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In the ownership of British Airways Concorde is said to have made almost 50,000 flights, in which time it carried in excess of 2m passengers at supersonic speeds. Lifting off the runway at around 220 knots the aircraft typically cruised at 1350mph at altitudes way above all other commercial aircraft. London to New York would usually take just under 3.5 hours at a time when ordinary airliners took between 7 or 8 hours to scamper across the Atlantic.

Concorde's fastest transatlantic crossing was on 7 February 1996 when it completed the New York to London flight in 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds. A bit quicker than a typical drive from Manchester to London takes. The aircraft measured just under 204ft in length and stretched up to 10 inches in flight due to the heating of the airframe.

On 24 October 2003, British Airways withdrew its Concorde fleet, sadly bringing to a close the world's only supersonic passenger service. The last scheduled commercial flight was BA002 from New York, operated by G-BOAG before the fleet was dispersed, with G-BOAC landing at Manchester for subsequent in the fantastic visitor centre built around it.

There are more than 100 exhibitors at MachineBuilding.North and this unique event is the only one of its kind to take place in the Northern part of the UK. When you visit, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a free guided tour of Concorde and go for a free flight on the Concorde simulator, courtesy of the event organisers.

To find out more and register for your VIP Visitor pass visit www.machinebuilding.north