Tag Archives: Ernest Brian Trubshaw CBE MVO

9 April 1969

Aviation, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Brian Trubshaw and John Cochrane, aboard Concorde 002, 9 April 1969. (Photograph courtesy of Neil Corbett, Test and Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers)
Brian Trubshaw and John Cochrane, aboard Concorde 002, 9 April 1969. (Photograph courtesy of Neil Corbett, Test and Research Pilots, Flight Test Engineers)

9 April 1969: Concorde 002, G-BSST, the first British-built prototype of the supersonic airliner, made its first flight from Filton Airport, Fairfield, England, with British Aerospace Corporation’s Chief Test Pilot, Ernest Brian Trubshaw CBO MVO, as pilot, John Cochrane as co-pilot and Flight Engineer Brian Watts. Also on board, monitoring a range of instruments in the forward cabin, were three other Test Flight Engineers, Mike Addley, John Allan and Peter Holding.

"Concorde 002 on April 9th 1969 ready for a test flight. The flight crew pose before take-off. From left to right, John Allan and Mike Addley (Flight test Observers) John Cochrane, co-pilot, Brian Trubshaw, pilot; Brian Watts, engineer and Peter Holding (Flight Test Observer)." (Stan Sims/Filton Library)
“Concorde 002 on April 9th 1969 ready for a test flight. The flight crew pose before take-off. From left to right, John Allan and Mike Addley (Flight test Observers) John Cochrane, co-pilot, Brian Trubshaw, pilot; Brian Watts, engineer and Peter Holding (Flight Test Observer).” (Stan Sims/Filton Library)

After a preliminary test flight, they landed the new prototype at RAF Fairford, 50 miles northeast, where the flight test program would continue. This flight was just five weeks after the French-built Concorde 001 had made its first flight.

The two prototypes were used to establish the airliner’s flight characteristics and performance envelope, and to develop flight procedures. Follow-on pre-production Concordes were constructed to go through government certification as a commercial airliner.

G-BSST’s career ended with 836 hours, 9 minutes total flight time, of which 173 hours, 26 minutes were supersonic. Concorde 002 is preserved at Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, Somerset, England.

BAC Concorde 002, G-BSST, makes its first takeoff at Bristol Filton Airport, 9 April 1969. (BAC)
BAC Concorde 002, G-BSST, makes its first takeoff at Bristol Filton Airport, 9 April 1969. (BAC)

© 2017, Bryan R. Swopes

21 January 1976

Aviation, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
British Airways' Concorde G-BOAA departing Heathrow, 11:40 a.m., 21 January 1976. (Adrian Meredith/British Airways)
British Airways’ Concorde G-BOAA departing Heathrow, 11:40 a.m., 21 January 1976. (Adrian Meredith/British Airways)

21 January 1976: The first scheduled supersonic passenger airliners, Air France’s Concorde F-BVFA, and British Airways’ Concorde G-BOAA, took off simultaneously at 11:40 a.m. F-BVFA departed Paris en route Rio de Janero, with a stop at Dakar, and G-BOAA departed London Heathrow en route Bahrain.

Air France Flight AF 085 was flown by Commandant de bord, Captain Pierre Jean Louis Chanoine-Martiel, with Captain Pierre Dudal, Chief Pilot, Concorde Division, as co-pilot; and Officier Mécanicien Navigant (Flight Engineer) André Blanc.

Flight crew of F-BVFA, 21 January 1976. Left to right: Co-pilot, Captain Pierre Dudal, Chief Pilot, Concorde Division; Second Officer André Blanc, Officier Mécanicien Navigant; and Captain Pierre Chanoine-Martiel, Commandant du bord. (Air France/Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace, Aéroport de Paris – Le Bourget)

The British Airways’ flight, BA 300, using the call sign “Speedbird Concorde,” was crewed by Captain Norman Victor Todd, Captain Brian James Calvert and Flight Engineer John Lidiard. The British Aircraft Corporation’s Chief Test Pilot, Ernest Brian Trubshaw, C.B.E., M.V.O., was also aboard.

British Airways flight crew, Left to Right: Senior Engineer Officer John Lidiard; Captain Brian James Calvert; Senior Test Pilot Brian Trubshaw; and Captain Norman Victor Todd. (British Airways)
Concorde inaugural flights, 21 January 1976. (Heritage Concorde)

G-BOAA arrived on time at 15:20. F-BVFA, after a delay at Dakar, arrived at Rio de Janeiro at 19:00.

Air France Concorde F-BVFA. (Aérospatiale/Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace, Aéroport de Paris – Le Bourget)

In 1977, the Royal Aero Club awarded its Britannia Trophy to Captain Todd for “the most meritorious performance in aviation during 1976.”

© 2019, Bryan R. Swopes