VVIP Transport

[BEagle]

I see from the local TV news that an immaculate RCAF Airbus CC-150 took the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall from RAF Brize Norton to Canada on their 4-day visit, with an equally immaculate RCMP guard of honour.

But what a shame that the UK cannot afford its own aeroplane for the Head of the Commonwealth or for flying members of the Royal Family on State Occasions.

[ratty1]

I am sure they could have scraped together a scabby old VC10 and got the lineys to dress up in white overalls.

[parabellum]

Is it not standard protocol that the country being visited sends the air craft to collect the VVIPs for official visits, if they have the appropriate equipment? Yes, I know, 10sqn used to swan around but did they ever actually do anything?;)

[salad-dodger]

But what a shame that the UK cannot afford its own aeroplane for the Head of the Commonwealth or for flying members of the Royal Family on State Occasions.

Couldn't agree more BEagle, even for the PM's use too.

S-D

[pr00ne]

Perhaps the multi multi multi millionaire family could put their hand in their packets and buy their own?

[salad-dodger]

Perhaps the multi multi multi millionaire family could put their hand in their packets and buy their own?

The Windsors or the Camerons?

S-D

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

To be fair to the UK, Canadians often need aeroplanes to pop down to the shops.

On the other hand, we do still do ceremonial properly over here.
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04_02/1CanadaRespect_468x301.jpg

[ratty1]

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/55244000/jpg/_55244127_55244126.jpg

I think you will find the same goes for the UK.

[pr00ne]

salad-dodger,


Fair point well made. Although it could equally well apply to both, in this instance I was referring to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha's, sorry, the Windsors!

[Genstabler]

prOOne
I am a newcomer and understand that the forum rules forbid me from telling you what a (fill in your own expletive) you are. So I wont. Please keep your republican bile in your chambers, or wherever you hang your pot these days.

[NutLoose]

VC10 VVIP lol... What's that then.... Venerable Vintage Impoverished Plane. Why not go the whole hog and convert the Lancaster to a Lancastrian...

Maybe 20 years ago it was still viable as a VVIP, but these days it's equivalent to showing you're arse is hanging out of the back of your thread bare trousers.

[chevvron]

About 5 or 6 years ago there was a plan to 'civilianise' VVIP flights with Global Express aircraft to be shared between the Royals and the PM, but the PM of the time was Tony Bleh, so the Royals wouldn't have got a look in and the idea was pigeon holed.

[reynoldsno1]

Genstabler - take a chill pill, mate. Republicans are people too ... :}

[mini]

Canada, a proper country.

Like America but, without the everyman needs a gun culture, but they have health care... :E

[BEagle]

Canada does indeed still have considerable national pride.

The anti-royalist ramblings of a champagne socialist are best ignored, in my view. Starving such people of the oxygen of response is the best tactic against trolling.

The VC10 was once deemed fit for flying the Head of the Commonwealth around the world, yet now the risk-averse, yellow streak, MAA-will-screw-me mentality pervading the RAF means that it may no longer carry any passengers.

:uhoh:

[500N]

mini

"Like America but, without the everyman needs a gun culture, but they have health care..."

And what is wrong with a gun culture ?

Just because the UK and Australian Governments disarmed the civilian population isn't a good thing.

[Blacksheep]

I still have a bow and some arrows - and I can shoot them pretty well too. . . :)

[brakedwell]

I still have a bow and some arrows - and I can shoot them pretty well too. . .

How do you feel about a stint in London, defending Olympic Airspace?

[Martin the Martian]

Watching footage of assorted Airbuses (Airbii?) and Boeings conveying heads of state and prime ministers to the G8/NATO summits and the Queen's bash for other monarchs did make me wonder what piece of lowest-bidder chartered tat was used this time to take Cameron to the USA. Or did they splash out and use BA for once? In any case, why the he** don't we have a dedicated aircraft to fly our important persons to other countries?:*

[cazatou]

We used to have TQF and 32Sqn - then they were amalgamated.

