The Brooklands Concorde Experience
The Brooklands Concorde Experience has been designed to give visitors a unique tour of this fantastic aircraft and something different from the other Concordes exhibited around the country. Entry to Delta Golf is by ticket only (in addition to a museum admission ticket) and tours last approximately 35 minutes. Although it is not normally necessary to pre-book tickets prior to visiting Brooklands, there is a limit to the number of tours each day and naturally certain times of the year are busier than others (school holidays etc). If you do not pre-book ahead of your visit, it is recommended that you purchase your admission tickets early after your arrival at the museum to avoid disappointment. It is also worth making sure ahead of your visit that there are no special events taking place that day that might mean Concorde is closed to general admission.
Delta Golf's interior is split into 3 distinct areas. Visitors board DG via what used to be the cargo hold door at the rear of the aircraft. The cargo hold has now been opened up and allows direct access into the rear cabin. In operational service Concorde's rear cabin would have originally contained 60 seats, however, Delta Golf's rear cabin has been converted in an exhibition area. Here can be found exhibits such as Sir George Edwards famous 'Pork Pie' hat, Delta Golf's original flight logs and a helmet and flight suit worn by BAC test pilots during Concorde's testing days. Also in here are 3 video screens that show several short videos, one of which is called 'The Brooklands Concorde Story'. As the name suggests, this tells the story of Delta Golf, how it was transported to Brooklands and how it was rebuilt and restored.
Visitors then walk through the mid-cabin and an area of extended exhibition space called 'Concorde Through the Decades'. In here is a selection of seats that the aircraft flew with during its operational life, covering the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Also included are a pair of the plush blue leather Terence Conran designed seats that most of the British Airways Concordes were fitted with up until their retirement. The seat tray tables are complete with unique Concorde crockery and cutlery and general Concorde memorabilia. The wall panels, hat racks and forward bulkheads in this area are all that now exists of Delta Golf's original interior. Also on show in here are two large test equipment racks that were original fitted in Delta Golf's aft hold during the 1970s.
Finally, visitors walk through to the forward cabin. Here they are invited to take their seats for their Concorde 'flight'. The forward cabin has been completely re-fitted with interior trim, luggage bins and 40 seats. In addition, the cabin has been fitted with a video screen and a sound system that helps to give people an idea of what a flight on Concorde was like. The video is presented by Captain Mike Bannister and he guides you through a take-off and the acceleration through Mach 2 - twice the speed of sound - with explanations of how Concorde was operated during the different phases of flight. During the video the Machmeter screens on the forward bulkheads display Concorde's speed and height. Once in the cruise at Mach 2 and 58000ft there is a special treat for visitors - but you will have to visit to see and feel that!
On the way, out visitors have an opportunity to view (but, unfortunately, not enter) Delta Golf's cockpit. This has been completely re-fitted with instruments, flight controls and crew seats. The cockpit of Concorde really is a sight to behold with its myriad of dials and switches and is a glimpse back at 1960s technology - the days before glass cockpits and when it took a minimum of 3 people to fly an airliner. It can also be seen here just how small the flightdeck of a Concorde really is - especially when compared to other airliners.
Concorde Signature Events
In addition to the normal Concorde Experience, Brooklands Museum offers a variety of special events, ranging from detailed technical tours, VIP passenger experiences and even the opportunity to find out what it was like to fly Concorde! For more details, availability and the latest prices, click here to visit the official Brooklands website.