Latest news with #Globemaster
Edinburgh Live
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Prince George helps Prince Louis with touching comment on royal balcony
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A lip reader has discerned Prince George leading a charming conversation with his mother, Princess Kate, and his little brother, Prince Louis. Today, the Royals watched an RAF flypast from Buckingham Palace's balcony, launching four days of festivities commemorating VE Day's 80th anniversary, the day signalling WWII's conclusion in Europe. King Charles and Queen Camilla were present alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate, with their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis in tow. As the planes soared and the event kicked off, the brothers, captivated by the aerial display, exchanged words under their watchful mother's gaze. Now, lip reader Jeremy Freeman has shed light on the endearing exchange that took place between Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Kate. (Image: Getty Images) Amidst the spectacle, as an aircraft darted across the sky, Kate prompted: "Watch this one", eliciting an awestruck "Ooh, that's cool" from Louis. Resourcefully, George helped Louis pinpoint the plane type, pointing out and commenting, "That's a Globemaster (pointing to the plane)." Louis couldn't contain his excitement, exclaiming "that was great", a sentiment shared by their father, who remarked to Kate: ".....so great....." The young Prince George continued to show his keen interest in the flypast, saying "Check that one" to his mother, who warmly responded: "Oh, there it is." During this Sky News broadcast, the Royal Family observed what seemed to be a C-17 Globemaster. Today's VE commemoration event, which saw a flypast from RAF Brize Norton including a Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Typhoon jets and The Red Arrows, did not include any of the Royal Family members who had waved from the balcony back in 1945, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. During the proceedings, King Charles III saluted as personnel from nations including France, the US, and Germany joined 1,300 members of the British Armed forces in a march to the palace, according to Sky News. (Image: Getty Images) Actor Timothy Spall, known for his roles in the Harry Potter franchise, The Last Samurai and Sweeney Todd, read sections of Sir Winston Churchill's speech from May 8, 1945. These commemorations are part of a series of VE events that the Royal Family is set to attend over the coming days. Tomorrow, the Queen is set to view a display of ceramic poppies at The Tower of London. On VE day itself, the King, Queen and other royals are due to attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey and a concert from Horse Guards Parade to conclude the commemorations. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in an open letter to veterans: "VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid."
Edinburgh Live
22-04-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh locals in awe as massive RAF warplane touches down in capital
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A huge RAF aircraft was spotted at Edinburgh Airport on Monday afternoon as keen enthusiasts lined up with their cameras. Avid plane spotters were in for a treat when the RAF C-17 Globemaster touched down in the capital on April 21. According to Flight Radar, the impressive aircraft landed in Edinburgh around midday after departing from Liverpool. It then departed shortly after for Brize Norton at around 12.30pm. The aircraft has been seen flying into Edinburgh previously for what are believed to be training exercises. According to the RAF's website, the aircraft was made by Boeing and is a long-range, heavy-lift strategic transport aircraft that can operate close to a potential area of operations for combat, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. It is capable of 'rapid, strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases anywhere in the world'. A description on the RAF website reads: "The Globemaster's load-bearing rear ramp and digitally controlled loading systems, combined with the skills of its crews and ground handlers, enable large, complex items of equipment, including Chinook helicopters, military vehicles and other heavy items of specialist kit to be loaded. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. "It can transport 100,000lb (45,360kg) of freight more than 4,500nm (8,334km) while flying at altitudes above 35,000ft. The aircraft's design enables high-angle, steep approaches at relatively slow speeds, allowing it to operate into small, austere airfields and onto runways as short as 3,500ft long and just 90ft wide."
