Boris Force One

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4mastacker
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Boris Force One

#1 Post by 4mastacker » Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:37 am

There are reports circulating that a Voyager aircraft currently undergoing pre-planned work at Cambridge is going to emerge with a nice red, white and blue paint scheme so it can be used by Boris and other government ministers when they go on their jaunts very important ministerial missions to foreign countries.

In order to save money, wouldn't it have been easier to collar one of BA's currently underused fleet (already painted in red, white and blue), change the brand name and use that instead of diverting a scarce military asset?

Or, seeing that Bruntingthorpe is due to be closed, re-generate one of the VC10s parked there and give it the once over with some fresh paint? There's probably a couple of drivers around who like to take to take the lady to skies once more.
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all very tongue-in-cheek of course
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Re: Boris Force One

#2 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:17 am

4mastacker wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:37 am
There are reports circulating that a Voyager aircraft currently undergoing pre-planned work at Cambridge is going to emerge with a nice red, white and blue paint scheme so it can be used by Boris and other government ministers when they go on their jaunts very important ministerial missions to foreign countries.

In order to save money, wouldn't it have been easier to collar one of BA's currently underused fleet (already painted in red, white and blue), change the brand name and use that instead of diverting a scarce military asset?

Or, seeing that Bruntingthorpe is due to be closed, re-generate one of the VC10s parked there and give it the once over with some fresh paint? There's probably a couple of drivers around who like to take to take the lady to skies once more.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
all very tongue-in-cheek of course
+1
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Re: Boris Force One

#3 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:37 am

4mastacker wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:37 am

Or, seeing that Bruntingthorpe is due to be closed, re-generate one of the VC10s parked there and give it the once over with some fresh paint? There's probably a couple of drivers around who like to take to take the lady to skies once more.
:-bd

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Re: Boris Force One

#4 Post by Woody » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:40 am

In order to save money, wouldn't it have been easier to collar one of BA's currently underused fleet (already painted in red, white and blue), change the brand name and use that instead of diverting a scarce military asset?
Wouldn’t be the first time, Tristar 500’s transferred across back in the 80’s and aren’t some excess BA flight crew going to the RAF?
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Re: Boris Force One

#5 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:48 am

Woody wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:40 am
In order to save money, wouldn't it have been easier to collar one of BA's currently underused fleet (already painted in red, white and blue), change the brand name and use that instead of diverting a scarce military asset?
Wouldn’t be the first time, Tristar 500’s transferred across back in the 80’s and aren’t some excess BA flight crew going to the RAF?
BA's pilots must be over the moon with that idea! 8-|
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Re: Boris Force One

#6 Post by Woody » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:50 am

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:48 am
Woody wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:40 am
In order to save money, wouldn't it have been easier to collar one of BA's currently underused fleet (already painted in red, white and blue), change the brand name and use that instead of diverting a scarce military asset?
Wouldn’t be the first time, Tristar 500’s transferred across back in the 80’s and aren’t some excess BA flight crew going to the RAF?
BA's pilots must be over the moon with that idea! 8-|
It’s part of the negotiations between BALPA and FSW :((
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Re: Boris Force One

#7 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:57 am

Woody wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:50 am

It’s part of the negotiations between BALPA and FSW :((
How fecking useless are BALPA! :-s

And this Bojo clown cart of a government who are doing nothing to help the aviation industry, with their bizarre (and unenforceable) quarantine crap.

I guess Marhsall Aerospace are glad of the £100,000 paint job for his uselessness Johnson's ego trip.
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Re: Boris Force One

#8 Post by k3k3 » Wed Jun 17, 2020 12:58 pm

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 11:37 am
4mastacker wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:37 am



:-bd

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RAF Aircraft Adapted For Medical Use in Record Time

#9 Post by ricardian » Wed Jun 17, 2020 2:00 pm

Seen on Farcebook just now - Ex-Ascot may be interested:
RAF Aircraft Adapted For Medical Use in Record Time

A Royal Air Force transport aircraft has been adapted to carry medical patients in record time and at no cost.
In just two months two BAe146 Mk.3 aircraft operated by 32 (The Royal) Squadron at RAF Northolt have been adapted to transport critically ill patients and RAF medical staff for the first time.