Then the number of crews were reduced.

Of Course - the number of flights also were reduced!!

[Fareastdriver]

You can feel for the Australian premier when his aircraft was trumped by the New Zealand premier's aircraft at a SEA conference.

[AGS Man]

I would love to see our Monarch using something like an A330 for her travels and it would of course dovetail with our fleet of voyagers. Unfortunately the rabid press would have a field day as they did with the proposals for Blair Force One some years ago.

[BEagle]

The 'Blair Force One' outrage was because that gurning little $hit Bliar had wanted it for himself.

There should be a VVIP flight operating a couple of A319CJs routinely, plus a VVIP role fit for the Voyager, in my view.

The Luftwaffe's Flugbereitschaft des Bundesministeriums der Verteidigung uses 2 A319CJs and 2 A340s for VIP work; the UK will have the use of ATrS' Voyagers, but a couple of A319CJs could well prove useful.

[orgASMic]

Canada, a proper country.

Like America but, without the everyman needs a gun culture, but they have health care... http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/evil.gif


Mini, I think Canada has a higher proportion of its population that are gun owners than the USA. They just don't seem to murder each other as often with them. See 'Bowling for Columbine' for details.

[cazatou]

BEagle

So perhaps that mean's I am recalled?

[fergineer]

They could resurect a comet, the Royal fit on that was very nice, had to airtest one in the fit and was impressed with it.

[brit bus driver]

The CC150's VVIP fit is certainly not over the top, but thankfully the CO a few years ago managed to resist a move (from within DND) to have it removed in order to free up more 'regular' seating for when it's not being used for VVIP trips. I recall that it involved a quick call to the Director of Royal Travel....

At the time, the Prime Minister (Chretien) wouldn't fly in it as he was in opposition when it was commissioned and would spend hours in a Club seat under a blanket! The benefit was that we would use it on the low yield trips, including (long-since defunct) route trainers!

I flew to a number of G8s & the like and was always disappointed that the UK was (is) always the only nation without VVIP transport as one of its core military roles. As BEagle points out, configuring one of the Voyagers would fill the gap and would surely be cheaper than contracting out BA/Virgin however many times a year. To be honest, even if MoD were to contract ATr (rather than BA etc) to provide the aircraft, they might at least look like they were Brit Mil operated!

Oh, and for the record on repatriations, ratty1....

That picture posted by Fox3 was run on the front page of the Daily Mail a few years ago in sharp contrast to the way that Thames Valley Police viewed escorting the repatriations as a 'non-essential' duty, and thus, didn't, resulting in images like this:

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04_02/10BritRespect_468x198.jpg

Thankfully, this caused them to, ahem, review the policy.

[gingernut]

resulting in images like this:

What a terrible image, I hope it's only a "snapshot" of the the bigger picture.

If not, we should hang our heads in shame.

[brit bus driver]

Just to confirm, this was 4 years ago - TVP have seen sense and now provide a full escort. The full story:

Pictures that should shame us all reveal the shabby way Britain treats its fallen heroes | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-559303/Pictures-shame-reveal-shabby-way-Britain-treats-fallen-heroes.html)

[Heathrow Harry]

looks like the hearses are parked to me

[Heathrow Harry]

I can rember that Lee Kuan Yew always traveled Business Class on a scheduled SIA flight when he was PM of Singapore - never saw the need for anything else

[brit bus driver]

ooks like the hearses are parked to me

That's the trouble with a forum, one can never judge the tone of a comment, and thus the underlying feeling. :hmm:

However, having ploughed the Oxford ring road for 3 years, I can guarantee that they are stuck in traffic; I could probably tell you the exact spot (it's where 2 lanes off the Wolvercote roundabout become one, just after the pelican crossing)

[5 Forward 6 Back]

I guess Lee Kuan Yew was very lucky then that he was never required to go anywhere that SIA didn't fly to...!

I don't think that many VIP transports nowadays are there for pure opulence, rather the flexibility your own aircraft brings.