CONCORDE holds a special place in the heart for people living in the West Country.

The Concorde is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).

Studies started in 1954, and France and the UK signed a treaty establishing the development project on 29 November 1962, as the programme cost was estimated at £70 million (£1.39 billion in 2021).

Construction of the six prototypes began in February 1965, and the first flight took off from Toulouse on 2 March 1969.

The market was predicted for 350 aircraft, and the manufacturers received up to 100 option orders from many major airlines.

On 9 October 1975, it received its French Certificate of Airworthiness, and from the UK CAA on 5 December