Bank of England governor has great anecdote
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UK Government pennypinchers had much form in chartering the cheapest quote, regardless. I remember they once sent the PM and a national delegation off in what must have been the last airworthy DC8-62, with a supposedly "VIP" interior fitout.
The way the Brize to Falklands flights have been given out to all sorts of oddballs from wherever, commonly after wasting the time of UK operators asking them to quote when the only criteria they use is "absolute cheapest, regardless", is also typical.
They did of course also ask UK major construction contractors to do a fixed price quote on the new St Helena airport without letting them go there to survey the place and do a detailed Met analysis, among other aspects, so they all turned it down. Now they have an expensive but unusable white elephant having pointed the runway straight at a windshear location.
The way the Brize to Falklands flights have been given out to all sorts of oddballs from wherever, commonly after wasting the time of UK operators asking them to quote when the only criteria they use is "absolute cheapest, regardless", is also typical.
They did of course also ask UK major construction contractors to do a fixed price quote on the new St Helena airport without letting them go there to survey the place and do a detailed Met analysis, among other aspects, so they all turned it down. Now they have an expensive but unusable white elephant having pointed the runway straight at a windshear location.
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To OP, love it . . . no wonder UK Brexited . . . . . trying to do " the right thing" with the treasury purse strings is just so bloody British/PC isn't it . . . . Ol Sarko had an A330 + 2 A310's at his disposal last time I counted in CDG . . . UK ? beat up old 146 if they were lucky . . . Jeez 
To OP, love it . . . no wonder UK Brexited . . . . . trying to do " the right thing" with the treasury purse strings is just so bloody British/PC isn't it . . . . Ol Sarko had an A330 + 2 A310's at his disposal last time I counted in CDG . . . UK ? beat up old 146 if they were lucky . . . Jeez
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Think what might happen if each Prime Minister/President/Chancellor in EU had their own shiny medium jet; think what the President of the whole EU commission would want. It would be an endless "mine is bigger than yours" saga.
Back in the old days when national airlines were owned by governments they could have just commandeered what they wanted. Wouldn't have worked, but nice try.
Back in the old days when national airlines were owned by governments they could have just commandeered what they wanted. Wouldn't have worked, but nice try.
Goes right back to the Munich Agreement of 1938, when Chamberlain wasn't sent in a current British 4-engined aircraft like the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign or the DH Albatross because neither were serviceable, so he had to go in a Lockheed Electra 10A, US-built and shipped over the Atlantic in crates, one of just a handful belonging to the then-independent British Airways Ltd (little relation to the current one) rather than mainstream Imperial Airways. It was a great advertisement to Germany of the poor state of the UK aircraft industry, which I'm sure was noted.
When President Hollande set off for his first summer holiday in the South of France he decided to take the train, rather than fly in one of the government aircraft. This was to show that he was a man of the people. Unfortunately, the law stated that every bridge, level crossing etc. had to have armed guards while his train was passing, which put tremendous strain on the Gendarmes and military, and at great expense.
When he arrived at the summer residence, the Presidential jet was waiting if needed at Toulon, having flown down from Paris empty!
When he arrived at the summer residence, the Presidential jet was waiting if needed at Toulon, having flown down from Paris empty!
While it is a slight oddity that the entire RAF could not source an appropriate aircraft to transport those Gentlemen to Berlin, there was nothing wrong with their choice of alternative transport. Tyrolean has maintained an impeccably clean safety record all over its history until amalgamation into OS after all.
There is another thread on a not uncomparable issue, albeit a few years earlier. Hearing about the problems of 1938 and those of more recent vintage, I find it remarkable that providing air transport for the royal family apparently never was a problem.
There is another thread on a not uncomparable issue, albeit a few years earlier. Hearing about the problems of 1938 and those of more recent vintage, I find it remarkable that providing air transport for the royal family apparently never was a problem.
Years ago when the Pope visited Canada.
It was decided that he would travel from Montreal to Quebec City on a train.
There were helicopters overflying the tracks, huge teams deployed to inspect tracks ect. ect.
Not perhaps the best use of assets but lots of fun.
Oh and the clever code of "Poppa One" for the Pope was an move of brilliancy! That should confuse the terrorists.
It was decided that he would travel from Montreal to Quebec City on a train.
There were helicopters overflying the tracks, huge teams deployed to inspect tracks ect. ect.
Not perhaps the best use of assets but lots of fun.
Oh and the clever code of "Poppa One" for the Pope was an move of brilliancy! That should confuse the terrorists.
