Downing Street has announced that Tony and Cherie Blair have flown to Melbourne for the Commonwealth Games - no doubt to try to bolster his popularity, at tax payers expense of course.
More interestingly, they claim the flight recorded the longest ever non stop passenger flight, from Brussels to Melbourne in 18hrs 55mins. Just out of interest, do we know what the aircraft was? The old DC8 perhaps?
Cheers
CF

Pity they didn't leave them up there.:E

BA 777 I Believe

I guess someone's told Cherie the shoppings good in Melbourne...or perhaps she's looking for another flat......


Did BA "loan" them the aircraft??????????

Did BA "loan" them the aircraft??????????

No, It's a private charter.
Similar to what the queen did last week.

Course it's a 777; nothing else is big enough for his head and her ego,or is it her head and his ego?

Either way, it's a waste of my tax !!!!! The sooner this parasite of a PM goes, the better. The country is doomed thanks to him :mad:

With extenal tanks it could have kept going to UrAnus.


Blue Foot

I would prefer a thread title reading 'Blair breaks neck'.

According to the Oz press the Australian government is paying for it..

Either way, it's a waste of my tax !!!!! The sooner this parasite of a PM goes, the better. The country is doomed thanks to him :mad:

Maybe you would rather be living in France then.

Come on, lets bring on the Tories, I have almost forgotten what it was like with 15% interest rates

I expect with the new Flight Time Limitations they will have needed a three flight crew operation, with thirty two Doris's

Well said King Pong.... and don't forget the 4 million unemployed. Schools crumbling and the elderley freezing to death each winter. Oh yeh, and people working for £1 an hour. Ah. really miss the Tories. NOT!

I think the title of the thread is well chose. Blais has broken the record of breaking international laws for waging war, as well as breaking records of good management by allowing his party to borrow money that they prevented their own treasurer from knowing about. If he won't tell his own party what he is doing - what is not telling us?


"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different."
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

I expect with the new Flight Time Limitations they will have needed a three flight crew operation, with thirty two Doris's

After the latest cuts I am surprised they would have had enough management crew.

As for the 32 doris's - tooooo many for the half a dozen or so passengers:rolleyes:

Only ONE engineer

Blair breaks record.

By the same token, one could consider that all the people who begrudge Britain's PM for travelling in a manner befitting a great western democracy are beginning to sound like an old and very scratchy record...?! :E

I,m suprised they managed to get any pilots to fly it, its well known in BA that the Managment NEVER fly at the weekend:yuk: :yuk: :mad:

Surely the '89 QF LHR-SYD flight by the 744,carrying a limited payload of jurnos still holds the record?

And if Blair had not gone to the Games, the Daily Mail headline would have been

BLAIR SNUBS BRITISH ATHLETES

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

But this included putting the clocks forward! :ok:

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.I suppose he could have always foeked out his own dough and then nobody could have anything to complain about.

Just to clarify, he has gone as a guest of the Australian Government - ie they are paying.

Jordan

If Blair has an ATPL and was one of the crew, then he was part of a team that (perhaps) broke a record. Otherwise, he was only SLF ballast on the trip - similar to the millstone qualities he brings to the UK people :p

It would appear that the selective hearing endemic in these halls is rife again. I personally don't know who paid for Blair's visit, but two people have claimed it was the Australian government and nobody has refuted that. But once again it's easier not to let the facts get in the way of another bloody good whinge.

If the cost is actually borne by my and other Aussies' taxes, surely it should be up to us to do the whingeing?

Let's play a new game. Let's find a thread where somebody doesn't find an excuse to abuse Blair. It's becoming as boring as batshit. Give it at least a slight rest and have your whinge at the ballot box. THAT is what democracy is really about. If it doesn't go your way, you lose. Tell someone who gives a shit.

Binos,
what I object to, regardless of who paid for this farcical record, is the fact that the passenger count on this trip probably consisted of:

TB
CB
Family
Consorts
Journos
Hangers-On

Is that a valid load for a 777?

Thought not.

Not a record imho, just a waste of someones money in aircraft rental and fuel.

I do not expect my elected representative to lease a jet just to get to Oz; take a scheduled one like the rest of us had to....

:E

btw: Melbourne was very nice and your policemen\women are wunnerful...

Well I confess to not knowing still what your objection is. Is it that it's being claimed as some sort of aviation record? Does anybody take any notice of those? Does it take any flying skill or just suitable winds to set them?

To everybody else who's posted the objection seems to be simply that they hate Blair and will take any opportunity to land a free kick, unimpeded by annoying things like facts.

Binos,

I have no axe to grind against TB. Politcos hold no truck with me; they are all cut from the same cloth.

I just feel that it is rude for a person in his position to require 'personal' transport at public expense in such circumstances.

It cost money: It caused pollution: It was unnecessary.


:)

LOL! I couldn't agree more. Now let's do a search of every junket taken by politicians of all shades in all countries over whatever period of time you like and total the wasted taxpayers' money (I'll ignore the pollution bit).

It would be a very impressive total if you could find the records, and you know what? It would be an utterly meaningless exercise.

