Everything To Know About King Charles' RAF Voyager Private Jet
As you might expect, being a member of modern royalty gets you access to some pretty cool stuff, from the finest foods to the rarest vehicles. Even if the British monarchy doesn't control the country anymore, its members still have access to the height of luxury in their daily lives. Part of that is regular goodwill trips to other countries, and for these situations, King Charles and the Royal Family utilize the official air vehicle for important Brits. This a standout amongst lavish private jets: the Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager.
While the King and Queen fly in the Voyager, it technically isn't their private jet. This is because, as VIP air transport for the RAF, the Voyager can be utilized by any decisively important person in the British government. This includes the King and Queen, the Prime Minister, or any sufficiently high-up member of the British Parliament. Since the Royals travel around much more than the PM and high-ranking staff, though, the Voyager is generally considered to be King Charles' unofficial private jet, equipped with all the bells and whistles a modern monarch could need.
The Voyager is large in size and big on comfort
While there are rank-and-file Voyagers used to aid the high-tech fighter jets in the RAF, the appearance of the Royal Voyager, also known as the "Vespina," is unmistakable thanks to two aesthetic touches. Firstly, the rims of the doors are colored a distinctive gold, providing a regal background for anyone boarding or disembarking. Secondly, and perhaps more notably, there's a huge Union Jack painted on the tail. If that doesn't tell you that the Royal Family is coming to town, what would?
The Voyager measures in at around 192 feet long, 57 feet high, with a wingspan of a little over 197 feet. Under the hood are a pair of Rolls-Royce Trent 772B turbofans, which, when cranked up to maximum power, can output speeds of around Mach 0.86. The jet can fly at a max altitude of 41,000 feet, with a max fuel travel range of 8,000 nautical miles.
Inside the Voyager are 58 seats of quality comparable to business class on a regular plane, as well as 100 standard-level seats further back for guests or staff. A flight crew of around 13, pilots included, is necessary to make the whole thing run and provide service to the vital clientele. There are some photos of the interior floating around the internet, though most recently, in October of 2023, the Royal Family account on X, formerly Twitter, posted a seven-second glimpse of the King and Queen in some very comfy-looking digs.