Chief Concorde Pilot Captain Mike Bannister confirms release of new book
07 July 2022
To coincide with the 60th anniversary of the Anglo-French treaty that marked Concorde’s inception, former Concorde Chief Pilot, Mike Bannister will publish a personal account of the most distinctive, iconic and awe-inspiring flying machine in history.
With nearly a quarter of a century’s experience flying the world’s only successful supersonic airliner, there’s no one better qualified to tell her story.
Mike Bannister has spent more time flying at supersonic speeds than anyone else in history, spending longer on the other side of the sound barrier than most of the world’s air forces put together. When Concorde led the Red Arrows down the Mall for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002, Mike was at the controls. When Concorde returned to the skies after the tragic crash that nearly ended her career, it was Mike in the pilot’s seat for the first flight.
When Concorde’s retirement was announced it was Mike who masterminded the celebrations, flying the last ever Concorde scheduled flight in October 2003. When, after that terrible crash, the cause had to be established, Mike was a member of the British team that was part of the investigation. And when the French-led investigation led to unsafe criminal convictions, Mike was the expert witness whose evidence help see them overturned, while at the same time as restoring the reputation of his beloved aeroplane.
Concorde was a technological triumph that Neil Armstrong said posed as great an engineering challenge as putting men on the moon. She was revered and adored like no other aeroplane. In Concorde, Mike Bannister tells the inside story from the cockpit, and from the heart. Part celebration, part detective story, and part courtroom drama, ‘Concorde’ is the definitive story of the World’s greatest aeroplane. Concorde was acquired by Penguin Michael Joseph Publishing Director, Rowland White from Mark Lucas at the Soho Agency.
Mike Bannister says: ‘From the age of seven, being a pilot was my Dream. When Concorde first flew that dream narrowed – I wanted to be a Concorde Pilot. The fates were with me, and my dream came true. Flying the most beautiful aircraft in the world, at twice the speed of sound, just with your fingertips as you cover 23 miles every minute, was the ultimate aviation experience for me.
Through the high times, and the low times of this sensational and unique flying machine, this book is a welcome opportunity for me to pay a deserving tribute to the truly remarkable aircraft that shaped my life – the life of that seven-year-old boy.’
Rowland White says: ‘There’s never been another flying machine to touch Concorde. I’ve been captivated by her my entire life and so couldn’t be more thrilled to be publishing Mike’s wonderful book. Gripping, insightful and revelatory, it’s also a love story that leaps off the page.
There’s simply nobody else in the world better able to bring to life the incredible story of an aeroplane that meant so much to so many people.’
Concorde will publish on 29th September in Hardback, EBook and audio digital download.
Captain Mike Bannister, former Chief Concorde Pilot and current Brooklands Museum Trustee
'Concorde' written by Captain Mike Bannister will be released on 29th September 2022