Christmas Buffet with Concorde Captain John Hutchinson

Our 2024 Christmas Buffet will take place on Saturday 7 December at Hawkwell Village Hall, Essex SS5 4EH.

The event is open to both VRT Members and non-members.

We are delighted to welcome as our guest speaker Captain John Hutchinson, who will be speaking about what it was like to fly the iconic Anglo-French supersonic airliner, Concorde.

John began his flying career with the Royal Air Force in 1955. He trained on the Harvard, Lockheed T-33 and the Vampire before going on to fly the Avro Shackleton in the maritime reconnaissance role, based in Singapore. He left the RAF in 1963 and began a career in civil aviation with McAlpine’s at Luton. Three years later he joined BOAC, flying as co-pilot on both the Boeing 707 and Boeing 747. John then joined the VC-10 fleet as a captain before being selected to fly Concorde.

He remained on Concorde until he retired in 1991. John then forged a new career as a broadcaster. He became known as the ‘Voice of Concorde’, often presenting features and news items about the iconic aircraft. The BBC regularly showed air displays on television at the time, in particular the Farnborough Air Show and the Biggin Hill Air Fair, and John was a regular commentator, often sharing the mic with the late Raymond Baxter.

A highly experienced aviator with more than 70 different types in his logbook, John was elected Master of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in 1999. His biography The Wind Beneath My Wings – John Hutchinson Concorde Pilot by Susan Ottaway was published in 2011.

As the title of his biography suggests, John is best known for his association with Concorde and he has a wealth of tales and anecdotes about flying the aircraft, often at speeds of more than 23 miles a minute! He will likely also share his views about the 2000 Paris Concorde crash, which ultimately led to the airliner’s premature retirement three years later.

It is sure to be a fascinating afternoon and one which will also include our famous Christmas Buffet, plus dessert, tea and coffee (included in the ticket price).

There will also be a licensed pay bar.

The timetable for the afternoon is:

11.30: Doors open
12.30: Christmas Buffet Lunch
13:30: Concorde with Captain John Hutchinson (part 1)
14:15: Break for Coffee and Mince Pies
14:45: Concorde with Captain John Hutchinson (part 2)
15:15: Vulcan XL426 Annual Prize Draw
16:00: Annual General Meeting and A Look Back at 2024
17:00: Close

Admittance to our Christmas Buffet with Captain John Hutchinson is by ticket only; there will be no ‘on the door’ sales. For clarity, one ticket per person is required.

Adult (Public): £29.00
Adult (VRT Member): £25.00
Adult (VRT Member Accompanied Guest): £25.00
​Under 16: £18.00

Tickets are on sale until midnight on 2 December.