The aviation world recently marked the end of an era when the world's first commercial supersonic jet, the Concorde, made its last trans-Atlantic flight.

What's it like to fly faster than the speed of sound? Those lucky enough to have flown on the supersonic Concorde jet know. And while they were breaking the sound barrier, they were treated to a full-course meal that was served on real china, complete with crystal and silverware.

Supersonic travel has been around for more than 50 years. Charles Yeager, a former World War II pilot, was the first to encounter a sonic boom.

In 1956, the Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee was founded in Great Britain. Its job was to find a way to create a supersonic passenger plane. A similar study was being done in France. In 1962, an agreement was reached that the Concorde project would be shared by the English and French companies.

Supersonic planes were already being used by the military. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson announced that America would build its own supersonic passenger jet. But not everyone was happy about supersonic travel. Some people were concerned about the effects on the environment, not to mention the fact that supersonic jets were very noisy.

In 1969, a committee was formed to study supersonic travel, but two years later, President Richard Nixon signed a bill that ended America's supersonic program. On March 2, 1969, the Concorde made a test flight in Toulouse, France. Its first supersonic flight soon followed.

The British Airways Concorde has a new home in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museuem.
- N.Y. Post Dave Rentas

The British Airways Concorde made its first commercial flight from London to Bahrain. The Air France Concorde made its first flight from Paris to Dakar and Rio later that month. By 1977, Air France offered supersonic service between Paris and New York. The Concorde could fly at up to a blistering 1,350 miles per hour and reach an altitude of 60,000 feet, twice as high as its not-so- fast cousins. This was the fastest commercial plane in the sky. It could cross the Atlantic Ocean in less than three hours.

The Concorde was built for speed. It had an aerodynamic design - meaning that everything about it was made to make it fast.

It had a slim body, small wings and a thin, needle-like nose that could be tilted down when landing. Its skin was made of the super-light but super-strong metal titanium. It traveled so fast that the exterior of the jet could get as hot as 198 degrees while the nose could reach 266 degrees. The metal grew so hot that the jet grew a few inches longer while in flight.

While most Boeing 747s carry well over 200 passengers, the sleek Concorde hauled only about 125. These were limited to the rich and famous because a single fare cost thousands of dollars.

In its entire 30-year history, only 16 Concordes were built, at a cost of $42 million each. The Concorde fleet would continue to carry its privileged passengers for the next 30 years.

The end of the line came last June for the Air France Concorde fleet. British Airways soon followed, and retired its last Concorde on Oct. 24, 2003.

If you missed out on flying in the Concorde, you can still see the great supersonic jet at New York's Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the new and permanent home of a British Airways' Concorde jet.

The Intrepid, a former aircraft carrier, is now a floating museum featuring all types of planes used by the military, including a destroyer and submarine. Here you can learn about all kinds of aircraft and space travel. You can also see a destroyer and submarine. The Intrepid is at Pier 86 on 46th Street at Eighth Avenue. Admission is $14 for adults and $7 for kids. Call (212) 245-0072 for more information.

Today's lesson fulfills the following New York standards: E1c, E3d, E5A, GeographyStandard 3, Science S1a, S1b, S4a.

What does it mean to travel faster than the speed of sound?

What body of water or land would you cross to fly from New York City to England? Using string and a globe, map out the shortest route. Discuss the difference between sailing, regular flying and taking the Concorde.

Design and make a unique paper plane. Test the flying ability and distance of yours against your classmates'. Record your results. For paper-plane suggestions, check out: www.paperplane.org.

Activities: The Children's Museum of Manhattan