly Mach 2.02 until reaching the west coast of Hudson’s Bay. Concorde will descend over the Bay from 51,000 feet to 39,000 feet slowing to subsonic cruise Mach 0.95 for the remainder of the flight.
 
Apart from a small pocket of villages, much of Northern Canada is unpopulated. Canada’s aviation authority, Transport Canada, has given EuroBusiness permission to operate Concorde at supersonic speed until crossing the west coast of Hudson’s Bay. The cruise altitude is 51,000 feet, which is lower than most Concorde flights. It was overcast over much of Eastern Canada so the scenery was limited for the passengers.
 

 
Half-way across the bay, Concorde decelerates quickly and drifts down to 39,000 feet. No ATC was online for the duration of the supersonic cruise. The flight plan from Greenland crosses Montreal, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver ARTCCs. EuroBusiness flight 885 settles into the subsonic cruise Mach 0.95 at 39,000 feet; Concorde is now just another airliner making its way across the endless landmass called Canada.
 

 
It wasn’t until crossing the Rocky Mountains that, passengers caught a glimpse of the Canadian landscape. As Concorde descended towards Vancouver, the majestic mountains of British Columbia filled the view. A beautiful sight to behold as Concorde entered the arrival route over the Fraser River Valley. Chatter in the cabin faded as everyone gazed at the beautiful view.
 

 
The weather briefing prior to departure indicated the weather in Vancouver would be IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions). I briefed the crew on the IFR procedures and STARs (Standard Terminal Arrival Routes) that would likely be used for our arrival.
 
Indeed as we closed in our destination, the weather began to deteriorate. Still no ATC online, but traffic at this time was light. The winds were gusty from the west so, Runway 08L was the active landing runway. The procedure took Concorde over the downtown area and out over the Strait of Georgia.
 

 
Concorde turned on final approach for Runway 08L at Vancouver International Airport. Another great success story for EuroHarmony as one of the most beautiful airliners in the world touches down at one of the most beautiful regions of the world.
 

 

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