The dignitaries who gathered at Filton in Bristol on April 9, 1969, to witness the British Concorde’s maiden flight nearly went home disappointed after a last-minute technical hitch.

Seconds before the prototype 002 began rolling down the runway, one engine’s afterburner, which gave added thrust and caused the distinctive flaming, failed to ignite.

Brian Trubshaw, the captain, shut down the engine and tried a second time. This time it lit and the historic flight was on. Mr Trubshaw died in 2001, but Peter Holding, the flight test engineer and youngest of the six men on the first flight, will be celebrating tomorrow’s anniversary at home in southwest France.

“When we came out of the flight building, the crowds were enormous,” Mr Holding said. “There was no nervousness. We knew the real risk would come in later test flights, when we did more hairy things like surging the engines at Mach 2.”

Times Archive, 1969: 'The big bird flies pretty well'

The Anglo-French Concorde supersonic airliner took off on its maiden flight today

• Archive Topic: Concorde

Related Links

• Concorde may end its days in Dubai

Carrying minimal fuel, 002 took off like a fighter jet, steep and fast.

“The take-off was impressive but the landing was a bit hard because both radio altimeters failed and the pilots, sitting ten metres above the nose wheel, had to judge our height by eye. We didn’t exactly kiss the ground.”

On the day, Sir George Edwards, the managing director of British Aircraft Corporation, said: “I hope my successors sell hundreds of Concordes.” But within seven years, a dozen airlines had cancelled orders, preferring to focus on mass travel with the 747. Only 14 Concordes entered service.

Times Recommends

• Minister in talks with Saudis to protect creditors
• Premier Inn hits back in £29-a-room row
• Bankers hit back at 'populist' bonus supertax