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Oh! the days when the leader was really a 'man of the people'. I do wonder if the 'over- security' scenarios have been created by the security industry themselves and the subjects of that 'over-security' have succumbed to it.
there was nothing wrong with their choice of alternative transport.
The senior members of the UK Govt arrive at an international conference in a tiddleypush little turboprop from another country? How ignominious would Sarkosi or Berlusconi think it to arrive in a Jetstream 31 of Air Wales???? It's excruciatingly embarrassing and inappropriate. What would their press make if it?
It's an utter disgrace that our leaders don't have reliable access to suitable VIP aircraft when they need it. These should be RAF and if the bloody crabs won't do their simple job then G registered chartered like poor HMQ has to put up with. God knows there are enough bizjets about - why do mere corporate managers need these things as time-multipliers when National managers with whole nations to run make do by any old jobbing taxi Service?
"I'm sorry Mrs May, it's an An32 freighter of Bulgarian Airways, it's the best we could find...this is your deck-chair."
Oh how the Mighty have fallen.
Disgraceful, shameful. Enough to make you weep.
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It would be interesting to learn how our current Foreign Secretary travelled to Brussels in mid July following the 'failure' of the allocated aircraft.
Emergency landing for plane taking Boris Johnson to Brussels.
The Foreign Secretary continued on his way to Brussels by alternative means.
The Foreign Office would not say how Mr Johnson got to Brussels after the emergency landing, saying it does not comment on travel plans.
The Foreign Office would not say how Mr Johnson got to Brussels after the emergency landing, saying it does not comment on travel plans.
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They should have used Lauda Air!
If BA Willy won't cooperate;
Quick phone call to my mate Richard B. "Hey mate have you got a spare wiz-bang aircraft free this weekend. Doesn't matter; B747/A340, balloon or space vehicle. You choose." Failing that, my mate Bernie of F1 fame. "hey Bernie...........?" No success; my mate Liz, "Hey your Lizziness; got an aeroplane free for the weekend?" No? Next call Privatairr of Switzerland. OMG., No luck. Grovel grovel. it'll never happen, but MOL has shiny B737 doing nothing for the weekend. Damn & blast.
I remember the days the EU Ryder Cup team bombed into USA on Concorde and creamed their rear-ends. That's how to to do it. Wham bam, thank you mam! Job done!
If BA Willy won't cooperate;
Quick phone call to my mate Richard B. "Hey mate have you got a spare wiz-bang aircraft free this weekend. Doesn't matter; B747/A340, balloon or space vehicle. You choose." Failing that, my mate Bernie of F1 fame. "hey Bernie...........?" No success; my mate Liz, "Hey your Lizziness; got an aeroplane free for the weekend?" No? Next call Privatairr of Switzerland. OMG., No luck. Grovel grovel. it'll never happen, but MOL has shiny B737 doing nothing for the weekend. Damn & blast.
I remember the days the EU Ryder Cup team bombed into USA on Concorde and creamed their rear-ends. That's how to to do it. Wham bam, thank you mam! Job done!
Originally Posted by Wageslave
Quote:
there was nothing wrong with their choice of alternative transport.
What on earth are you saying? Utter cobblers! Everything is wrong with it!
The senior members of the UK Govt arrive at an international conference in a tiddleypush little turboprop from another country? How ignominious would Sarkosi or Berlusconi think it to arrive in a Jetstream 31 of Air Wales???? It's excruciatingly embarrassing and inappropriate. What would their press make if it?
there was nothing wrong with their choice of alternative transport.
What on earth are you saying? Utter cobblers! Everything is wrong with it!
The senior members of the UK Govt arrive at an international conference in a tiddleypush little turboprop from another country? How ignominious would Sarkosi or Berlusconi think it to arrive in a Jetstream 31 of Air Wales???? It's excruciatingly embarrassing and inappropriate. What would their press make if it?
I do agree that the main issue here is the mighty RAFs apparent inability to provide their own metal for the task, even more so seeing that the need to schedule such a trip does not rear its head only seconds before departure. This sounds like a major screw-up in planning if there ever was one. All true until here.
However, the insinuation that it was some scruffy, third-rate airline that noone who is still slightly sane would ever consider boarding an airplane of that was booked here by a penny-wise, but pound-foolish servant of the state could not be further from the truth.
Originally Posted by Wageslave
It's an utter disgrace that our leaders don't have reliable access to suitable VIP aircraft when they need it. These should be RAF and if the bloody crabs won't do their simple job then G registered chartered like poor HMQ has to put up with. God knows there are enough bizjets about - why do mere corporate managers need these things as time-multipliers when National managers with whole nations to run make do by any old jobbing taxi Service?