It was sleek, it was iconic, it was faster than the speed of sound.
For one unforgettable day nearly 40 years ago, Concorde soared over Jersey.
Thousands of Islanders gathered to watch the legendary “great white bird of British aviation” dip and soar over their heads on 2 May 1987.
Concorde’s flight was part of an air display staged to mark Jersey Airport’s 50th anniversary and the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York.
Twenty Islanders were among 100 passengers on board British Airways’ supersonic plane which, after making low-level passes to the delight of spectators, rose to a cruising height of 51,000 feet.
Pictures: JERSEY EVENING POST PHOTOGRAPHIC COLLECTION/JERSEY HERITAGE
During that phase of the flight, Concorde reached twice the speed of sound and it was stretched by 14 inches by the friction on its outer skin.
Co-piloting the plane that Saturday was a Jerseyman, senior first officer Jeff Huson, whose mother surprised him by being among the local passengers on board.
Designed and built by the British Aircraft Corporation (later British Aerospace) and their French counterparts, Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale), Concorde was a remarkable piece of engineering.
The last planes were retired in 2003.
More from the JEP collection
To view the JEP photographic collection online and buy images, head to Jersey Archive’s online catalogue here.
