GALLERY: Elizabeth II - the real Queen of the Skies

Feature

During her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II flew further, faster and more often than any other British monarch. Key.Aero presents a selection of images depicting her relationship with aviation over the decades

This photo was taken on May 10, 1953 and it shows Queen Elizabeth II with her Corgis dogs prior to boarding her aircraft at the London airport.
This photo was taken on May 10, 1953 and it shows Queen Elizabeth II with her Corgis dogs prior to boarding her aircraft at the London airport. Photo by STRINGER/INTERCONTINENTALE/AFP via Getty Image
15th July 1953: Queen Elizabeth II at the Coronation Review of the RAF at Odiham Hampshire. She inspected 1125 officers and other ranks drawn from all commands of the RAF and over 300 aircraft with crew and personnel. Vehicles and equipment representing all branches of the services were also paraded and the visit ended with a fly past of more than 600 aircraft in review order. Visible aircraft include de Havilland Venom jet fighters (front row, right), B-29 Superfortress long range bombers (middle row), called Boeing Washingtons by the RAF, and American-built F-86 Sabre jet fighter (front row, middle).
15th July 1953: Queen Elizabeth II at the Coronation Review of the RAF at Odiham Hampshire. She inspected 1125 officers and other ranks drawn from all commands of the RAF and over 300 aircraft with crew and personnel. Vehicles and equipment representing all branches of the services were also paraded and the visit ended with a fly past of more than 600 aircraft in review order. Visible aircraft include de Havilland Venom jet fighters (front row, right), B-29 Superfortress long range bombers (middle row), called Boeing Washingtons by the RAF, and American-built F-86 Sabre jet fighter (front row, middle). Photo by Monty Fresco/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, are pictured leaving a 42 Squadron RNZAF Douglas Dakota at Westport Airport during her Commonwealth visit to New Zealand in January 1954.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, are pictured leaving a 42 Squadron RNZAF Douglas Dakota at Westport Airport during her Commonwealth visit to New Zealand in January 1954. Photo by Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh viewing the then fastest aircraft a Fairey Delta II, on June 1, 1957. The British-built experimental type was the first aircraft to exceed 1,000mph in level flight. On March 10, 1956, it set a new world speed record of 1,132mph which it held for more than a year.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh viewing the then fastest aircraft a Fairey Delta II, on June 1, 1957. The British-built experimental type was the first aircraft to exceed 1,000mph in level flight. On March 10, 1956, it set a new world speed record of 1,132mph which it held for more than a year. Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

 

How the Queen flew

Known as The Queen's Flight from 1952, the unit operated various fixed and rotary wing aircraft for the transportation and pilot training of members of the Royal Family. Types included Vickers Viking, Avro York, de Havilland Heron and Devon, Westland Whirlwind, Westland Wessex HCC.4, Douglas Dakota, de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, Beagle Basset and the Hawker Siddeley Andover.

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Originally published in Key.Aero