What it was really like to fly on Concorde

Last month, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 Dreamliner hitched a ride on a powerful jet stream and flew from Los Angeles to London in a record-setting nine hours and 13 minutes, hitting 801 miles per hour as it flew over Pennsylvania.

Record-setting, perhaps, but for a subsonic airliner.

Half a century ago, the legendary supersonic passenger airliner Concorde made its first test flight, on March 2, 1969. The Concorde 001 prototype took off from Toulouse, piloted by André Turcat, and first went supersonic on October 1.

In 1976 – over 40 years ago – elite passengers were crossing the Atlantic in under three and a half hours, flying at twice the speed of sound in the Anglo-French Concorde.

Only 20 of the sleek, delta-winged SSTs were built, and just 14 were delivered to two airlines – seven each to Air France and British Airways.

With superlative service and cuisine, exclusive airport lounges and stratospherically high airfares, Concorde passengers flew far above other flights, and cruised faster than fighter jets to their destinations.

But what was it really like to rub shoulders with the rich and famous on a Concorde flight? CNN Travel asked some former passengers what it was like to fly on one.

Cozy quarters

Faster than a speeding bullet: 20 years after it last flew, Concorde remains unsurpassed in terms of speed in the world of commercial flight. But what was it like to fly at twice the speed of sound? Click through the gallery to get a taste of the airplane's Mach 2 magic.

Majestic bird: While it no longer flies, many of the fleet of 20 delta-winged aircraft can be visited in aviation museums. Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the last to be built and to fly, is the centerpiece of Aerospace Bristol in the UK.

Small cabin: Space was tight inside Concorde. The seating configuration was only four across with about 100 seats available per flight. There was little to differentiate between Business and First Class.

Restricted view: Concorde's windows were much smaller than those on a normal passenger airplane. They needed to withstand temperatures of up to 117 C when the Concorde flew supersonic.

Peepholes: The windows look tiny compared to the British Airways livery on the Concorde displayed in Bristol.

Cockpit controls: Concorde's pilots were also short on space. Though advanced for its time, the control console lacks any of the digital readouts familiar in modern jets. Is it just us, or do the steering controls bear a passing resemblance to rocket cycle handlebars from the movie "Flash Gordon?"

Bathroom: The smallest room on Concorde was also a squeeze. Su Marshall, who flew on the airplane, said she was advised by a regular passenger to go before takeoff as the size made it "impossible to pee once in the air."

Concorde cloakroom: Despite the space limitations, there was room for a closet to ensure Concorde's well-heeled passengers wouldn't crease their coats and garments.

Tiny aisle: A view down the aisle from the toilet gives another perspective on the lack of space in Concorde.

Tickets to ride: Flying supersonic came at a price. A London-New York round trip could cost about $10,000.

Work with perks: "The flight attendants loved being on it; the passengers loved being on it. You were aware of being part of a very small group of people that were privileged enough to be on Concorde," says CNN's Richard Quest, who flew Concorde five times.

Simple touches: For such an elite aircraft, later Concorde flights used surprisingly simple crockery.

Fast food: Eating lunch at more than 1,500 miles per hour tasted pretty good with typical menus that included items like lobster, caviar and Champagne. "The quality and style of food service was exceptional," says former passenger Richard Ford.

Luggage tags: A display at Bristol Aerospace shows some of the different luggage tags through Concorde's relatively brief history. Concorde paraphernalia is regularly traded via online sites such as eBay.

Smoking habits: A sign of the airplane's age, Concorde was originally equipped for smokers. Cigar-smoking tycoons had to stub out before boarding after it was banned on the aircraft in 1997. One now-notorious movie mogul apparently landed himself in trouble for flouting the rule.

Digital readout: In the days before seat-back TV screens relayed the info, Concorde passengers were kept informed about the aircraft's supersonic speeds via a digital display on the forward bulkhead.

Switches and dials: Meanwhile, in the cockpit, the pilots relied on simple analog dials and switches to control the super-fast jet.

Supercharged: Concorde was the first -- and still only -- passenger aircraft that had turbojet engines with afterburners. Raw fuel was introduced into the exhaust of the plane's four engines, immediately increasing the engines' thrust by almost 20%.

Watch out: The radio chatter between aircraft could get interesting, according to one former pilot. "We would often warn these slower aircraft we were coming past in case the sonic boom alarmed them, as we shot past faster than a rifle bullet."

Unique engines: Because jet engines can't pull in air traveling at supersonic speeds, Concorde's four Rolls-Royce engines needed specially designed intake vents to slow the air down.

Rolls-Royce roar: "Each takeoff was a phenomenal experience, the performance such that we had to warn the passengers in advance what to expect," says former Concorde pilot Tye. "The roar of the Rolls-Royce Olympus engines, combined with being pushed back into your seat, was like no other civilian aeroplane."

Close inspection: Visitors to Bristol Aerospace can examine Alpha Foxtrot up close inside and out. It's in remarkable condition for an aircraft that hasn't flown for 20 years.

Bird cannon: Concorde's reinforced cockpit windows were tested by using a cannon to fire raw chickens at them to replicate the affects of bird strike.

Nostalgia trip: Among those making the trip to visit Concorde in Bristol are, according to its custodians, former passengers or engineers who worked on it in the nearby aircraft factory in Filton.

Expanding cabin: Because of the heat generated by flying supersonic, the plane's outer shell expanded when traveling at speed. On the final flight, Alpha Foxtrot's pilot was able to wedge his captain's hat between the plane's instrumentation panel and its outer frame, only to have it crushed when the frame contracted to normal size.

Anglo-French cooperation: Concorde's development and operation was a joint UK-France enterprise. Those involved have often spoken of overcoming language and cultural barriers, including a heated debate over the French addition of an "e" at the end of the aircraft's name. "We called it the French letter," one engineer quipped.