Vespina (aircraft)
The Royal Air Force VIP Voyager, identified with the military registration of ZZ336, and more recently named by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as Vespina since June 2020, refers to a customised RAF Voyager KC2 (A330-243MRTT) owned by the AirTanker Services and operated under lease  by the Royal Air Force that is the first principal VIP transport aeroplane for the British royal family, the Prime Minister, and British government ministers. Whilst the RAF operates the United Kingdom's fleet of fourteen Voyagers, a militarised tanker transport aircraft; ZZ336 Vespina, the VIP Voyager refers specifically to one individual Voyager KC2 aircraft now painted in a United Kingdom livery, and fitted with secure satellite communications system, missile detection, 58 business-class seats (front cabin), 100 standard seats (rear cabin), and media facilities, similar to other dedicated air transports of heads of state and government. When ZZ336 was first converted to its VIP fitment, it was previously visually identical to the remainder of the Voyager fleet; it retained its original low-visibility matt grey exterior paint scheme with standard Royal Air Force roundels, insignia, and identification markings. ZZ336 was first used in its VIP configuration on . ZZ336 was named Vespina when it was returned to RAF Brize Norton on  following the completion of its new white livery. The name Vespina is not used operationally; it is not used in its F700 official logbook, nor is it used as its military call sign or flight number; it continues to be officially identified as ZZ336. ZZ336 Vespina is based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire (and is now visible in its new white colour scheme parked on the Voyager dispersal on many satellite imaging services including Google Maps and Google Earth), and is operated alongside the main fleet of RAF Voyagers by numbers 10 (affectionately known as 'Shiney Ten') and 101 Squadrons. Whilst on VIP duties, Vespina is operated by a typical crew of 13, consisting of its two flight deck crew (pilot and co-pilot) and eleven cabin crew (flight attendants and two pursers), and for non-VIP standard military operation, utilises eight cabin crew. Like all RAF Voyagers, Vespina carries a total fuel load of , being able to dispense  to receiver aircraft via its two under-wing Cobham 905E hose and drogue refuelling pods. History
Proposals to provide a new dedicated VIP transport aircraft, for governmental or royal use, were first mooted in 1998 under Prime Minister Tony Blair; the proposed aircraft, the VIP conversion of an existing Royal Air Force (RAF) VC10, was nicknamed 'Blair Force One' by the British media (a joking reference to Air Force One). In mid 2006, it was mooted that two VIP aircraft be procured, to be used by Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Minister; consisting of a 70-seat long haul aircraft and a smaller 15-seat jet for shorter distances, at a total cost of £100 million. However, in March 2008, the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown scrapped the plans for both aircraft. Instead, just one small aircraft was to be purchased, and restricted to UK-only operation, with the Queen putting forward her own plans. In March 2009, the proposal for a £7 million 12-seater private jet plan was halted due to the recession. RAF Voyager
A proposal to modify an Airbus A330 MRTT air-to-air refuelling tanker, known in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as the Voyager, into a 'VVIP' configuration was suggested by EADS (who own Airbus) in early 2012. EADS in the UK head Robin Southwell stated "the aerospace industry had 'let down' Mr Cameron by allowing him to travel on a trade mission to Asia in an American-built and Angolan-owned Boeing aircraft". At that time, though, Airbus had not yet made formal representation of its idea to the British Government. Upon hearing of this suggestion, a Downing Street official stated that the Prime Minister would show interest in this if it met our needs, and did not affect its military operations. It was not until the end of 2015 that the British Government announced as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 (2015 SDSR) that one existing RAF Voyager aircraft, a military version of an Airbus A330 civilian airliner, will be converted into a VIP Voyager for use by the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, and senior government ministers. This was completed in 2016 at a cost of £10 million, with then-Prime Minister David Cameron taking the aeroplane ('Cam Force One') to the 2016 Warsaw summit. In June 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered that the aeroplane be painted in a United Kingdom-themed red, white, and blue livery, earning it the nickname 'Boris Force One'. This new paint scheme was designed with the assistance of Airbus, and was carried out by Marshall Aerospace and Defence at its facilities at Cambridge Airport, and returned to RAF Brize Norton on 25 June 2020. The main aim of the new colour scheme is to "promote the UK around the world while transporting Ministers, senior members of the Royal Family and their delegations on trade, diplomatic and other missions". Johnson projected that the entire rebrand would cost about £900,000. Despite having been fitted as a VIP aircraft since 2016, and having a custom livery since 2020, the British Government and the RAF has insisted that the aeroplane will continue to serve its military purpose of air-to-air refuelling (primarily fast jets, from its two Cobham 905E under-wing hose and drogue refuelling pods) and air transport and personnel trooping. According to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 11 August 2017 to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), ZZ336, the VIP Voyager carried out a total of 76 aerial refuelling sorties supplying both UK and foreign receiver aircraft from 12 July 2016 through to 9 August 2017, under various auspices, including 'exercise', 'transit', and 'operational', though on a small number of sorties, no fuel was supplied to receivers. From 14 August to 14 September 2017, ZZ336 completed seven aerial refuelling sorties, all classed as 'exercise'. Vespina continues to refuel front-line fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force, including the Typhoon FGR4 and the F-35B Lightning. In 2021, Charles (the then Prince of Wales) and Camilla (then Duchess of Cornwall) flew in Vespina to Jordan as part of their Royal Tour; the aircraft was powered by a blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). In December 2022, Vespina was forward deployed to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to provide air-to-air refuelling and support air security operations by the Qatar Emiri Air Force and Royal Air Force during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was part of Exercise Soaring Falcon, a regular deployment by RAF assets to Qatar. Vespina also participates in state military guard of honour flypasts in the United Kingdom, notably the 2022 Trooping the Colour which formed part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II, and sometimes forms the lead part of a formation along with the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, commonly known as the Red Arrows, a role previously undertaken by a Concorde of British Airways. In accordance with the entire UK Voyager fleet, ZZ336 Vespina is made available to commercial operators for revenue-earning air charter flights under the terms of its contract with AirTanker. Vespina was used on 24 March 2023 by McNeely Charter Services operating as flight MDS75 with a duration of four hours forty minutes, this followed an earlier flight by McNeely on 8 March 2023 using ZZ332. See also
Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron, RAF
RAF Northolt
Titan Airways — private charter company who operate an identical liveried Airbus A321-253NX NEO
Air transport of the British royal family and government
Air transports of heads of state and government

References

External links

Voyager — at the official website of the Royal Air Force
Vespina, le nouvel Airbus A330 de la reine Elizabeth II — at AvionsLegendaires.net 
ZZ336 – gallery of photos — at Air-Britain photo library
ZZ336 – gallery of most recent photos — at Planespotters.net

VIP Voyager
Air transport of heads of state
Royal vehicles
Individual aircraft