'Blair Force Ones'

[STEED]

PM to get two 'Blair Force Ones'
Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Queen are to get two dedicated planes to use on official trips, the BBC has learned.
One is likely to be a long-haul plane with 70 seats, while a 15-seater jet will be ordered for shorter flights, BBC correspondent James Hardy says.
Since 1944 US presidents have had their own plane for presidential travel.
Although the Queen will have first call on the aircraft, they are already being dubbed "Blair Force Ones". The Lib Dems and Tories have criticised the plan.
The decision to order the two aircraft follows a study into the costs of ministerial travel by businessman and government spending adviser Sir Peter Gershon.
The planes will not be bought outright, but taken on a long lease and are unlikely to come into service until late 2007 at the earliest - by which time some think Mr Blair may have stepped down as PM.
VIP area
They are expected to cost around £12.3m a year - about £2.7m more than the current arrangement.
The flights are likely to be paid for by those who use them, like Number 10, the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Family - a similar arrangement to chartering and not just fuel and staffing costs.

It sends totally the wrong message for ministers to be spending millions of pounds of taxpayers' money on two new, official planes at a time when jobs are being cut in the NHS
Chris Grayling
Shadow transport secretary

The long-haul plane, which is likely to be wide-bodied, with a separate VIP area and kitted out for modern communications, will be used in place of the British Airways 777 currently chartered by Downing Street.
Shadow transport secretary Chris Grayling told BBC News 24 it was "the wrong moment to be splashing out taxpayers' money on funding the government to travel in style".
He added that if he became transport secretary, he would use Eurostar to get to places like Brussels, rather than take a plane.
Anger over US planes
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell questioned whether the aircraft represented "good value for the British taxpayer".
"We are entitled to ask what the prime minister intends to do to reduce the environmental impact of his travel," he said.
But Labour replied that all Mr Blair's flights had been "carbon neutral" since April 2005.
There was also criticism over speculation that at least one of the aircraft is likely to be from US-built Boeing.
A spokesman for the Transport and General Workers Union, said it was "extraordinary that the prime minister should not be flying in a British-built plane".
"This sends a further negative message about the future of manufacturing."
Call sign
A spokesman for the GMB union added: "GMB members who work in the aircraft industry will be dismayed that the government is preferring to buy an American aircraft rather than one built by a UK manufacturer."
US presidents have had their own planes since 1944 when Franklin Roosevelt started using the "Sacred Cow".
In 1962, the first jet aircraft, a Boeing 707, was purchased for use and President Bush now uses two specifically-configured Boeing 747-200B planes.
They are commonly known as "Air Force One" because that is the call sign used when he is on board either plane, or any other Air Force aircraft.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/h...cs/5098126.stm

Published: 2006/06/20 1500 GMT

© BBC MMVI

As I recall Mr Blair is hot on the green issue, so the next time he tells me to get more green I shall tell him to stick it in one of his planes.

[Enigma]

What does the prime minister currently fly on?

[lesrae]

Easyjet I think - not!

I believe he uses chartered flights, or block books smaller planes.

[The Noob]

Originally Posted by Enigma

What does the prime minister currently fly on?

Drugs.:rotfl::p

[STEED]

Originally Posted by The Noob

Drugs.:rotfl::p

That would explain alot of things.

[CB..]

yikes all this just to avoid planting a few hundred thousand trees..

[Kurushio]

Blair doesn't need to get re-elected...so why should he care. Just goes to show though, the Blairs (his wife included) are not as nice as they seemed. Anyone remember the appartment scandal?

Yeah...it's disgusting considering we have to think more about the environment and they don't. Sort of like Stalin Russia: do as I say not as I do. But it's always been like that...and the next Tory government wont be any different.

[The Noob]

This was the first time i made one of my "Instant Jokes" (I always find a way to make a joke lol) and somebody Loughts...

Cool!

Back to topic.

[TteFAboB]

Blair can have one of these:



Sorry, it's far from 70 seats, I suppose the maids, consorts, buffoons, clowns, reporters and staff will have to take a walk.

[LoBlo]

That's interesting. I always thought that the UK government officials were always using dedicated airplanes already. There's some advantages to having a special fleet. The planes of the AirForce One fleet have been extensively modified beyond belief with electronics, communications, countermeasures, and command networks... you know, just in case parliament gets terrorist bombed and the queen has to be whisk into safety, a moving airplane/ command nexus is a safe place to be.

[Enigma]

Thats what I was thinking too....im sure this is a security move. Air Force One solves so many issues of Security for the Prez...

[The Noob]

Originally Posted by TteFAboB

Blair can have one of these:



Sorry, it's far from 70 seats, I suppose the maids, consorts, buffoons, clowns, reporters and staff will have to take a walk.

Thats a WW1 Bomber right?

I Recall it from Red Baron....i think...

[Enigma]

That appears to be a Vickers Vimy...Yes, WWI era heavy bomber.

[Bort]

That's interesting. I always thought that the UK government officials were always using dedicated airplanes already. There's some advantages to having a special fleet. The planes of the AirForce One fleet have been extensively modified beyond belief with electronics, communications, countermeasures, and command networks... you know, just in case parliament gets terrorist bombed and the queen has to be whisk into safety, a moving airplane/ command nexus is a safe place to be.

The Royal Family and important Ministers already have dedicated RAF transport, provided by 32 (The Royal) Squadron with BAe 125's and 146's for fixed wing transport and Agusta A109's for helo services. This unit is unable to transport VIP's very far though, as the BAe 146 is a small commuter plane and the BAe 125 is a small-midsize bizjet without a long range capability, not to mention that none of these aircraft can carry the circus train of press, security and aides that goes along with a major overseas trip. For this, you need a big plane with long range like Air Force 1. Right now the Queen and PM use chartered BA 777's, which is probably not an ideal solution as those aircraft lack the communications and countermeasures that AF1 has. Also, they probably have to be booked way ahead of time with BA, making an emergency trip out of the question. All this being considered, I don't think it's such a bad idea for the RAF to aquire a pair of 777's and perhaps a few Gulfstream V's.

[Kurushio]

Ridiculous. So in case of terrorist attack on the houses of parliament Tony Blair and the Queen will board their Special Warfare plane and circle around the Shetland Islands? We are not the US you know? We're a tiny island. In case of attack they are probably safer on the ground and yes, that's why we have bunkers here.