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
India deportation flight likely cost US more than $1 mn
The Trump administration has begun using military aircraft to underscore its determination to deport undocumented migrants. But while the optics make for good political theatre, the flights are expensive -- as much as $1 million in the case of a recent deportation to India, according to an AFP analysis. In fact military flights can end up costing more than three times as much as a civilian trip, data shows. President Donald Trump was elected on a promise to carry out the biggest deportation "in the history of America." While most of the migrants being targeted for expulsion come from Latin America, some are also being sent back much further across the globe. On Wednesday, a US Air Force cargo plane landed in Amritsar, India, carrying 104 Indian nationals who had entered the United States illegally, according to a US government statement. The flight is believed to be the first use of a military aircraft to deport people to India. Images captured by an AFP photographer show that the plane used is a C-17A Globemaster III, a large military aircraft capable of transporting troops, vehicles and supplies. The Globemaster is a workhorse of the US Air Force, and has been used in military theatres worldwide since it was first added to the fleet in 1995. But military flights are much more costly to operate than the charter flights that are also used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportations. According to information released by ICE in 2021, the cost of a charter flight is $8,577 per flight hour, although flights transporting high-risk migrants may cost more. The use of C-17 aircraft in transport operations is charged at $28,562 per hour, according to documents published by US Air Mobility Command. Military flights also take flight paths that are different to commercial aircraft, due to the sensitivity of operating in the airspace of another sovereign nation. They also generally refuel at military air bases instead of commercial hubs. Data from flight tracking site Flightradar24 shows that the deportation flight took off from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, at around 1330 GMT on Monday. It then flew west to Hawaii, crossed the Pacific to the Luzon Strait near the Philippines, flew between Indonesia and Malaysia, then took a large detour south into the Indian Ocean where there is a US air base located on the tiny island of Diego Garcia. From there it flew thousands of miles (kilometers) north to India, landing at an airport in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab on Wednesday afternoon local time -- more than 43 hours after takeoff from California. Accounting for the return journey to a US air base, the flight cost is likely to be more than $1 million even by the most conservative estimates of time spent airborne, equating to more than $10,000 per detainee. By comparison, a one-way ticket from San Francisco to New Delhi on an American commercial airline can be bought for around $500, or $4,000 in business class. cf/mlm
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
India deportation flight likely cost US more than $1 mn
The Trump administration has begun using military aircraft to underscore its determination to deport undocumented migrants. But while the optics make for good political theatre, the flights are expensive -- as much as $1 million in the case of a recent deportation to India, according to an AFP analysis. In fact military flights can end up costing more than three times as much as a civilian trip, data shows. President Donald Trump was elected on a promise to carry out the biggest deportation "in the history of America." While most of the migrants being targeted for expulsion come from Latin America, some are also being sent back much further across the globe. On Wednesday, a US Air Force cargo plane landed in Amritsar, India, carrying 104 Indian nationals who had entered the United States illegally, according to a US government statement. The flight is believed to be the first use of a military aircraft to deport people to India. Images captured by an AFP photographer show that the plane used is a C-17A Globemaster III, a large military aircraft capable of transporting troops, vehicles and supplies. The Globemaster is a workhorse of the US Air Force, and has been used in military theatres worldwide since it was first added to the fleet in 1995. But military flights are much more costly to operate than the charter flights that are also used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportations. According to information released by ICE in 2021, the cost of a charter flight is $8,577 per flight hour, although flights transporting high-risk migrants may cost more. The use of C-17 aircraft in transport operations is charged at $28,562 per hour, according to documents published by US Air Mobility Command. Military flights also take flight paths that are different to commercial aircraft, due to the sensitivity of operating in the airspace of another sovereign nation. They also generally refuel at military air bases instead of commercial hubs. Data from flight tracking site Flightradar24 shows that the deportation flight took off from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, at around 1330 GMT on Monday. It then flew west to Hawaii, crossed the Pacific to the Luzon Strait near the Philippines, flew between Indonesia and Malaysia, then took a large detour south into the Indian Ocean where there is a US air base located on the tiny island of Diego Garcia. From there it flew thousands of miles (kilometers) north to India, landing at an airport in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab on Wednesday afternoon local time -- more than 43 hours after takeoff from California. Accounting for the return journey to a US air base, the flight cost is likely to be more than $1 million even by the most conservative estimates of time spent airborne, equating to more than $10,000 per detainee. By comparison, a one-way ticket from San Francisco to New Delhi on an American commercial airline can be bought for around $500, or $4,000 in business class. cf/mlm
