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Queen's Flight Survivors

Does anyone know what happened to former Aircraft of the Queen’s Flight – now No.32 (The Royal) Squadron?

We know that both Wessex helicopters survived, but what about the Herons (very beautiful aeroplane and under-rated and some say under-powered) and Andovers? Question: What happened to them? I know one Andover was scrapped in the late 1990s.

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By: oag - 13th September 2006 at 07:07

Ollie.
The BAe146’s are part of No.32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF.
The Queen’s Flight per sey ceased to exist when this squadron was formed.
Gary

Very true Gary,though all three ‘146s(ZE700,ZE701,ZE702) were originally delivered to,and operated by TQF at Benson during the late ’80s/early ’90s……
….you could eat your dinner off that hangar floor,it was that clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Colin
Oxfordshire Aviation Group
www.communigate.co.uk/oxford/oag

Press & Sponsorship Officer
8th Abingdon Air & Country Show…6th May 2007
www.abingdonfayre.com

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By: cypherus - 13th September 2006 at 01:41

Seems Captain Lowe flew HRH and co to the USA on Concorde 14/05/91, no info on which one it was though.

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By: J Boyle - 7th September 2006 at 01:48

Anyone know which Concorde(s) HRH QEII has flown in? Where is it now?
Any other surviving commercial jets?

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By: jaybeebee - 6th September 2006 at 18:16

Jaybeebee mentioned the one on Ebay a few months ago.

From what I remember, the ad said item was based in Westcliff, although I think actually it was in Hanningfield Metals yard

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By: David Burke - 6th September 2006 at 08:02

One of the Wessex went to The Helicopter Museum and the other to Hendon eventually . Haven’t heard any reports of either moving!

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By: J Boyle - 6th September 2006 at 01:24

The Helicopter Museum have the Whirlwind (as previously mentioned) and a Wessex. The other Wessex is at Hendon IIRC.

I believe the Wessex is at Duxford…or it was the last time I saw it.
Was it moved?

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By: Jamie-Southend - 5th September 2006 at 22:32

Jaybeebee mentioned the one on Ebay a few months ago.

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By: David Burke - 5th September 2006 at 13:01

Great to see her back up and about. She didn’t fly with the King’s Flight as it was then but the scheme still looks good on her.

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By: YakRider - 5th September 2006 at 12:53

Rapide G-ACZE is based at Bembridge and was due to fly in the 75th Anniversary Schneider Trophy air race on Sunday by Maurice Hynett, but was withdrawn along with the Moth and Condor because of the gusty conditions. It did fly later in the afternoon.

Looks lovely.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v165/YakRider/RapideEmerges.jpg

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By: Arm Waver - 5th September 2006 at 12:18

Someone mentioned that the bae146 (ZE700) that departed Coltishall before the last Jaguars was ex Queens flight as it had the badge on it. Can anyone confirm that?

Ollie.
The BAe146’s are part of No.32 (The Royal) Squadron RAF.
The Queen’s Flight per sey ceased to exist when this squadron was formed.
Gary

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By: Arm Waver - 5th September 2006 at 12:15

The Helicopter Museum have the Whirlwind (as previously mentioned) and a Wessex. The other Wessex is at Hendon IIRC.

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By: ollieholmes - 3rd September 2006 at 17:05

Someone mentioned that the bae146 (ZE700) that departed Coltishall before the last Jaguars was ex Queens flight as it had the badge on it. Can anyone confirm that?

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By: David Burke - 3rd September 2006 at 16:01

I guess that would be a Northolt Devon . They were retired circa 1984. The Queens Flight did operate VP961 and that should be a good candidate for preservation in the U.K in the long term.

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By: bolmas - 3rd September 2006 at 14:55

during the early eighties princess alexandra visited binbrook to present a new standard andarrived in a dove which taxied virtually up to the parade area. has anyone got any details please?six technicians appeared out of a minibus, dressed in white overalls and did all the checks etc and once the aircraft dissapeared they left.any ideas who they would be?

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By: mike currill - 3rd September 2006 at 12:27

I have just flown her! – now registered as 9Q-CLL with ITAB in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Flew on a 45 minute flight from Kolwezi to Lubumbashi – have pics of her at Kolwezi airport if anybody interested.

We’re always interested mate. Get ’em on here ,please.

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By: jaybeebee - 3rd September 2006 at 11:33

The fuselage of one of the queens flight Andovers was being offerd for sale some time back on ebay along with the cockpit of Viscount G-AOHL.

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By: Dave Homewood - 3rd September 2006 at 09:58

The Fox Moth referred to in New Zealand is ZK-AED, (aka G-ACAJ, G-ACDD, OO-ENC, and VQ-FAT).

It was a member of the Royal Flight and was the personal aircraft of the Duke of Windsor, later King George VI.

It was restored to flight in New Zealand by the Croydon Aircraft Company at Mandeville. It was completed in May 1993. Initially registered as ZK-AEK (the serial it had worn in NZ airline service in the 1930’s and 40’s) the aircraft was returned to the markings of its King’s Flight period wearing codes G-ACDD for then-owner Roger Fiennes. He took it to the USA (where it won Reserve Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh) and onto England. Sir Tim Wallis then bought it as his father had been a frequent passenger in ZK-AEK back in the olden days, and he returned the aircraft to New Zealand in October 1993. Today the aircraft is airworthy and based with the AFC at Wanaka.

JasonWheeler – are any of the ex-RNZAF Andovers also with that same company? I know some went to Africa. I’ve seen a couple of dreadful photos on airliners.net showing one of the ex-RNZAF’s VIP ones crashed and left for dead at some African strip, very sad. They are such a beautiful aircraft for a transport and much missed here in NZ.

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By: Turbi - 2nd September 2006 at 16:49

The Fox Moth was G-ACDD I think and was briefly at Headcorn in the 90’s being flown by Roger Fiennes, before heading back to New Zealand I believe

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By: JasonWheeler - 2nd September 2006 at 11:46

Andover XS789

I have just flown her! – now registered as 9Q-CLL with ITAB in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Flew on a 45 minute flight from Kolwezi to Lubumbashi – have pics of her at Kolwezi airport if anybody interested.

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By: ALBERT ROSS - 2nd August 2005 at 00:23

Also, don’t forget Prince Charles’ Chipmunk WP903 still flies in its red scheme as G-BCGC and is based as Shoreham. His twin-conversion BEAGLE Basset (The ‘Reagle Beagle’) XS770 (G-HRHI) was at Cranfield until recently and has just been sold. Of the Queens Flight Andovers, XS789 and XS793 both went to Africa and are believed still airworthy. XS790 was broken up and the nose survives with the Boscombe Down museum. It is very sad that this very important part of British aviation history is not preserved and to let the Herons get sold to Canada and converted to ST-27s was criminal! There were four Herons, XH375, XM295, XM296 and XR391. XM296 went on for several years with the Flag Officer Naval Air Command at Yeovilton becoming a ‘Sea Heron’ until the mid-80s and was the last survivor of the fleet, but even this one failed to get recognised for what it was and consequently the RAF Museum have no Heron!

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