Ridiculous History – “The Rise (and Crash) of the Concorde Jet”

Podcast: Ridiculous History (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Ben Bowlin (A), Noel Brown (B), and Max “Zoom Zoom” Williams (C, super producer)
Date: January 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Ridiculous History takes listeners on a fast-paced, witty, and irreverent journey through the story of the Concorde jet—one of aviation’s most ambitious (and ultimately doomed) experiments. Ben, Noel, and Max riff on the dream of supersonic passenger flight, the gleaming heights of 1970s jet-set luxury, and the dramatic, tragic crash that ended Concorde’s reign. Along the way, the hosts share laughs, memorable asides, and insights into how technological advances often come with a unique set of challenges and unintended consequences.

Main Themes & Purpose

• The rise and fall of the Concorde as the world’s premiere supersonic passenger jet.
• The broader historical context of technological ambition in aviation.
• The social, economic, and technical factors that spurred the jet’s heyday—and led to its eventual demise.
• Reflections on luxury, exclusivity, and the end of the "jet age" dream.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Modern Experience of Flight

• Flying is a “love-hate” relationship for most people, with hosts joking about the discomfort of modern air travel versus its marvels (02:08).
• Personal stories shared about long flights, first-class experiences, and travel tips (04:20–06:47).

2. The Dangerous Path of Aviation Innovation

• Aviation’s history is riddled with trial and error, including inventors who died in their pursuit of flight (07:43–09:11).
  • Memorable example: Otto Lilienthal (“the flying man”) contributed to aviation at the cost of his life. His famous last words:

    “Sacrifices must be made.” – Ben, relaying Lilienthal’s quote (09:04)

3. Enter the Concorde: Ambition Takes Flight

• Introduction to the Concorde via a 1976 British Airways commercial (10:11–10:44), selling the jet as the “future” of passenger air travel.

  • “Concorde has crossed the Atlantic in three and a half hours. …Fly the future. Fly the flag.” (10:20–10:44)

• Historical context:

  • Supersonic flight broke the sound barrier—first achieved by Chuck Yeager in 1947 (12:30–12:55).
  • The “Mach” scale is explained (13:04–13:50), with top manned speed: Mach 6.72.

• Supersonic ambitions spread:

  • 1960s: UK and France join forces to build the Concorde, a symbol of “agreement” and technological cooperation.
  • US plans for the Boeing 2707 300 scrapped; Soviet response produces the Tupolev TU144, first to carry passengers supersonic in 1969—but not sustainable due to economics (16:58–18:26).

4. The Highs of the Concorde Era

• First Concorde flight:

  • March 2, 1969 – French prototype 001 takes off and lands successfully. The test pilot exclaims,

    “The big bird flies. Oui, oui!” (19:20)

• Performance:

  • Crossed the Atlantic in just 3½ hours, far faster than subsonic jets (21:12–22:10).
  • Could leave London at breakfast and arrive in New York before breakfast—“Double breakfast!” quips the team (26:11–26:13).

• Exclusivity and extravagance:

  • Only Air France and British Airways operated regular Concorde service due to prohibitive economics (23:33–23:57).
  • Ticket prices in 2003: about £6,636 (~$15,000 in today’s money) for a round trip (27:14–28:34).
  • No “economy” section: all passengers paid the premium, rubbing elbows with celebrities, royalty (e.g., Queen Elizabeth always reserved seat 1A) (31:31–32:01).

• Luxury in the sky:

  • Amenities included champagne, caviar, fine wines, and even cigars (“hotboxed” during flight—much to the modern hosts’ disbelief) (29:33–30:24).
  • Mach meter onboard, with celebrations at Mach 1 and Mach 2; French disco and champagne toasts for breaking the sound barrier (32:07–32:41).

  • “The people watching is bonkers...the 1% of the top 1% of the top 1%.” – Noel (31:31)

• Fun fact: Concorde passengers collectively consumed over a million bottles of champagne during its operational life (33:14–33:19).

5. The Crash and the End

• Tragedy strikes:

  • July 25, 2000: Air France Flight 4590 crashes shortly after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle, killing all aboard and several on the ground (34:10–34:38).
  • The only fatal Concorde accident; caused by runway debris puncturing a fuel tank after a tire explosion (38:59–40:21).
  • After the crash, both fleets were grounded for safety checks; Concorde briefly returned, but 9/11 created new travel restrictions and demand collapsed (34:38–35:55).

• Final flights:

  • British Airways retires its Concordes in April 2003, followed by Air France. Farewell tours draw large crowds of aviation fans (40:21–41:34).

• Reflection:

  • The Concorde was both a marvel and a cautionary tale—a vision of what could be, but not sustainable (41:34–41:59).
  • Some Concordes are still on display in museums:

    “You just can’t, you know, fly on them for now.” – Ben (41:34)

6. Notable Quotes & Moments

• On technological boldness:

  “Who has spat in the face of God for sure.” – Ben, on the ambitious scale of the Concorde compared to things like the Hoover Dam (33:28)

• On luxury:

  “You could smoke cigars, eat caviar and lobster… can you imagine though, in a limited sized cabin like that, just getting hotboxed by cigars?” – Noel (29:33–29:59)

• On exclusivity:

  “This is a Richie Rich Londoner.” – Noel, imitating society’s Concorde passengers (26:50)

• On the enduring legend:

  “It was a future in the sky. Until we fast forward to July 25, 2000.” – Ben (33:35–34:10)

7. Fun Fact: Flight of the Conchords Name

• The New Zealand comedy band’s name did not come from the plane. One of the members saw the word "Concord" on a toilet and — after a brief debate — used it as the band name ("flight of the Concords"). (43:02–43:23, explained by Max)

Structure of the Rise and Fall

| Segment | Timestamp | | ----------------------------------- | ----------- | | Aviation innovation pre-Concorde | 07:43–09:11 | | Concorde’s launch and tech context | 09:58–13:50 | | Global supersonic race | 14:38–18:26 | | Concorde’s glory days | 19:00–33:14 | | Crash and aftermath | 34:10–41:34 | | Reflection, legacy, and fun facts | 41:34–43:23 |

Final Reflections

• All three hosts say they would fly the Concorde if given the chance (41:59–42:05).
• The show closes with gratitude for pilots and flight attendants, and a nod to the never-ending push and pull between ambition, luxury, and the sometimes sobering realities of technology (44:07–44:22).

Summary Verdict

This episode of Ridiculous History is a high-energy, fact-packed ride—much like the Concorde jet itself. Ben, Noel, and Max blend historical detail with their signature banter, exploring the pinnacle of jet-age luxury, the economics of exclusivity, the tragedy that ended the dream, and what Concorde still means as a symbol of “what could have been.”

“Even something that ultimately doesn’t work out is a learning opportunity and hopefully informs the next big idea.” – Ben (41:34)

For more information, check out the full show transcript or seek out museum Concordes near you—they may no longer fly, but their legend endures.