Jaunted

· Fleet Air Arm Museum
This is just one of several Royal Navy museums in the UK, and it is situated about 40 miles south of Bristol—not really the best day trip from London. This place has the largest collection of naval aviation stuff in all of Europe, so even without a supersonic airplane it’s still worth a visit. On display since 1976 is the second Concorde prototype, and it still looks like it’s ready to go. Entrance here will set you back £11.00 which is almost $18, so make sure you stick around to visit the Handley Page HP.115—it’s kind of like the Concorde’s grandfather.

· Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
Located on the West Side of Manhattan is the USS Intrepid, but the there’s a lot more going on here than just the museum’s namesake. The museum has its very own Concorde on loan from British Airways which flew for the airline until 2003. This Concorde is especially noteworthy as it set the world record for a passenger airliner in 1996 when it flew from New York to London in 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds-crazy! The best part of the record is that you know the service aboard the plane was top-notch even though the flight was under three hours. Admission here is $22, and if you can still get away with it, flash the college ID for $18 tickets.

· The Museum of Flight
This shrine to all things airborne is located in Seattle, and it has the only Concorde on display on the West Coast of the US. The plane here is on loan from British Airways as well, but we’re thinking it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Visitors are welcome to tour it daily for free—as long as you shell out the $15 for general admission. Don’t let supersonic fever get the best of you, as this place has a lot more to offer including the first flight-worthy Boeing 747 and a Boeing C-137 Stratoliner that served as Air Force One well into the 1990s.

· Barbados Concorde Experience
We saved the best place to view a Concorde until last. Make sure you don’t have any sand between your toes—you’re in Barbados after all—and travel to Grantley Adams International Airport. Here Concorde Alpha Echo is the star of the show and there’s nothing else around to take away its spotlight. You can walk up the red carpet into the plane like a VIP and learn about all the science-y stuff that made it go so darn fast. Admission here is $20, and we think it’s well worth a break from umbrella drinks and snorkeling.

Related Stories:
· Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace [Official Site]
· Fleet Air Arm Museum [Official Site]
· Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum [Official Site]
· The Museum of Flight [Official Site]
· Barbados Concorde Experience [Official Site]
· Throwback Travel: A Concorde Slideshow [Jaunted]

[Photo of the Concorde in Seattle: Andrew Kalat]