Concorde: The thrilling account of history’s most extraordinary airliner

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The book is both Mike’s journey and the story of Concorde. In detail he describes the latter’s change in fortunes from loss-making behemoth to profitable national icon. An interesting area was discussion of the 1980s BA revamp under Lord King. Concorde thereafter gained a new lease of life, notably branching out into the lucrative charter market.

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. The aeroplane has no slats or flaps like ordinary planes, which allows them to fly slowly. It had to have a really streamlined wing and the big delta wings were the best. It was just a fantastic aeroplane to fly."

Mike argued vehemently to keep Concorde flying and was determined she would be given a special place in aviation history, hence the Concorde at Brooklands, where he is vice-chairman of trustees. Neil Armstrong observed it was an amazing technological achievement, and that whilst flying to the moon had lasted only a few years, Concorde was in service for nearly 30 years. Now he shares the inside story of this unique and awe-inspiring aircraft for the first time, including his role in the investigation to uncover what really happened when Concorde fell to earth on 25th July 2000. 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.

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. He and Concorde are a key reason why I have pursued and achieved my dream of flying commercial large swept wing jets at the age of 26. His character shows through his book, one which to me embodies what I believe to be the perfect pilot; assured, fair and passionate about what he does but humble enough to admit his mistakes. 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.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. 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.

Mike Bannister says: ‘From the age of seven, being a pilot was my Dream. When Concorde first flew that dream narrowed – I wanted to be a Concorde Pilot. The fates were with me, and my dream came true. Flying the most beautiful aircraft in the world, at twice the speed of sound, just with your fingertips as you cover 23 miles every minute, was the ultimate aviation experience for me. Flying over Windsor Castle, she once remarked: "I can see my sister's home - the Royal Standard is flying." BA engineers even made a special seat for the Queen, giving her a little extra room to work. The book can be divided into three parts, Learning to Fly, Concorde and the End of Concorde. While the first part wasn't what I was reading for, it was instrumental in laying a foundation for the reader who may be a lay-person in aviation. This is important for the reader to understand just how much of a technical achievement Concorde was, especially in the age it came from as well as the political achievement it represented for Britain, France and their respective Airlines. With nearly a quarter of a century’s experience flying the world’s only successful supersonic airliner, there’s no one better qualified to tell her story. 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.

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. 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. A US project dubbed Boom Overture, which resembles Concorde, could be a contender. Still in the design phase, it aims to carry 80 passengers at Mach 1.7 - making it slower and smaller than Concorde. "I just hope they offer me a ride," adds Mike, smiling. If you want the sexy engineering, the aerodynamics and the detailed nuts-and-bolts of the aircraft (the “gee-whizz” stuff as Bannister calls it), and design history of the aircraft; this isn’t your book. Sure, it does whet the appetite in a way that appeals to those of us who identify as aerosexuals, but it’s subtle and very well done, considering this book isn’t written just for us. It’s written to be enjoyed by the lay-person, just as much as the pilot or engineer, and I think Bannister has balanced that well in this book.