The Men of Concorde: 110 tons in barrels

A marvelous and complicated machine because it was innovative in every way, Concorde required years of calculations, studies and simulations before its first take-off, and no fewer than 2,135 test flights for its development.

A quartet of outstanding and passionate virtuoso pilots ensured this, from the initial draft to delivery to the airlines: Turcat, Pinet, Franchi, Defer. All four had passed through the Air Force, EPNER and CEV. They were engineers and already familiar with Mach 2 flight.

With his dual role as Gadzart and Sup'aéro, Jean Pinet was perhaps a little more of a practicing engineer than his three colleagues and he had first piloted G-91s and F-104Gs in missile tests for the German CEV.

Having explored the aerodynamic unknown with Concorde and tested flight control and management systems still foreign to air transport, he understood that aircraft were now entering a new technical era....