I recall riding down the A4 eastbound towards Harmondsworth one murky evening in the early 90s, thinking there was something wrong with my GSX250, only to realise the noise wasn't me. Two twin jets of flame suddenly appeared out of the mist at treetop level beside me as a Concorde lifted off from the North runway. Crazy sight.
Was also at a customer site on a trading estate off the western perimeter one weekday morning when I realised the whole telesales team had finished their calls and were just sitting about. When they realised I was looking at them all puzzled one said "any minute now". Then the building started to shake as the, clearly regular, daily departure thundered overhead. So loud!
As was the charter flight that shook me awake in my Slough flat at 7am one Sunday. It was the only time I ever heard it from there (was at work for the regular morning departure of course) hence assuming it was a charter, or a movement to go to a show perhaps. Amazing engineering for the era all the same, and a sad loss when they retired.