I couldn't care a whit how much UK money is wasted on anything. It strikes me as odd that so many from the UK claim to be concerned about what the Australian government has paid. If there's a legitimate gripe about how your taxes are spent, go right ahead. If it's just another excuse to get on your favourite political hobby horse, it's boring, and transparent.

(I emphasise that I use "your" in the general sense rather than the personal here. I don't go much for "one" myself).

It would be an utterly meaningless exercise
Agreed

If it's just another excuse to get on your favourite political hobby horse, it's boring, and transparent

Nah, my hobby-horse was broken a long long time ago...

Personal fuming Binos, twas all it was. Pure annoyance at how all of our public servants do so well at squandering our respective GDP's...:ok:

Is that a valid load for a 777?

Well, they could have taken one of the 146s, or even a 125. Or a VC10.

I don't suppose any of them would work out cheaper than a chartered 777.

Binos,
what I object to, regardless of who paid for this farcical record, is the fact that the passenger count on this trip probably consisted of:
TB
CB
Family
Consorts
Journos
Hangers-On


I refer the gentleman to my previous statement on page 1:ok:

As for the 32 doris's - tooooo many for the half a dozen or so passengers

Well, they could have taken one of the 146s, or even a 125. Or a VC10

They could have also gone 'scheduled' and avoided the additional fuel and crewing costs.....

After all, Tony wouldn't have to sit in the back circa 30+? I'm still not quite sure of WHY this aircraft had to fly....:}

And if Blair had not gone to the Games, the Daily Mail headline would have been
BLAIR SNUBS BRITISH ATHLETES
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

As has been pointed out to you before, UR, when you have tried this little trick, you have absolutely no way of knowing what the headline would have been. All you are doing is showing your own prejudices.

Course it's a 777; nothing else is big enough for his head and her ego,or is it her head and his ego?

More likely his heaad and her a&se

I just want this registered on the record for when I next renew my UK passport...

I think it's a damned shame that there isn't a Royal Yacht anymore. Not very long ago, it would have been de riguer for the Britannia to be at such an occasion. Tony might have been invited to stay aboard, thereby saving on accommodation costs... ;)

One understands from a speech made in Oz Tone now regrets offering to stand down before the next election ,one does hope he changes his mind,he is after all the finest PM we have had since Churchill.
:rolleyes:

http://www.spectator.co.uk/cartoons/2006-03-25-8.jpg

Well one wouldn't want a big sissy for a PM would one.
:rolleyes:

But once again it's easier not to let the facts get in the way of another bloody good whinge.
.

Spot on Bino's. Anyone would think that this forum was crawling with journalists with their selective hearing.

So, the aussie gov. paid for the 777. As long as TB declares it, then so what.

It strikes me that what we really have here is a case of green eyed envy.

and as for Oracs last post - what does that have to do with the 777 ???

and as for Oracs last post - what does that have to do with the 777 ??? He's missing a hamster wheel...?! :O

Or he has found a cartoon he likes and is desperate to share it with everyone regardless of relevance :ok:

Under parliamentary procedure, TB doesn't have to declare this, as he is on a diplomatic mission to Australia, NZ & Indonesia, the former paying for part costs. He will be undertaking engagements in his capacity as UK PM (including addressing a joint session of the Australian Parliament).

Jordan

Not a record imho, just a waste of someones money in aircraft rental and fuel.
Hmmm. Interesting to see no reference to pilot's wages......

Our Jordan as an elected official...

Yesterday, 04:32 Just to clarify, he has gone as a guest of the Australian Government - ie they are paying.

Today, 18:54 Under parliamentary procedure, TB doesn't have to declare this, as he is on a diplomatic mission to Australia, NZ & Indonesia, the former paying for part costs. He will be undertaking engagements in his capacity as UK PM (including addressing a joint session of the Australian Parliament).

;)

Under parliamentary procedure, TB doesn't have to declare this, as he is on a diplomatic mission to Australia, NZ & Indonesia, the former paying for part costs. He will be undertaking engagements in his capacity as UK PM (including addressing a joint session of the Australian Parliament).
Jordan

I am sure someone here will see it as equalling sleaze

Back to the subject - is this a valid record? It obviously wasn't a scheduled flight, but wasn't a ferry flight either so what's the sp?

Our Jordan as an elected official...
Yesterday, 04:32 Just to clarify, he has gone as a guest of the Australian Government - ie they are paying.
Today, 18:54 Under parliamentary procedure, TB doesn't have to declare this, as he is on a diplomatic mission to Australia, NZ & Indonesia, the former paying for part costs. He will be undertaking engagements in his capacity as UK PM (including addressing a joint session of the Australian Parliament).
;)

Hey, I'm just reporting these pieces of information in the aim to keep a well rounded debate ...

Jordan

I guess someone's told Cherie the shoppings good in Melbourne...or perhaps she's looking for another flat......
Did BA "loan" them the aircraft??????????

I hope Cherie collected her Air Miles for the trip.

Can someone answer the question instead of this deterioating into a political slanging match? Is this a record or just another piece of spin from new labour?

When was an original question ever answered in pprune??