Present Arrangements
All dedicated VIP transport aircraft in the Canadian Forces are operated by 437 Transport Squadron and 412 Transport Squadron. Attendants on flights operated by these squadrons are select volunteers from various services in the Canadian Forces and serve in their posting for two or three years; they must undergo an intensive training period and additional security background checks prior to VIP transport duty.
The 437 Transport Squadron, based at CFB Trenton, operates five Airbus A310-300s, all designated as CC-150 Polaris; four are configured as normal airliners with cargo transport and aerial refuelling capability, while one, No. 001, is operated in a VIP configuration. This latter aircraft, referred to as the Royal Flight when carrying the Queen or another member of the Royal Family, has a galley, spartan bedroom, sitting room, office space, and a shower approximately the size of a small phone booth. The executive suite includes a satellite telephone, two computer work stations, and a small refrigerator, and at the rear portion of the aircraft is a normal passenger cabin, used to carry regular military passengers, members of the VIP party, or reporters. The squadron's information officer stated of the interior in 1997: "It's no more luxurious than a good motor home."
412 Transport Squadron, based at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (formerly CFB Ottawa, and previously at CFB Uplands), is the only RCAF unit dedicated exclusively to executive transport and currently operates Canada's four CC-144-designated Bombardier Challenger 601 business jets in a VIP configuration.
Read more about this topic: Royal Canadian Air Force VIP Aircraft
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