АНУ-ын Braniff International компани 1979-1980 оны хооронд Concorde онгоцоор Даллас болон Вашингтон хооронд нислэг үйлдсэн нь тухайн үеийн агаарын тээврийн онцлох үйл явдал байв.
1979 оны нэгдүгээр сарын 12-ноос 1980 оны тавдугаар сарын 31-ний хооронд хэрэгжүүлсэн энэхүү нислэгт British Airways болон Air France компанийн онгоцуудыг ашигласан юм. Braniff International нь тухайн үедээ дээд зэрэглэлийн үйлчилгээ, загварлаг бүхээг, дизайнер дүрэмт хувцсаараа алдартай байсан ч Concorde-ын жинхэнэ хүчин чадлыг ашиглах боломжгүй байв.
АНУ-ын Засгийн газраас 1973 онд иргэний агаарын тээврийн хөлгүүдэд эх газрын дээгүүр дууны хурдыг давахыг хориглосон шийдвэр гаргасан нь гол саад болжээ. Үүнээс шалтгаалан нисгэгчид Concorde онгоцыг 1.0 Mach-аас доош буюу 0.95 Mach хурдтайгаар нисгэх шаардлагатай болсон байна.
Энэхүү хязгаарлалт нь зорчигчдын нислэгийн хугацааг ердөө 20 минутаар л хэмнэх боломж олгосон юм. Хэдийгээр суперсоник хурдаар нисэх боломжгүй байсан ч Concorde-оор зорчих нь тухайн үеийн чинээлэг иргэдийн хувьд нэр хүндийн илэрхийлэл байв.
Concorde-ын хөгжлийн товч түүх: 1956: Суперсоник зорчигч тээврийн онгоц бүтээх яриа хэлэлцээ эхэлсэн. 1962: Англи-Францын гэрээ байгуулагдсан. 1969: Анхны загвар Тулузад нислэг үйлдсэн. 1973: Туршилтын явцад анх удаа 2.0 Mach хурдыг давсан. 1976: British Airways болон Air France арилжааны нислэгийг эхлүүлсэн. 1996: Нью-Йоркоос Лондон хүртэл 2 цаг 52 минутад хүрсэн нь хамгийн хурдан үзүүлэлт болов. 2003: Сүүлийн арилжааны нислэг үйлдэгдсэнээр суперсоник тээврийн эрин үе өндөрлөв.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Back in the late 1970s, rich Texans were shelling out a huge amount to fly Concorde from Dallas to Washington DC – but they didn’t realize the truth about how fast they were travelling.
Braniff International was the only American airline to operate a scheduled Concorde flight.
That made it all the more appealing for a bunch of rich Texans who wanted to travel in style.
But there was one thing about these flights that set them apart from their European counterparts.
The Concorde is an indisputable icon of the aviation world
You say the name and everyone instantly knows what you’re talking about.
That’s the kind of prestige that comes with the name Concorde.
One former pilot of the supersonic jet branded it the ‘greatest icon of the 20th century’, and we can’t find fault with that line of argument.
Whether it’s footage of its first flight or video filmed onboard the plane itself, the Concorde has a rich legacy.
Yet, we’re still somehow finding out new things about it all the time – despite the fact that it hasn’t flown in nearly 23 years.
Now, the Concorde as we knew it was operated by British Airways and Air France.
But did you know that one American airline was running flights?
Flying from Texas to Washington DC in style
Braniff International ran Concorde flights between Dallas, Texas, and Washington DC from January 12, 1979 to May 31, 1980.
British Airways and Air France supplied the jets under an interchange agreement.
Braniff crews would fly them from Texas to the nation’s capital, then European operators would take the planes back over the Atlantic.
Braniff International was a fitting airline to operate the Concorde in the US, as it was considered particularly glamorous.
Crews working on the planes wore designer uniforms and their airport lounges were just as stylish.
It all sounds good on the face of it – but there was a catch.
Things weren’t quite as they seemed for these flyers
The Concorde broke the sound barrier while in the air – that was practically the whole point of it.
By going so fast, it would shave hours off cross-Atlantic flights.
But things weren’t quite so speedy for passengers travelling on Braniff International.
Why was that?
Well, in 1973, the US government prohibited civilian supersonic flight over land because of the disruptive sonic boom.
This meant that Braniff International had to keep cruising speeds below Mach 1.
Limited to Mach 0.95, this saved passengers only 20 minutes off their usual flight time.
We’re sure they didn’t mind, though.
After all, the prestige of flying on the Concorde was the main selling point.
And imagine having that bragging right for the rest of your life.
Key milestones in the story of the Concorde
1956: UK and France begin discussions for a supersonic passenger aircraft
1962: Official Anglo-French treaty signed to develop Concorde
1969: First prototype takes flight in Toulouse
1973: Hits Mach 2 for the first time during testing
1976: First commercial flights launch with British Airways and Air France
1985: First used for transatlantic VIP trips and iconic charters
1996: Fastest transatlantic crossing set – New York to London in 2h 52m
2003: Final commercial flight marks the end of supersonic travel
