Air Force One

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(Redirected from VC-25A)

For other uses, see Air Force One (disambiguation).

**Air Force One**
Image:Air Force One over Mt. Rushmore.jpg An Air Force One flying over Mount Rushmore.
Name	Air Force One
Primary function	Presidential air transport
Contractor	Boeing
Power plant	Four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines
Thrust	56,700 lbf (250 kN) per engine
Length	231 ft, 10 in (70.7 m)
Height	63 ft, 5 in (19.3 m)
Wingspan	195 ft, 8 in (59.6 m)
Speed	(estimated) 630 mph (Mach 0.92)
Ceiling	(estimated) 45,100 ft (13,700 m)
Maximum Takeoff Weight	(estimated) 833,000 lb (375,000 kg)
Range	7,800 statute miles (6,800 nautical miles or 12 550 km) Note: it can be fueled in-flight so it has an essentially limitless range.
Crew	26
Total capacity	102
Introduction	December 8, 1990 (No. 28000) December 23, 1990 (No. 29000)
Deployment	September 6, 1990 (No. 28000) March 26, 1991 (No. 29000)
Inventory	2

Air Force One is the air traffic control call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States (it is a common misconception that "Air Force One" refers to a single airplane). Since 1990, the presidential fleet has consisted of two specifically configured, highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft—tail numbers 28000 and 29000—with Air Force designation VC-25A. While these planes are only referred to as "Air Force One" while the president is on board, the term is commonly used to describe either of the two aircraft normally used and maintained by the U.S. Air Force solely for the president.

The VC-25A is capable of flying 12 600 km (7,800 miles)—roughly one-third the distance around the world—without refueling and can accommodate more than 70 passengers. Before these planes entered service, two Boeing 707-320B-type aircraft—tail numbers 26000 and 27000—had operated as Air Force One starting in 1962. The Air Force designation for these aircraft was VC-137. Since its inception, Air Force One has become a symbol of presidential power and prestige.

1 Operation
2 Capability and features
3 History
4 Popular culture
5 Analogues in other countries
6 Sources and further reading
- 6.1 Text
- 6.2 Photographs and other multimedia
7 See also
8 Notes

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Operation

These aircraft are maintained and operated as military operations by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. The President is often flown in a U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky VH-3D helicopter, call sign Marine One, between Andrews AFB and the White House.

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Capability and features

The planes that serve as Air Force One differ from the standard Boeing 747 in size, features, and security precautions. While Air Force One has three floors, like a regular Boeing 747, its interior has been reconfigured for presidential duties. The planes' 4,000 square feet (370 m²) of interior floor space include multiple modifications. The planes' lowest levels are mostly cargo space, carrying luggage and the plane's food supply. The food can supply up to 2,000 meals when fully loaded, some of which is stored in freezers. Meals are prepared in two galleys, which together are equipped to feed about 100 people at a time.

The main passenger area is on the second floor, and communications equipment and the cockpit are on the third floor. There are three entrances onboard. Writer Tom Harris notes:

Passengers can enter through three doors. Two doors, one at the front of the plane and one at the rear, open onto the lower deck, and one door at the front of the plane opens onto the middle deck. Normally, when you see the president in the news getting on and off Air Force One with a wave, he is using the door onto the middle deck and a rolling staircase has been pulled up to the plane. Journalists normally enter through the rear door, where they immediately climb a staircase to the middle deck. Most of the press area looks something like the first class section of an ordinary jetliner, with comfortable, spaced-out seats.

Occasionally, to get a political point across, the President would enter/exit Air Force One via the self contained Air Stairs via the lower deck instead of the Main Deck. This was evidently seen when President George W. Bush, during his visit to Pakistan in March 2006, boarded and disembarked the 747 via the lower deck rather than the main door. This might have been a security precaution, but it also might mean that the White House wanted to bring across the "Flying Fortress" role of Air Force One to the politicians of the host country. Note that a day earlier, during Bush's stop over in India, he boarded via the Main Deck.

On board Air Force One are medical facilities, including a fold-out operating table, emergency medical supplies, and a well-stocked pharmacy. On every flight there is a staff doctor. In addition, there are separate sleeping quarters for guests, senior staff, Secret Service and security personnel, and the news media; the president's executive suite includes a private dressing room, workout room, lavatory, shower, and private office. These offices, including the president's suite, are mostly located on the starboard, and a long corridor runs along the port. Whenever Air Force One rolls up to an event, it always comes to a stop with the left side of the aircraft facing gathered onlookers as a security measure to keep the President's side of the aircraft out of view.

Image:Air Force One on the ground.png In the office areas, Air Force One features access to photocopying, printing, and word processing services, as well as telecommunication systems (including 85 telephones and 19 televisions). There are also secure and non-secure voice, fax, and data communications facilities. Most of the furniture on board was hand-crafted by master carpenters.

