The replacements for the VC-25's will be 2x 747-8's as far as I know. I think the airframes are already built (as Boeing is only making 747 freighters now, and that is due to end soon) and parked in a desert somewhere. Ironically, Wikipedia suggests they were destined for now bankrupt Russian carrier, Transaero.

Seems like you are going to get your wish before to long broadgage. I wish for the opposite, for the reasons that Taplow Green has eloquently described.

Your dislike for anything non-rail (or even some things are rail, that you also sound like a broken record on) are getting tiresome.


I'm gonna say it, that is the most ridiculous statement I have ever read in my time on this forum! Do you know anything about modern aviation at all?

NQY^▸ (Newquay (Station)) has 9000ft of tarmac, plenty for a heavy 747 (ok, VC-25!) to fly 8 or 9 hours from I would suggest. It's in line to be used as the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) airfield for one of Virgin's space projects, which will see a small rocket (capable of putting small satellites into orbit) launched at altitude from under the wing of an ex-Virgin Atlantic 747.

Generally C17's and C-5 Galaxies are used to carry the entourage. The C17 is an impressive beast, easily transatlantic range (depending on payload) and could probably deliver the heli's direct to Culdrose (I know that one visited RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) Cosford a few years back, to deliver an airframe to the museum there, which is a 3500ft runway).

As for the other world leaders, the Japanese use 747's also currently (although I've read they may be retiring them), the Canadians an ageing A310, the Germans an A340 (or possibly something smaller, as it's only a short hop), and likewise the French. The Italians I think an A319.

The international press corps will need to be accommodated aswell. Normally when POTUS^▸ (President Of The United States) comes to the UK, for example, there would be a least one chartered widebody to accommodate several hundred of them. You can bet there will be some global business leaders and other high-profile politicians around aswell, and these people tend to use private jets.

Newquay Airport (like many regional airports around the UK) has been very hard hit by the current situation, and must be extremely happy about this news.

Newquay Airport has a lot of real estate, much of it on the western side which was the old RAF^▸ (Royal Air Force) St Mawgan is still "behind the wires" as far as i know.

Easily a long-enough runway for anything currently flying (witness the BA^» (British Airways - about) 747's that recently arrived for part-out), so expect to see the USAF^▸ (United States Air Force) transports carrying "The Beast", the Marine and Army helicopters used to transport POTUS^▸ (President Of The United States) and his security details all heading for there I would expect.

Culdrose is smaller, but it's 6000ft main runway more than adequate for small/medium-sized transports, and lots of secure Royal Navy hangars for the US helicopters to hide away in/have any required maintenance done, for example.

I think you can discount LEQ^» (Land's End Airport - about) (Lands End Airport), short and narrow runways there, which are fine for the Skybus Twin Otters but not for anything much bigger.


"Air Force One" is a callsign, not a specific aircraft. It is of course mainly used by 1 of the 2 747's built for the job that we all recognise, but can be applied to other aircraft, as it was when Trump departed from Southampton in a C-32 (a VIP Boeing 757, in it's US military guise) last year.

The venue for the summit is reportedly Tregenna Castle, which makes more sense from a size and security perspective than other places that had been mentioned (eg, Carbis Bay Hotel).

The "hassle factor" of having this global circus descend will mean some disruption to local life, for sure, but will surely be outweighed by the income (already estimated at GBP 50m) input to the local economy, which must be great news, along with the publicity it will bring for Cornwall in general.

Thanks for posting, looks like quite a bit of new track is down already, including some with concrete sleepers.

Also interesting to see the latest large residence ("Skyfall") taking further shape on what I call "millionaires row" between St Ives and Carbis Bay, since I was last there back in August.

Interesting to see also what is being dug up on Porthminster Beach?

Indeed so, I can just about see our favourite St Ives restaurant (Porthminster Beach Cafe) in the final shot!

Looks like the work is progressing well.

Presumably the fact that steel sleepers are being laid in an area with salty sea air has been considered?

Interesting to compare the views on the webcams this morning - not too much water coming over onto the tracks on the Blenheim cam (where the wall has been rebuilt), a lot more coming over on the San Remo (where it hasn't).

Was briefly in the area today so took a quick pic of the Wavewalker in it's current location right next to the down platform. As with lots of feats of engineering it's impressive to see close up, and big!

I expect TonyK will know these, but I was taught that the 3 most useless things in aviation, if in an airborn emergency situation, are:

1. Sky above you
2. Runway behind you
3. Fuel in the bowser

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, it was the San Remo camera I was thinking of, but didn't realise that looks beyond where the next stage of the work is to be carried out.

That stone cladding appears to have been added in sections overnight during the course of the last week or so, from my observations (only via the webcam, I am in West Berks but have been to Dawlish a few times during the course of this year so know the layout of the new sea wall).

Would be nice if the other webcam (east of the Station) was online so that we could see the Waverider in action.

The linked article above talks about 5 weeks of track renewal work. Does anyone know how much of the branch is being re-layed?

Some great aerial footage of the wave walker on this which just came up in my YT feed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMRGIuAKkvU. It's big!

Dawlish Beach Cams have also posted this one of how it moves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM8XILynlAU.