For her Frankfurt daytrip from Berlin HM today uses Luftwaffe's A340 "16+02" a former Lufthansa aircraft.

I could never understand why a VVIP fit wasn't procured for the A330's, heck she could even trail her own air defence ;)

Berlin - Frankfurt - Berlin
http://www.merkur.de/bilder/2015/06/...o7p0qC1MMG.jpg

http://static2.demotix.com/sites/def...rt_7939942.jpg

http://www.demotix.com/photo/7939942...oute-frankfurt
http://www.demotix.com/photo/7939942...oute-frankfurt

I know Betty and Phil the Greek are getting on, but an ambulance at the back of the cavalcade?

Another British own goal. What's then Royal about an air force that can't fly the Queen around? People will actually begin to wonder what its for?
Truly have we not got, somewhere, a suitable RAF plane that can fly the Queen as far as Germany? Or our elected PM even? Fecking hell.

Derick,
I doubt the VC10 VVIP Operation would work in the age of Haddan Cave or the risk assessed world of Civ air in 2015!
In effect the Captain was making the risk assessment on the VVIP often outside of the VC 10 go/no go list.
IMHO some of the most risky flying the VC10 ever did, unknown to the VIP down the back.

"but an ambulance at the back of the cavalcade"

pretty standard in a lot of countries since Dallas '63

POTUS always has one in his fleet..............................

Aren't there restrictions on how close to a Royal Flight another aircraft can get? Guess not looking at the picture but it seems a bit strange.

Such rules are for potentially "bad guys". It's a common procedure that heads of state on official visits are escorted by fast jets of the host government in their airspace. They make the rules there. And the dedicated professionals who fly those jets in formation have been trained and screened and checked over and over again to the highest standards...they're not the potentially bad guys you need to keep away...

Embraer must be chuffed. Much better than a clapped out 146.

At least we have moved on form the days when a longer trip involved a Tristar, three Nimrods and a huge hotel bill. Really hated all that hanging around for the return.