Tag Archives: John Cochrane

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