The planes can also be operated as a military command center in the event of an incident such as a nuclear attack. Operational modifications include aerial refueling capability and anti-aircraft missile countermeasures. The electronics on board are connected with approximately 238 miles (383 km) of wiring, twice that of a regular 747. All wiring is covered with heavy shielding for protection from an electromagnetic pulse in the event of a nuclear attack. The planes also have electronic countermeasures (ECMs) to jam enemy radar and flares to avoid heat-seeking missiles. Many of Air Force One's other capabilities are classified for security reasons.

The presidential 747s in 2004 also had, for the first time since this model was deployed, the role of carrying dead Presidents on their final journey to Washington for their State Funeral. This was most widely seen when the late President Reagan was brought from California to Washington on SAM 28000. Though not called Air Force One on this particular mission, it was the highest accord that could be given to a former President. Following the State Funeral in Washington, Reagan's body was loaded onto the main deck of SAM 28000 via the second door from the aft on the left side of the 747. The seats in the Staff Cabin of the plane were removed to make way for his casket to be strapped to the floor. Reagan's body was then flown back to California for his internment. Foreign VIPs such as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher were aboard this flight, along with members of the Reagan Family.

In April 2006, it was discovered that information about the plane's configuration, including the sensitive location of the oxygen tanks, had been published on an Air Force website. The floor plan of Air Force One (PDF) was made available at The Guardian's website (see also http://www.0x4d.net/files/AF1/TechnicalOrder00-105E-9_1February2006_Revision11.pdf and http://www.0x4d.net/files/AF1/to00-105e-9.htm).

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History

Image:Sacred Cow airplane.jpg Prior to World War II, overseas and cross-country presidential travel was rare. Lack of wireless telecommunications and quick transportation made long-distance travel impractical, as it took up much time and isolated the President from events in Washington.

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First of "Flying Presidents"

In the 1940s and 1950s, however, air travel became much more convenient. The first president to fly in an airplane while in office was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled on a Boeing 314 "flying boat" aircraft to a 1943 conference in Casablanca on the progress of World War II. The main reason at the time for presidential air travel was the threat of the German Navy's U-boats in the Atlantic. The continuing threat from the submarines established air travel as a usual means of long-distance transportation for the President.

The first aircraft officially designated for Presidential flight was the C-87A Liberator Express, a reconfigured B-24 bomber. This plane was called Guess Where Two. However, the plane was no longer used for Roosevelt after another C-87A crashed; the Secret Service reconfigured a C-54 Skymaster as a replacement. This plane was nicknamed the Sacred Cow and included a sleeping area, radio telephone, and retractable elevator for Roosevelt's wheelchair. It carried the president to several important events, most notably the Yalta Conference. The Secret Service, not wishing to waste resources, instead put the C-87A plane to use by having Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt use it instead.

Image:Independence aircraft.png After Roosevelt died in spring 1945, Vice President Harry S. Truman became President. He replaced the C-54 with a modified C-118 Liftmaster, calling it the Independence, possibly in reference to President Truman's hometown of Independence, Missouri. This was the first aircraft acting as Air Force One that had a distinctive exterior (an eagle head painted on its nose). Image:Columbine III aircraft.png

The call signs were established for security purposes during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first American president to have been a pilot in his own right. The change stemmed from a 1953 incident where an Eastern Airlines commercial flight (8610) had the same call sign as a flight the President was on (Air Force 8610). The planes accidentally entered the same airspace, and after the incident the unique call sign "Air Force One" was made for the presidential aircraft.

Eisenhower also introduced two other propeller aircraft, the Lockheed C-121 Constellations (VC-121E) to Presidential service. These planes were named Columbine II and Columbine III by Mamie Eisenhower after the official state flower of Colorado, her adopted home state. President Eisenhower also upgraded Air Force One's technology by adding an air-to-ground telephone and an air-to-ground teletype machine. Towards the end of Eisenhower's term, in 1958, the Air Force added three Boeing 707 jets into the fleet.

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Boeing 707s as Air Force One

Image:Lyndonjohnson.jpg Image:George W. Bush Tours Air Force One.jpg With John F. Kennedy, presidential air travel officially entered the jet age. In 1962, he added a modified, long-range 707 to the fleet—Special Air Missions (SAM) 26000. He also commissioned industrial designer Raymond Loewy to create a distinctive exterior for the plane. Loewy came up with a powder blue and white design, the same colors used today; he also had the words "United States of America" put on the fuselage's side and the U.S. flag painted on the tail. Because the aircraft would be solely for the use of the president, Kennedy asked that the Presidential seal be added to both sides of the nose.

