Britain and the world bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth II on Monday – a spectacular bookend to a 10-day period of mourning following her death.
Amid the pageantry, remembrance, and majesty following The Queen’s death on 8 September, the aviation world has also felt the effects of the end of an era. A generation has passed since the world has witnessed a spectacle like this. Indeed, when young Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne in 1952, air travel was still very much in its infancy.
![BOAC Canadair Argonaut](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/305962024_10161770278245830_9167015242050515224_n-1160x839.jpeg)
As Queen, she witnessed Britain’s and the world’s remarkable transformation into the modern society we all live in today. In fact, when she took the throne in February 1952, the world hadn’t even seen its first commercial jet service.
However, it wasn’t long until commercial aviation entered the jet age. Not even three months after Elizabeth became Queen, the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC) introduced the de Havilland Comet 1A. On 2 May 1952, the 44-seat Comet flew from London to Johannesburg, South Africa, thus becoming the world’s first passenger jet flight.
Queen Elizabeth’s Love of Concorde
Through The Queen’s seven-decade reign, she witnessed (and experienced) remarkable advances in aviation technology and the way the world travels. None, however, could compare to what many would consider the pinnacle of British aviation – the Concorde.
![Queen Elizabeth Arrives in Texas in 1991](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Queen_Elizabeth_II_and_Prince_Philip_disembark_from_a_British_Airways_Concorde-1160x754.jpeg)
Queen Elizabeth flew Concorde for the first time on 2 November 1977 on a flight to London from Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) in Barbados. The Queen flew multiple times on Concorde in the years that followed, including a visit to the United States in May 1991.
Because of her rigorous schedule and outreach that spanned the globe during her reign, Queen Elizabeth had no other choice but to utilize the miracle of aviation. Even after her death, she continues to have an impact on aviation.
Here are four interesting aviation tidbits that have happened as a result of the Queen’s death.
1. British Airways Waives Wi-Fi Fees for In-Flight Funeral Viewing
![A British Airways aircraft with Wi-Fi radome](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/britishairways_216862132422767-1160x773.jpg)
British Airways (BA) on Monday provided free in-flight Wi-Fi to passengers so they could watch the funeral on their personal devices.
The carrier also observed two “Moments of National Reflection” that took place – one 1-minute moment on Sunday and a 2-minute moment coinciding with the end of the funeral on Monday. BA also suspended cabin service during the two-minute silence.
Aircraft in motion on the ground at London Heathrow (LHR) at the conclusion of the funeral came to a stop during the two-minute moment of silence. Additionally, arrivals and departures were not permitted during the silence.
2. More than 5 Million People tracked The Queen’s Final Flight
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As our Mike Killian reported last week, the Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III that transported The Queen’s coffin from Edinburgh, Scotland to RAF Northolt near London became the most tracked flight in history.
Her final flight was watched from beginning to end by an astonishing 4.79 million people.
Check out our story on this flight here.
3. Heathrow Falls Silent
![Sunset at London Heathrow Airport](https://avgeekery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/12473669_1028248713882955_4543737922117594984_o-1160x767.jpeg)
To honor The Queen, British Airways and Heathrow Airport canceled 100 flights to ensure operational flexibility on Monday. Many additional flights were rescheduled.
No aircraft were permitted to land or take off at LHR for 30 minutes during the state funeral – which took place between 1140 and 1210 local time. Arrivals were also paused for 35 minutes beginning at 1345 local time for the procession of the Queen’s hearse to Windsor Castle.
Inside the airport, travelers and staff fell silent as the nation observed a two-minute moment of silence as the funeral ended. LHR was broadcasting the funeral throughout the terminals for travelers to watch.
Anyone who has been to London and was watching Monday’s events on television could very quickly notice the deafening silence at times. London airspace is notoriously congested and loud, so the magnitude of Monday’s operational undertaking was quite remarkable.
4. London Stansted Airport Becomes AvSpotter Heaven
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More than 500 heads of state, including kings, queens, prime ministers, presidents, and emperors, traveled to London over the weekend to honor the late Queen – most, if not all, arriving by air.
As a mind-blowingly dazzling array of aircraft types from governments and dignitaries around the world descended on London last weekend, spotters had a field day. Luckily, spotters at Standsted caught many of the arrivals and departures on video.
YouTube channel RVA Aviation features three incredible videos of some of the world leaders arriving in London for The Queen’s funeral.
Some of the unique arrivals include a Royal Flight of Oman Boeing 747-400, a Kuwait government A340-500, a South Korean Air Force 747-800, the Brunei Sultan’s 747-800, a Ukrainian government A319, and of course, Air Force One.
Rarely – if ever – have so many heads of state been in one place at one time. The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II will go down in history as a generational event like few others in world history. The outpouring of love from around the world that these aircraft represent is something we may never witness again — at least in our lifetimes.