Concorde's last bow: Al Pacino and Sharon Stone were among those on the supersonic jet's last commercial flight

Ad-man Suhel Seth lost his supersonic virginity quite some time ago, and can rightly call himself a veteran of supersonic flight. However, with the Concorde now retired, the sound barrier is once more the exclusive preserve of fighter pilot-jocks. However, our man with the plan did manage to wrangle himself a ticket on the last-ever commercial flight of the needle-nosed technological masterpiece.

When I checked in at JFK Airport, New York on October 22 for BA 002, I was aware that this was going to be my last ever Concorde flight. Then, the staff informed me that this was the last commercial flight the Concorde was going to make. There were to be no flights on October 23, and on October 24, the plane would ferry only invitees.

There was a buzz at the Concorde lounge; to mark the occasion, some better-than-usual champagne was being served. I counted Al Pacino and Sharon Stone among my fellow passengers.

I entered the aircraft, and after 47 flights on board the crew recognised me by name; one member of the crew told me that they had made my special meal for me (I skip the lobster thermidor and venison, and instead have butter chicken and rice; you just can't take India out of an Indian).

As we pushed back from the gate, the sense of emotion became palpable. Some of the gate staff had rushed to the jetway to catch one last look at the beautiful plane. As we thundered down the runaway, the noise from the engines was fantastic. The plane lifted off majestically into the skies above New York just after nine in the morning. The engines were throttled back soon after take off, as we were flying over residential areas, but once over the ocean the plane would speed up again. The 200-minute flight would get me to London Heathrow at 5.20 p.m., five hours faster than the next fastest airline crossing. In fact, the flight from London to New York actually lands an hour before it takes off thanks to the time difference. No wonder, some people describe the Concorde as a 'time machine'.

Cruising at 58,500 feet at over twice the speed of sound, the curvature of the earth became visible (a regular commercial flight flies at a maximum of 40,000 feet at 0.8 times the speed of sound). This being a special flight, the flashbulbs were popping furiously. I also noticed minor thefts: people all around me were pocketing menu cards, cutlery, napkin rings, even the safety instruction cards. And those items that were being sold, were being snapped up like never before. One co-passenger bought 12 pairs of Concorde cufflinks. The food, as usual, was stupendous, topped off with Blue Mountain coffee and some great port.

After three hours of flying, taking photographs and drinking it was time to buckle up for landing. As we touched down, the captain's voice came over the public address system. His emotion-filled message: that it was not a time to mourn, but a time to "celebrate the good life that Concorde gave each one of us for the last 28 years".

As we left the plane, with our certificates (announcing that we had flown in the last commercial flight of the Concorde) in tow, I realised that in a small way, I too had become part of history.

MORE LAST FLIGHTS OF NOTE

The Final Flight Of The Osiris
No, not the Egyptian goddess but the nuclear (or something like that) powered vehicle that makes an appearance in the first episode of the Animatrix. The sentinels actually manage to get this one, but not before the vital message that had to be passed on has been passed on. If you haven't seen the animated classic as yet, do it now!

'Concorde' in Airport 79
If there ever is a bad movie about aircraft, this is it. Ironically, it starred the Concorde. The plane crashes into the Alps, but everybody survives and the bad guy blows his brains out. The greater irony is that the very Concorde used in this movie (F-BTSC) was the plane that crashed shortly after take-off from Paris in 2000.

Apollo 17
No it wasn't made into a movie, and it didn't quite go up in flames. However this was man's last mission to the moon, and Eugene Cernan was the last human being to walk the surface of the moon. That is, if the moon photographs aren't digitally-enhanced!

The Red Baron's Last Flight
Manfred von Richthofen, feared by Allied pilots of World War I as the 'Red Baron' was shot down on April 21, 1918, after over 70 'kills'. His trademark red Fokker triplane crashed and they are still to figure out who killed him, a guy on the ground or someone in the air.

