 On 1 July 1983 , after the government procured two more 707s for $ 7 @.@ 5 million from <unk> Canada , No. 33 Flight was reorganised as No. 33 Squadron under Grierson 's command . Responsible for transporting VIPs such as members of the British Royal Family , the Governor @-@ General , the Prime Minister , and the Pope , the 707 also became the first RAAF aircraft to land in the Soviet Union , the occasion being the funeral of Konstantin Chernenko in 1985 . Along with Nos. 36 and 37 Squadrons , operating Lockheed C @-@ 130 Hercules , No. 33 Squadron came under the control of No. 86 Wing , part of the newly established Air Lift Group ( later Air Mobility Group ) , in February 1987 . Routine servicing of the 707s and Hercules was the responsibility of No. 486 Squadron , another component of No. 86 Wing . Qantas undertook heavier maintenance of the 707s at its jet base in Mascot . The RAAF acquired three more 707s on 25 February 1988 , following a $ 25 million purchase from Boeing Military . One of the airframes was non @-@ flying , for spares only , and was nicknamed " <unk> " . 