In late June 1963, Kennedy flew on SAM 26000 to Berlin, where he made his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech, and to Ireland. A month earlier, it broke 30 speed records when carrying a delegation to Moscow, including the fastest non-stop flight between Washington and Moscow.

On November 22, 1963, SAM 26000 carried President John F. Kennedy to Dallas, Texas, where early that afternoon he was assassinated. It was on the plane (while it was at Love Field) that Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took the oath of office, and the plane carried Kennedy's body back to Washington. SAM 26000 flew over Arlington National Cemetery as Kennedy was being laid to rest.

SAM 26000 also carried President Richard Nixon on his historic trips to mainland China and to Russia in 1972. Later in 1972, SAM 26000 became the backup aircraft when another 707, SAM 27000, arrived.

On January 22, 1973, LBJ died. Two days later, SAM 26000 brought the former president's body on one last journey to Washington, coming from Texas for the state funeral the following day. After the funeral, SAM 26000 brought his body home to Texas for his burial, landing at Bergstrom AFB in Austin, the airfield Johnson flew into and out of when president. As the former president was laid to rest at his ranch, retired Brigadier General James Cross, pilot of SAM 26000 in Johnson's day, turned over the flag to his wife, Lady Bird, at her request. He also escorted her during the state funeral, again at her request. The role SAM 26000 played during the funeral, which Nixon presided over, made several points clear:

It was the aircraft that LBJ used primarily when president. In fact, it was used most often by LBJ.
Even though he died in Texas, Lady Bird Johnson agreed to the public honors in Washington because so many others from around the world wanted to join in—40,000 paid their respects when the former president lay in state, even though the mood during the state funeral was one of intense recrimination because the wounds of the Vietnam War were still raw.
The final services honoring LBJ on January 25 were completed in one day, even though they took part in different parts of the country, thanks to jets.

President Nixon dubbed the presidential airliner The Spirit of 1976, in recognition of the upcoming American bicentennial. In 1974, when Richard M. Nixon resigned the presidency and departed from Andrews AFB on Air Force One, it was arranged that the plane's call sign would switch from Air Force One to SAM designation (SAM 27000). It was President Ford who first decided that the name of the aircraft itself should be Air Force One, along with the call sign.

SAM 27000 was the primary presidential aircraft for more presidents than any other. It began service under Nixon and served Gerald R. Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush until it was replaced by the 747's in 1990.

SAM 27000 after which continued to serve as 'Air Force Two' (Until the C-32 Boeing 757s were implemented in 1998.) and on very rare occasions as 'Air Force One' up till 2001.

There was one memorable incident in January 1998 when the 707 got stuck in the mud upon arrivial in Willard Airport, Illinois. It was carrying President Clinton at that time. It caused everyone on board including the President to have to disembark on the runway.

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Transition to Boeing 747s

Ronald Reagan's two terms as President saw no major changes to Air Force One but the fabrication of the current 747s began. Most of the interior was completed in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft was delivered in 1990, during the administration of George H. W. Bush.

On October 6, 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated. Because of security concerns, Reagan did not attend the funeral, nor did then-Vice President Bush. Instead, President Reagan sent Secretary of State Alexander Haig and the living former presidents—Nixon, Ford, and Carter—to the funeral. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was also on board. In 1987, Reagan flew on SAM 27000 to Berlin and made his famous "Tear down this wall!" speech.

President George W. Bush added a treadmill to Air Force One. In November 2003, there was a minor controversy when Air Force One's crew lied to the crew of a passing British Airways jet, informing them that the 416-ton 747 was a 45-ton Gulfstream V corporate jet, while transporting George W. Bush to Iraq to spend Thanksgiving with troops stationed there,¹ though White House officials later denied this.².

One of the most dramatic episodes aboard Air Force One happened on September 11, 2001, when it flew President George W. Bush from Sarasota, Florida, where he was interrupted at an education event because of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. Instead of returning to Washington, the Secret Service ordered Air Force One to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, and then to the former Strategic Air Command (now United States Strategic Command) headquarters at Offut AFB in Nebraska, before returning to Washington. The following day, officials at the White House and the Justice Department said that the plan was enacted because there was evidence "that the White House and Air Force One were targets."

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Location of past planes that served as Air Force One

Aircraft which have formerly served as Air Force One are on display in the Presidential Hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio (Sacred Cow, Independence, Columbine III, SAM 26000, and other smaller Presidential aircraft), as well as the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington (earlier VC-137B SAM 970).

The Boeing 707 that served as Air Force One during the 1980s (SAM 27000) is on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The jet is part of a museum of presidential travel, located at this location. The Air Force One Pavilion was opened to the public on October 24, 2005.

A Douglas VC-118A Liftmaster used by John F. Kennedy is on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.