TEST DRIVE
A Taste Of Americana

Get the pic?: For a few horses more

Despite the hordes of wannabes at malls talking in their confused accents, India is about as un-American a country as there can be. It might house the second-largest American Embassy in the world (in Delhi), but Americana is quite an alien concept. Even the McDonald's outlets in the country serve Indian. However, our friends at the Ford Motor Company have decided that we Indians should have a bit more America in our lives. So, the inventors of mass-production have bestowed upon us the Endeavour.

First impressions. Big. Big grille, big wheels, big tyres, big seats, big legroom... (the car is almost five metres long and two metres wide). Then again, this behemoth comes from a land where quarter-pound burgers and super-size slushes are the norm. Factoid: This car weighs in at 1,880 kg. Looks and size are the only things American about the Endeavour. Ford India has put what it thinks is a nice 2.5 litre turbo-charged engine under the hood. Thanks to that, this car lumbers. The 110 horses find it difficult to get this thing to move.

There is also the small matter of the gear shift. Unless you release the clutch pedal gently the car has a fit. And the move to four-wheel drive isn't on the fly. As interiors go, the car has some really nice seats, a nice four-spoke steering wheel, dual air-conditioners, but an unbelievably tacky silver centre console and no leather. The 15-inch alloy wheels look good, and the funky tailgate and lights make for a nice backside view.

All said, for Rs 12.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the two-wheel drive version and Rs 13.9 lakh for the four-wheel drive one this car is a lot of metal for the money, and a lot cheaper than the competition. If only it were a bit more fun to drive!

-Kushan Mitra

HEALTH NOTES
Fast Food That's Good

Most people equate fast food with junk food. That isn't always the case. Here are some, munchies included, that are actually good for you.

Idlis & Appams: No longer exclusive to the south, these can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime between. The first is steam cooked, the second skillet-cooked with just a dash of oil.

Sandwiches: Ever wonder why the reports coming out of America about how burger-chains and pizza-chains are responsible for a generation of overweight, unhealthy kids do not mention Subway? That's because, the chain's sandwiches, like most of the ilk, are as close to health-food as you can get without venturing into sprouts territory. Opt for whole wheat bread.

Popcorn, Tortillas & Nachos: Face it, lipid caramelised solanum tuberosum (potato chips) are bad for you. As are fried wheat-flour rounds. If you are one of those with a liking for munchies, switch to popcorn and nachos from fries and chips. Puffed rice is the best; then, there's no explaining tastes.

Roasted corn, sweetpotato, peanuts, sugarcane, cucumbers, assorted fruits: If you can discount the hygiene factor, these forgotten "street foods" as Mumbai-based dietician Anjali Mukherjee calls them, could be just the thing. "We Indians have a strong immune system," says the lady. That's a relief to hear.

Peanut Candy: You're unlikely to find this at Heathrow duty-free but this confection-essentially, peanuts and jaggery, and it is sold in convenient slabs- is a healthy alternative to chocolates. "In today's world you cannot deny a child," says Rekha Sharma, Chief Dietician at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences. "You can only restrict what he eats."

Baked wheat flour and semolina pancake: That's a mouthful, but this is the famed Gujarati khakras, which we-are-strict-vegetarian types still tote when they travel overseas. It's baked, remember-that's where the goodness comes from.

Semolina, broken wheat, beaten rice flakes, vermicelli upma: Any upma (a south Indian dish that isn't as common as the idli) is cooked in water and with just a sprinkling of oil. Add loads of vegetables and you have an entire meal. Do remember that it is possible to have a richer version of the upma too; Bangalore's hoary eatery Mavalli Tiffin Rooms serves a mean kharabath, essentially vegetable-rich upma cooked in clarified butter.

-Payal Sethi

HEALTH SNIPPETS

BRAINANA
Bananas and brainpower? Why, then, are most tennis players (they eat bananas by the dozen) not automatic inductees into Mensa clubs? Barbs apart, a study at the University of Middlesex has found that eating the potassium-rich fruit helped 200 students become smarter.

CUP OF ANALGESIC
If it hurts, you should drink coffee. A recent study at the University of Georgia has discovered that caffeine reduces exercise-induced muscle pain and improves endurance. The downer: the results were less than spectacular for heavy coffee drinkers; high levels of caffeine, apparently, had already altered their pain receptors.