Have you ever wondered what became of the majestic Concorde fleet after their final flights? Here at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, we stand before a silent giant, Concorde 215, registration F-BVFF. Concorde 215 first graced the skies on December 26, 1978, taking off from Toulouse. It joined the Air France fleet on October 23, 1980. Concorde 215 boasts a rich history. In 1986, it became the first Air France Concorde to circumnavigate the globe on a charter flight, a feat it would repeat twelve more times. This very aircraft, Concorde 215, embarked on its final voyage on June 11, 2000, a charter flight marked as AF4586. Little did anyone know it would be its last dance with the clouds. Originally slated for routine maintenance, Concorde 215 was grounded. A month before the tragic Concorde accident in Paris, it served as a parts donor for another Concorde undergoing a D check. Upon completion of that check, work was to begin on Concorde 215’s own D check in April 2002. The check was 60% complete when the decision to retire the Concorde fleet was announced. Work ceased. Concorde 215 was cosmetically reassembled and put on display here at CDG. Though it appears complete from the outside, its interior remains disassembled, a poignant reminder of a journey interrupted. Concorde 215 flew for 12,421 hours, made 4,259 landings, and completed 3,734 supersonic flights. It stands here as a testament to a bygone era of supersonic travel, a silent sentinel of the skies.
Monument au Général Leclerc War memorial
“A general’s gaze, forever fixed on the horizon.” That’s how I often imagine General Leclerc, immortalized here at the Monument