New aircraft to fulfill the role of Air Force One may be acquired as soon as 2010, when the current 747s will be 20 years old.

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Popular culture

Image:Air Force One (film).jpg Air Force One is a prominent symbol of the presidency and its power; after the White House, it is probably the most recognized Presidential institution. Air Force One has often been featured in popular culture and fiction, most notably in the 1997 action movie Air Force One, starring Harrison Ford and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. In the film, Russian terrorists hijack Air Force One and hold the President and other passengers hostage.

The film was noted for its fancifully-exaggerated depiction of the plane's capabilities; for example, the real Air Force One does not officially carry an escape capsule, though this cannot be refuted since the exact specifications of the aircraft are classified.

Air Force One has been featured in other films (Independence Day, Superman, The Sum of All Fears, and Escape from New York which also featured the unconfirmable escape pod), books (The President's Plane is Missing), and TV series (The West Wing, Commander in Chief, 24 and NCIS).

Three missions of the Nintendo 64 video game Perfect Dark involve a futuristic Air Force One, and once again featured the escape pod. The player, a secret agent, must attempt to stop the kidnapping of the President during these missions. First they have to sneak aboard the plane at an Alaskan Air Force base. Then they have to protect the President and get him to the escape pod when aliens conspiring with NSA personnel invade the aircraft mid-flight via a troopship. After the plane crash lands on Victoria Island, the player must once again rescue the president from enemy forces, encountering portions of the aircraft and furniture thrown from the impact along the way.

In Anthony Horowitz's novel Eagle Strike, the teenage spy Alex Rider is trapped inside the hijacked Air Force One, providing the reader a description of the plane's interior.

A stage of the arcade game Ghost Squad has the players retake "Air Force One" from a terrorist group. The plane shown in the FMV's looks more like a Boeing 707 with a noticeably higher fuselage profile or the Airbus Beluga than the Boeing 747.

In the Christian fiction series Left Behind, President Gerald Fitzhugh donates Air Force One to UN Secretary-General Nicolae Carpathia and christens it Global Community One (The Global Community being the name of Nicolae Carpathia's proposed One World Government).

Union Pacific 4141 is an EMD SD70ACe locomotive with a paint scheme based on that of Air Force One.

In fashion, the term "Air Force Ones" is used to describe a particular all-white shoe that has been sold by Nike since the 1980s. These shoes have become popular hip hop icons, and have even been the focus of a 2002 rap song by rapper Nelly aptly titled "Air Force Ones."

In the book Deception Point by Dan Brown, Air Force One is described from the exterior and a number of miscellaneous facts are mentioned, as one of the main characters meets the President of the U.S. on board the plane.

On March 9th 2006 The Epoch Times reported that Air Force One will be used in a Kingish Breweries commercial which will feature American born Trinidad & Tobago Cricket sensation Jeffery Chemerinsky.

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Analogues in other countries

Image:Air Force One on the ground.jpg Template:Main No other mode of transportation for government executives is as well-known as Air Force One. Most nations, even industrialized ones, do not maintain a separate aircraft for heads of state and government, although most have a military "VIP fleet" that provides aircraft when senior government officials must travel.

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Sources and further reading

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Text

"Air Force One" The Boeing Company. ^[1]
"Air Force One" United States Air Force. July 2003. ^[2]
Albertazzie, Ralph, and Jerald F. Terhorst. Flying White House: The Story of Air Force One. Book Sales: 1979. ISBN 0698109309.
Dorr, Robert F. Air Force One. Motorbooks International: 2002. ISBN 0760310556.
Hardesty, Von. Air Force One: The Aircraft that Shaped the Modern Presidency. Northword Press: 2003. ISBN 1559718943.
Harris, Tom. How Air Force One Works. ^[3]
Walsh, Kenneth T. Air Force One: A History of the Presidents and Their Planes. Hyperion: 2003. ISBN 1401300049.
Q&A: U.S. Presidential Jet Air Force One by David Braun National Geographic News, May 29, 2003 [4]
Technical Order 00-105E-9, Segment 9, Chapter 7

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Photographs and other multimedia

Template:Commons

Truman Library & Museum.^[5]
United States Air Force.^[6]
National Museum of the United States Air Force Presidential Aircraft.^[7]
Radio communication of the Air Force One monitored by the Frequency Monitor Centre in the Netherlands^[8] (not English)

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Notes

Milbank, Dana. "A Baghdad Thanksgiving's Lingering Aftertaste." The Washington Post. December 12, 2003. ^[9]
Allen, Mike. "The Bird Was Perfect But Not For Dinner." The Washington Post. December 4, 2003. ^[10]

Template:PresidentialCallsigns

Active military aircraft of the United States

Image:Flag of the United States.svg