RETURN TO FLIGHT

AIR FRANCE TEST / TRAINING FLIGHT LOG

Flights that have been major milestones in getting the aircraft back in service are listed.

  • Jan 18th 2001 - AF370/1

    F-BVFB Flies to South of France for ground based high speed taxi tests to silmulate fuel leaks from wing tanks on Fab 18th.
    Concorde returned to Pairs 2 weeks later on at the completion of the tests on Saturday 3rd feb 2001. For more details see the Istres test section on flight AF370/1


  • April 11th 2001 - AF 373s

    F-BTSD completes 3 hour post D check airtest flight in and out of CDG, Paris.
    This flight enabled a full test of all sytems on the aircraft after its 'D' check before flying to Istres for tyre tests later.

  • April 17th 2001 - AF 374

    F-BTSD Flys sub-sonically fronm Charles De Gaulle, Paris to Istres in the South of France for tests on new Michelin radial tyres.
    These were competed and the results are very positive. The tyres will now be fitted, as standard, to the whole Concorde fleet.

  • April 19th 2001 - May 2nd 2001

    High speed taxi and flights test take place at Istres Air Base in the South of France to test the new NZG (Near zero growth) Michelin radial tyres.

  • May 5th 2001 - AF 373V

    F-BTSD return flight from Istres to Orly airport.
    The aircraft is scheduled to enter the Air France paint shop after its 'D' check programme

  • May 30th 2001 - AF 375Y

    F-BTSD ferry flight from Orly Airport to CDG
    The trip repositioned the aircraft from the Air France paint shop to Air France Concorde base at CDG

  • August 24th 2001 - AF 372S

    F-BVFB's First Verification flight after completion of modificaitons.
    Aircraft reached top speed of just over Mach 1 during this mainly subsonic test flight. The flight was in and out of CDG

  • August 27th 2001 - AF 373S

    2nd Verification flight for F-BVFB.
    This time Fox Bravo was taken up to his normal Supersonic cruising speed of Mach 2.0. Again the flight started and terminated at CDG

  • August 30th 2001 - AF 119K

    First Air France crew training flight using F-BVFB.
    flight left CDG for a days training at Vatry Airport before returning later the same day.

  • September 4th 2001
    AF374S
    AF375S

    Two crew training flights with different crew combinations
    Flights were in and out of CDG and lasted around 90mins.

The crews were:

AF 374S

  • Jean Rossignol - Captain
  • Jean-francois Michel - First Officer
  • Roger Beral - Flight Engineer
AF 375S
  • Jean-francois Michel - Captain
  • Jean Rossignol - First Officer
  • Alain Piccinini - Flight Engineer

  • September 6th 2001- AF115K

    A 3 and a half hour crew training flight
    Flight to check all systems that would be used during an operational flight. The was again in and out of Paris' CDG

  • September 11th 2001- AF382V

    Departure from Paris CDG to Chateauroux-Deols Airport.
    5 days of Crew training circuits using the 3.5KM runway at the ex-American Air Force Base.

  • October 15th 2001- AF382S

    F-BTSD's First Verification flight after completion of modificaitons.
    Aircraft reached top speed of just over Mach 1 duirng this mainly subsonic test flight. The flight was in and out of CDG

  • October 17th 2001- AF383S

    F-BTSD's 2nd Verification flight after completion of modificaitons.
    Aircraft reached its cruising speed of Mach 2 duirng this test flight. The flight was in and out of CDG

  • October 22th 2001- AF380V

    Air France crew training flights with F-BTSD at Vatry.
    After the completion of the aircraft's Verification flights F-BTSD was used to further test it during the training flights. Flight left CDG for a few days training at Vatry Airport before returning to Paris

  • October 27th 2001- AF383W

    Air France crew training flight using F-BVFB.
    Ahead of return flight to New York. Flight left CDG for a days training at Vatry Airport before returning later the same day.

  • October 29th 2001- AF4500

    Outward leg of Transatlantic operational assessment flight with Concorde F-BVFB.
    65 Air France engineers were on-board as pasngers on this first Air France Concorde flight to New York since July 25th 2000

  • October 30th 2001- AF4501

    Return leg of Transatlantic operational assessment flight with Concorde F-BVFB.
    First Air France Concorde passenger flight out of New York since the F-BTSC accident in July 2000


When Time permits I will try add in small gallery section for each test flight where there are pictures and details available.

Until this time please have a look at concorde.ever.flying.free.fr where there is an extensive collection of pictures of most of these flights.

Bernard Charles has a good colection of pictures in the Gallery section of Club Concorde. Some of his pictures feature above.

For some great Quicktime and real videos of the Air France flights see The videos section at Concorde-jet.com The videos are mostly by Paul Marais-Hayer...Well done Paul!!!