Mike Bannister
Mike Bannister | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation(s) | Pilot, Aviation consultant, Author |
| Known for | Chief Pilot of British Airways' Concorde fleet (1995–2003) |
Mike Bannister (born May 1949) is a distinguished British pilot, renowned for his role as Chief Pilot of British Airways' Concorde fleet, a capacity in which he served from 1995 until the aircraft's withdrawal in 2003.
Education
Bannister completed his education at the Ashton School in Dunstable and subsequently trained at the College of Air Training Hamble, having been awarded a Royal Air Force Flying Scholarship in 1966.
Career
Beginning his aviation career in 1969, Bannister joined BOAC, the predecessor of British Airways, operating as a pilot and flight navigator on the Vickers VC10 aircraft. In 1977, he earned the distinction of becoming the youngest Concorde pilot within British Airways' team. Throughout his tenure flying Concorde, he accumulated around 9,600 flight hours, with close to 7,000 hours spent supersonically. Bannister notably captained Concorde’s final flight from New York to London on 24 October 2003 marking its retirement.
Following Concorde’s decommissioning, Bannister has been actively involved in fundraising efforts, contributing over £350,000 to various charitable organizations through public speaking engagements and personal donations. His dedication extends into leadership and advisory capacities including serving as Chair of School Governors at an independent school in Surrey, holding Corporate Non-Executive Directorships, acting as Lay Chair of an Anglican Church Parochial Church Council, and undertaking trustee roles at institutions such as Brooklands Museum where he also fulfilled duties as interim Chairman during a period of restructuring.
Presently, Bannister operates within Aviation Consultancy with expertise in Airline Management, Operational Safety, and Security across multiple aircraft categories and international regions. In 2022, he authored Concorde, a publication recounting his flying career and experiences with the iconic aircraft.