F-BVFC - VIP & Ferry Flight

AF 6903 : Paris CDG to Toulouse

June 27th 2003

On Friday 27 June 2003, Air France Concorde F-BVFC flew Air France's last ever supersonic flight. Fox-Charlie departed from Paris Charles de Gaulle and returned to its place of construction at Toulouse.

F-BVFC (serial number 209) first flew in the Air France fleet on the 3rd of August 1976, and made two round-the-world trips.

The first was from 6 to 28 September 1989, traveling 51,354 km in 37 hours 25 minutes, including 19 hours 17 minutes at supersonic speed, and the second was from 10 to 26 October 1993, traveling 43,084 km in 35 hours 20 minutes, including 17 hours 5 minutes at supersonic speed.

Fox-Charlie was retired to the Airbus factory, where it will form the centre piece of a museum celebrating the region's aviation heritage. In total the aircraft flew for 14,322 hours and 4,358 flights.

"This last Concorde flight marks the end of an era for Air France," declared Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman of Air France. "We wanted Airbus, creator of Concorde and our partner throughout its 27-year lifespan, to have one of Air France's Concordes and to display it for as many people as possible to admire. The magnificent work carried out on F-BVFC throughout its career is symbolic of all that has been accomplished by the teams from Air France and Airbus on the entire Concorde fleet and other aircraft in use today."

"It is a great honour for us to receive this unique aircraft here in Toulouse. Its technology greatly contributed to the success of Airbus," added Noël Forgeard, Chairman of Airbus.

The aircraft departed from Paris at around 11:30 and flew out over the Atlantic Ocean for a final supersonic sprint, before heading overland subsonically to the former Aerospatiale factory at Toulouse, where a ceremony was planned to greet the aircraft.

On board the aircraft for the flight, along with Noël Forgeard and Jean-Cyril Spinetta, were many VIP figures from Concorde's long history, including the crew who flew the very first flight in 1969 on Concorde 001 (F-WTSS).

Over 30,000 people from the area surrounding Toulouse turned out to see the aircraft arrive. Everyone from the Airbus plant was allowed to line up along the airport taxiway to watch the arrival of the jet, without which Airbus would not have been as successful as it is now in the global aircraft production industry.

The aircraft, crewed by Commander Henri-Gilles Fournier, Co-pilot Eric Tonnot and Flight Engineer Daniel Casari, overflew the airport in a go-around maneuver before circling round and landing for the last-ever time. The crew took the aircraft on a tour of the taxiways of Toulouse to show off Concorde to the gathered crowds for one final time before taxing to the Airbus factory.

After the aircraft had taxied off the main airport apron she was towed the final few hundred meters to be parked outside the very same hangar that Concorde had been officially rolled out from in 1967, nearly four decades ago.

Inside the famous hangar, over 1000 specially invited guests were present for the handing-over ceremony, that would officially see the aircraft being signed over to Airbus from the national carrier.

After the aircraft was parked, the VIPs disembarked, with the biggest cheer of the day being reserved for André Turcat when he emerged from the aircraft. André Turcat was the pilot who in March 1969 took Concorde into the air for the very first time. He, along with his UK counterpart, the late Brian Trubshaw, were pivotal in planning and implementing the flight test programmes that would eventually lead to the certification of the aircraft in late 1975.

Although it was not planned, Mr Turcat was invited to address the invited guests and he was officially introduced to the curator of the new museum who will now be responsible for the aircraft. Above André Turcat was suspended a blown-up picture of him handing over the key to an aircraft for the sum of 1 Franc in the early 80's, when no buyers could be found for the 3 unsold French-built aircraft.

After the ceremony, André Turcat and his fellow crew members from the original flight were besieged with requests for autographs on special Concorde posters that had been printed for the day's event. An hour after the completion of the formalities he was till happily signing away!

By the time he had finished, the Airbus ground crew had collected Fox-Charlie and towed her to her temporary home on an unused access road at the main entrance to the Airbus factory, a location that everyone would see when visiting the plant.

Picture Gallery

	F-BVFC taxies out of CDG for the final time Philippe Noret		Fox-Charlie heads for Runway 27 Philippe Noret
	The crew were given permission to fly a "go-around" before landing at Toulouse Webmaster		Another shot as the aircraft heads out on her final circuit before final approach Webmaster
	Fox-Charlie landing at Toulouse Airbus		F-BVFC lands for the final ever time Webmaster
	Full reverse before taxing off to meet the 30,000 people who had come to watch Webmaster		The aircraft was towed the final few hundred meters, but her engines were still running Webmaster
	The flight crew wave to the thousands of people from the Airbus factory Webmaster		Co-pilot Eric TONNOT waves to the media Webmaster
	Captain Henri Gilles FOURNIER with his ship for the final time Webmaster		The aircraft is positioned outside the hangar when the ceremony will take place Webmaster
	Original test pilot André Turcat steps from the aircraft, to a large cheer from the crowd Webmaster		The full flight and cabin crew pose for pictures out on the wing Webmaster
	André Turcat addresses the audience gathered for the handing over ceremony. Above him is the pictue from 1980 of him selling a Concorde for one French Franc to Air France Webmaster		The crew and their ship: Eric TONNOT (First Officer) Henri Gilles FOURNIER (Commander) Daniel CASARI (Flight Engineer) Webmaster
	Fox-Charlie sits out on the apron Webmaster		Airbus CEO Noël Forgeard accepts a Concorde model from Air France Webmaster
	Air France sign over the ownership of the aircraft to Airbus and the city of Toulouse Webmaster		Concorde 209 sits at its temporary resting place at the entrance to the Airbus St Martin factory site Webmaster

Official Press Release

Air France

Air France hands over the Concorde F-BVFC to Airbus in Toulouse

Very last Concorde flight

On Friday 27 June 2003, Air France's fourth Concorde, the F-BVFC, will leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle and return to it's place of birth, the Airbus hangars in Toulouse.

The F-BVFC (serial number 9) joined the Air France fleet on 3 August 1976. It made two round-the-world trips, the first from 6 to 28 September 1989, travelling 51,354 km in 37 hours 25 minutes, including 19 hours 17 minutes at supersonic speed, and the second from 10 to 26 October 1993, travelling 43,084 km in 35 hours 20 minutes, including 17 hours 5 minutes at supersonic speed. The F-BVFC flew a total of 14,322 hours and 4,358 flights.

The Concorde F-BVFC will be displayed at Airbus' new aviation park, currently under construction.

"This last Concorde flight marks the end of an era for Air France", declared Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman of Air France.

"We wanted Airbus, creator of Concorde and our partner throughout its 27-year lifespan, to have one of Air France's Concordes and to display it for as many people as possible to admire. The magnificent work carried out on the F-BVFC throughout its career is symbolic of all that has been accomplished by the teams from Air France and Airbus on the entire Concorde fleet and other aircraft in use today."

"It is a great honour for us to receive this unique aircraft here in Toulouse, whose technology greatly contributed to the success of Airbus," added Noël Forgeard, Chairman of Airbus.