BAE-146-AIRCRAFT
Wing Commander Jo Bland is Officer Commanding Tactical Medical Wing (TMW).
She said:

“This has been an amazing achievement in all areas bringing together 32 (TR) Sqn residual capacity, Tactical Medical Wing’s aeromedical evacuation (aeromed) capability and the design, production and engineering skills of Joint Air Delivery Test & Evaluation Unit.
“This project embodies the very spirit of Astra; using existing military aircraft in a dual-hatted role and optimising use of key Defence assets. TMW have never delivered aeromed on the BAe146 in this manner before and it has been achieved at zero cost and in record time by smart use of pre-existing, available assets.”
The Astra Programme aims to encourage innovation across the RAF. Personnel from TMW and 32 (TR) Sqn looked at the options for using the BAe146 on 1 April and concluded that stretcher stanchions already in use on Voyager could potentially be affixed to pallet flooring inside the aircraft.
The engineering task was passed to the Joint Air Delivery Test & Evaluation Unit (JADTEU) at RAF Brize Norton who swiftly designed and produced a cleared and serviceable solution. Within a fortnight the adaptation was ready for prototype trials which determined the adaptations were suitable for all types of aeromed, including use by the Critical Care Air Support Team.
Following some crew training the BAe146 was declared available for use in its new role some two months after the initial request.
Lieutenant Colonel Sam Allinson, JADTEU Commanding Officer said:
“It came as no surprise to me that the JADTEU team rose to this challenge so professionally; they are a superb team of experts drawn from across the military and Civil Service. Our core business is the conduct of operational trials and evaluation for the delivery of personnel, equipment, and material by air, but it was particularly gratifying in this instance to be able to design, test and manufacture a solution so quickly in support of Defence’s medical transportation capability.”
Wing Commander Delia Chadwick, OC 32 (The Royal) Squadron said:
"This project is an exemplar of what Defence can achieve in a short space of time when the operational need exists. It has required close collaboration and coordination, not only between SMEs from my team on 32 (TR) Sqn, JADTEU and TMW, but a number of other key Defence stakeholders including the Queen's Colour Squadron, DE&S, the RTSA, and our industry partners, BAe and Serco. Development of the CSAT BAe146 capability has added further breadth to what the Air Mobility Force can offer to Defence and will enable more efficient use of a limited pool of assets as a result."
The RAF also has a significant aeromed capability. Atlas, Hercules, Globemaster and Voyager are all able to transport patients and medical personnel, similarly Puma and Chinook helicopters.
The addition of the BAe146 allows greater flexibility as Wing Commander Bland explained:
“The advantage of the BAe146 is that it can land at airports where Voyager can’t due to its smaller size and footprint. It suits our purposes brilliantly for short hops which can be completed at less cost and with less impact on the environment.”
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Re: Boris Force One

#10 Post by PHXPhlyer » Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:17 pm

PM's plane to be rebranded at cost of £900,000

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53082294

Global Britain: PM's plane to be rebranded at cost of £900,000
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The plane used by Boris Johnson and members of the royal family for international travel is being repainted in the colours of the Union flag to "better represent" the UK abroad.

The red, white and blue "rebranding" will cost about £900,000, No 10 said.

Downing Street said it represented "value for money" and that all of the work was being done in the UK.

But opposition parties were critical, saying the money would be better spent on helping the victims of coronavirus.

No 10 said the aircraft was currently in Cambridgeshire for pre-planned repainting in "national branding".

The RAF Voyager is used by the prime minister, other ministers and senior members of the Royal Family for official engagements.

What's behind the PM's aid department decision?
PM to take first flight on VIP RAF jet
It said the makeover would mean the plane "can better represent the UK around the world, while also maintaining its military air to air refuelling capacity".

Downing Street said all of the work was benefiting UK suppliers.

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group told the BBC they are carrying out the work on the aircraft, which is much bigger than they would usually work on.

