<P> The heads of France and the United Kingdom flew Concorde many times . Presidents Georges Pompidou, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and François Mitterrand regularly used Concorde as French flagman aircraft in foreign visits . Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Ministers Edward Heath, Jim Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair took Concorde in some charter flights such as the Queen's trips to Barbados on her Silver Jubilee in 1977, in 1987 and in 2003, to the Middle East in 1984 and to the United States in 1991 . Pope John Paul II flew on Concorde in May 1989 . </P> <P> Concorde sometimes made special flights for demonstrations, air shows (such as the Farnborough, Paris - LeBourget and MAKS air shows) as well as parades and celebrations (for example, of Zürich airport's anniversary in 1998). The aircraft were also used for private charters (including by the President of Zaire Mobutu Sese Seko on multiple occasions), for advertising companies (including for the firm OKI), for Olympic torch relays (1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville) and for observing solar eclipses, including the solar eclipse of June 30, 1973 and again for the total solar eclipse on August 11, 1999 . </P> <P> The fastest transatlantic airliner flight was from New York JFK to London Heathrow on 7 February 1996 by the British Airways G - BOAD in 2 hours, 52 minutes, 59 seconds from take - off to touchdown aided by a 175 mph (282 km / h) tailwind . On 13 February 1985, a Concorde charter flight flew from London Heathrow to Sydney--on the opposite side of the world--in a time of 17 hours, 3 minutes and 45 seconds, including refuelling stops . </P> <P> Concorde also set other records, including the official FAI "Westbound Around the World" and "Eastbound Around the World" world air speed records . On 12--13 October 1992, in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' first New World landing, Concorde Spirit Tours (US) chartered Air France Concorde F - BTSD and circumnavigated the world in 32 hours 49 minutes and 3 seconds, from Lisbon, Portugal, including six refuelling stops at Santo Domingo, Acapulco, Honolulu, Guam, Bangkok, and Bahrain . </P>

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