Lhr 16may
 

There are 2 777 (think) aircraft parked over on stand 606 & 607 by the BA World Cargo shed. Both are painted a very dark grey all over and have a small red marking on the tail.

Anyone any ideas who they belong to?

Canadian Armed Forces A310s perhaps ??

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/788285/M/

Thanks that's that mystery sorted.!!

Hmm, getting A310s and B777s confused? I'm afraid you have failed your spotters practical exam today KiloMike ;)

I know Avman I am actually quite embarrassed!

In my defence they were quite some distance away on the other side of the airfield!

Both CFC A310s arrived this morning & are styaing the night

Fried Chicken

ONE of them departed today (Tuesday) 1420z to CYQR. Anyone know when the other went & where?

They picked-up the Queen and flew her to Canada, where she'll be for the next 10 days!

The aircraft were primary and back-up aircraft. Sorta like a Canadian 'Queen-Force One'...

Know this may sound stupid - but why didn't she fly RAF or BA?

Jordan

Apparently, she's there for something weird like a state celebration of some variety, and as the Canadian's wanted their head of state there (Commonwealth and all that....) they offered to fly her there. Would have been nice for her to go on one of our aircraft, but we (BA) don't fly to Sasketchewan, yet....

This from my mate in Toronto, who says the British Monarchy is still a big deal in Canada, apparently.

She's going to Canada as Canadian Head of State, so arriving in a British aircraft would be irrelvant, contrary to protocol and probably highly insulting. They're not a colony, they're in the commonwealth.

When HM the Queen went to New Zealand a few years ago she flew in an Air New Zealand 747. Before departure, though, they ripped out all of the "normal" seats in 1st Class and replaced them with HM's own airline seat, which is specially designed for her!

Good on her. She is the Queen after all!!

(coat, door etc..........) :D

I seem to remember when she went on NZ they even installed a proper bed in for her too.

Fair enough ... last time she went Oz, she didn't fly QF though .... and BA does fly wherever the PM wants to go, so I was suggesting that they would take an aircraft out for wherever HM wanted .... anyhow, irrelevances.

Jordan

"She's going to Canada as Canadian Head of State, so arriving in a British aircraft would be irrelvant, contrary to protocol and probably highly insulting. They're not a colony, they're in the commonwealth."

Does this protocol explain why she always seems to travel to the Channel Islands in a sub-chartered Falcon, in place of the 146s or 125s already at her disposal?

What aircraft does RAAF have comparable to the CF 310s? Will their A330Ks be able to do the job if called upon for Liz's next trip to Oz?