But acting Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said the money would have been better spent on supporting treatments for coronavirus patients.

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Ed Davey MP 🔶🇪🇺 #StayHomeSaveLives #ProtectNHS

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The drug dexamethasone, that can potentially save the lives of people with coronavirus, costs £5 per patient. @BorisJohnson could have bought 180,000 doses of that, but instead he's painting a flag on a plane.

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BREAKING: Boris Johnson’s RAF jet is being repainted red, white and blue Brexit-stylie for a cost of *£900,000*.

Story here: 👇https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politic ... 71771.html

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And the SNP hit out at the timing of the move, which follows Tuesday's u-turn by the government over providing school meal vouchers for low-income families over the summer holidays.

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PM won’t find an extra £20 a week to support the most vulnerable in society and help parents feed their children in these difficult times.

But he can find almost a million pounds to paint a plane.

Westminster is broken. Surely we can do better.

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Labour questioned why the government was spending nearly a million pounds "redecorating a plane which in all likelihood has been grounded for months because of the coronavirus".

"When families across the country are worried about their jobs, health and the education of their children, they will rightly question the government's priorities," said shadow Northern Ireland secretary Louise Haigh.

The RAF Voyager, an Airbus A330 jet, was re-purposed for use by the UK government in 2015, at a cost of £10m.

It was first used to take David Cameron and other ministers to the Nato summit in Poland in July 2016.

At the time, the government defended the expenditure, saying it was cheaper than chartering flights and would save about £775,000 a year.

PP

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Re: Boris Force One

#11 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:25 pm

Johnson reminds me of some banana Republic president. His behavior apes that of the ANC fat cats in South Africa.

The only person he will need to be flying to to impress will be Trump and as he already has nose so far up the Orange buffoon's fundament, he could arrive in a Cessna 172 and it wouldn't make any difference. Johnson is a total arse.
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Re: Boris Force One

#12 Post by Undried Plum » Wed Jun 17, 2020 3:57 pm

Wonderclown's limo got rammed up the arse by his own goonsquad shootists today when his driver pressed the left pedal a bit sharpish and the dickhead driving the tail-gunners battlewagon was a bit clot-headed and forgot to slow down or stop.

A driving without due attention charge? I doubt it. There's one set of rules for us and none for them.

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Re: Boris Force One

#13 Post by PHXPhlyer » Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:14 pm

So Bojo took it up the ass?

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Re: Boris Force One

#14 Post by Undried Plum » Wed Jun 17, 2020 4:48 pm

In a regrettably minor way, yes.

Image

A pedestrian has been arrested though.

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Re: Boris Force One

#15 Post by ian16th » Wed Jun 17, 2020 7:39 pm

Anyone know is £900,000 about right for a re-spray of an A-330? Or is this number for a significant service, plus the re-spray?

The way that BA did several a/c in retro designs last year makes me think that they wouldn't have spent that sort of money.
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Re: Boris Force One

#16 Post by Boac » Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:07 pm

I assume the offending protection vehicle driver was not driving correctly since he was unable to stop. Will he be charged?

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Re: Boris Force One

#17 Post by G-CPTN » Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:34 pm

Boac wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 9:07 pm
I assume the offending protection vehicle driver was not driving correctly since he was unable to stop. Will he be charged?
Diplomatic immunity, mate.

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Re: Boris Force One

#18 Post by llondel » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:32 am

I would suspect that there are guidelines on following closely enough to make it difficult for someone to get between. In that line of work a few dents are preferable to losing your client.

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Re: Boris Force One

#19 Post by Archer » Thu Jun 18, 2020 12:53 pm

ian16th wrote:
Wed Jun 17, 2020 7:39 pm
Anyone know is £900,000 about right for a re-spray of an A-330? Or is this number for a significant service, plus the re-spray?
Based on statements on another forum, the respray should cost around £200k for an A330. The quoted figure is most likely for the service plus respray.
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Re: Boris Force One

#20 Post by Capetonian » Thu Jun 18, 2020 1:04 pm

Is it possible that a respray needed to be done anyway? Don't a/c surfaces deteriorate over time?

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