Royal Canadian Air Force VIP Aircraft - History

History

Members of the Royal Family have been flying in the United Kingdom since two Westland Wapitis were delivered to the Royal Air Force's No. 24 Squadron at RAF Northolt in April 1928. Between the following year and 1935, Prince Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), himself purchased 13 aircraft; he became the first member of the Royal Family to be a pilot, and when he ascended to the throne in 1936 as King Edward VIII, the King's Flight was formed as the world's first head of state aircraft unit.

Executive air transport in Canada can be traced to the formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in the 1920s; the only VIP death in the history of the RCAF was Minister of National Defence Norman McLeod Rogers on 10 June 1940, near Newtonville, Ontario. The RCAF maintained aircraft such as the Lockheed Lodestar, Canadair North Star, Canadair CL-66, and Canadair CL-44-6 until, following the 1968 unification of the country's three armed forces branches into the Canadian Forces, long range VIP transport was carried out using a modified Boeing 707 designated as the CC-137 Husky and short range VIP transport used various combat fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Dedicated VIP transport aircraft did not enter the Canadian Forces until the early 1980s, when 12 CL-600S Challenger business jets were purchased by the Governor General-in-Council from Canadair, which were thereafter given the designations CC-144, CE-144, and CX-144, and painted in the contemporary red and white livery of the Canadian Forces. These jets flew with 414 "Black Knight" Squadron at CFB North Bay until July 1992, and with 434 "Blue Nose" Squadron at CFB Greenwood until May 2000, when eight aircraft were either sold or retired, the remaining two being transferred to 412 Transport Squadron for dedicated executive transport, where the livery was changed to a dark Air Force blue.

At times, the use of executive air transport has been a contentious issue. In 2002, the Governor General-in-Council, on the advice of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, purchased an additional two Challenger jets for exclusive royal, viceroyal, and ministerial transport. Use of these planes by ministers of the Crown came under heavy criticism, party due to the high cost of operation— approximately CAD$11,000 per hour— as well as questions over prioritization of other military aircraft procurement. Government ministers have typically explained that the use of the Challenger jets is necessary due to time constraints and/or security issues. Also, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson had used a chartered aircraft to fly from Ottawa to her cottage in Muskoka, Ontario, and it was later revealed that Governor General Michaëlle Jean was flown to The Bahamas on a Canadian Forces Challenger. Both times, the press reports of these actions brought criticism towards the viceroys from some corners; however, the governor general's mode of transport is directed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.