New exhibition marks 20th anniversary of Concorde’s final flight

The demise of Concorde is said to be one of the few times in the history of human ingenuity when our progress has gone backwards.

But there is a very Bristol-specific example of another reversal of progress close to the entrance to Aerospace Bristol: a tram carriage, which has been restored after languishing for years in a back garden in Downend.

Are trams the magic wand to wave and solve our city’s transport woes? Probably not. But before the Second World War, Bristol’s tram network criss-crossed the entire urban area, transporting tens of thousands of passengers every day, and it is a tantalising question to ask if it is possible to get it back.

Forget supersonic travel, could bringing back trams be the future for Bristol?

Another question currently being posed in a new exhibition at Aerospace Bristol is: ‘Do you think there is a place for supersonic passenger planes in the future?’

Like the tokens placed by shoppers into clear tubes at supermarkets to decide the next charity donation, visitors are encouraged to answer this question themselves, with ‘yes’ beating ‘no’ on a recent weekday by a factor of around four to one.

“Is speed really the main criterion of success?” asks another question in the new exhibition located in the Concorde hangar where a small souvenir shop used to be.

For the ayes, a quote: “I believe there is a future for supersonic flight and with modern technology, cleaner emissions are possible.” And for the nays: “Supersonic travel is not really viable as people want low cost, not speed.”

Inside Concorde’s cockpit within her specially-built hangar at Aerospace Bristol

The exhibition opened in time to mark the 20th anniversary of Concorde’s final flight on November 26 2003. It also explores the reasons why Concorde retired and whether its legacy could be something more than a museum piece.

On this visit to Aerospace Bristol with my eight-year-old daughter – during which we also experienced a flight simulator with the Red Arrows – she was fascinated with the hundreds of buttons, dials and other assorted instruments within Concorde’s cramped cockpit.

Meanwhile, I read with interest a copy of the press release sent by British Airways announcing the retirement of Concorde, though not before operations continued at twice the speed of sound between London and New York, and seasonal services to Barbados.

It used to take three hours and 20 minutes for Concorde to fly from Heathrow to JFK; exactly the same time as it took us to travel by coach a couple of days earlier between Bristol and Plymouth.

So what is Concorde’s legacy? Firstly, it was an incredible feat of engineering which Aerospace Bristol does so well to examine both through its new and old exhibits and especially through some of its volunteers.

Bristol and South Gloucestershire continue to be a hub for innovation in aerospace, with thousands of people working in and around Filton on the next generation of aircraft and spacecraft.

Could Concorde make a comeback? That’s for you to answer.

A new exhibition at Aerospace Bristol asks is there a place for supersonic passenger travel in the future?

All photos: Martin Booth

Read next:

• ‘Grave concerns’ at £470,000 bailout of Aerospace Bristol
• ‘Trams should no longer be a relic of history but a lesson in possibilities’
• One of Bristol’s newest churches celebrates its first birthday

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: