In April 1985, as part of a trial pursued by British Airways, many of the world's fastest aircraft reunited in one place to test out the aviation world's latest star: the BAC Concorde, a supersonic airliner that could maintain a supercruise up to Mach 2.04

Only a few months earlier, the FrancoBritish aircraft flew from London Heathrow to Sydney in a record time of 17 hours, 3 minutes, and 45 seconds, including refueling stops.

Famous aircraft from NATO allied countries like F15 Eagles, F16 Fighting Falcons, Grumman F14 Tomcats, Dassault Mirages, and F104 Starfighters, were offered the onceinalifetime chance to chase the Concorde.

But despite their best efforts, time and time again, these guardians of the skies could simply not reach the Concorde.

Only a fellow British Aircraft Corporation model would beat the others to the punch. A single BAC Lightning interceptor, flown by pilot Mike Hale, managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.

While the pilot described the Concorde as a very hot ship, he knew the aircraft he was piloting was nothing less than the fastest solely British fighter of all time.



Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, topsecret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

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