July 2016 – Page 3 – edparsons.com

Concorde 201 F-WTSB, Toulouse France

Concorde 201 F-WTSB, was the first production test airframe and as such is the sister aircraft of Brooklands Concorde 202 Delta Golf.

As displayed in the Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse it is possible to board the aircraft and view the flight observers’ station and test equipment in the forward cabin and the aft cabin complete with splendid 1970’s era leather VIP seats.

In common with Delta Golf, Sierra Bravo did not enter commercial service and had a similar varied and colourful career, indeed although often known as the “White Concorde”, Sierra Bravo was given a very colouful livery to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the first flight in 1989.

Now safely displayed inside the Museum building, next to an Airbus A300B representing the prototype of its successor in terms of European civil aviation, Sierra Bravo is still an impressive sight !

You wait.. and then two come along together

So goes the great British maxim usually applied to buses, in this case however my Concorde quest and a visit to the new Aeroscopia Museum in Toulouse which I visited before speaking at the 2016 Toulouse Space Show. The new Museum contains a really well presented collection of interesting aircraft including this lovely Airbus owned Messerschmitt Bf109G.

I have a album of photos here of the collection as well as the nearby Association Ailes Anciennes Toulouse site which feels like a small gallic version of Tuscon’s boneyard.

Of course the main reason for my visit was the unique opportunity to visit two preserved Concorde aircraft within 100m of each other as Aeroscopia in the home to Concorde 201 F-WTSB and Concorde 209 F-BVFC.