Overview

Air Force One is the air traffic control call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. 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 referred to as "Air Force One" only 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. Each VC-25A costs approximately US$325 million.

History

Theodore Roosevelt became the first president to fly in a plane on October 11, 1910. At the time he was no longer in office, having been succeeded by William Howard Taft. However, 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, D.C..

The first "flying presidents"

In the 1940s and 1950s, air travel became much more convenient. The first president to fly in an aircraft while in office was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled on a Boeing 314 flying boat to a 1943 conference in Casablanca on the progress of World War II. The threat from the German Navy's U-boats in the Atlantic made air travel the preferred method of transportation. The continuing threat from submarines established air travel as a usual means of intercontinental 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, after a different C-87A crashed, Guess Where Two was no longer used for Roosevelt; 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, put the C-87A plane to use by having First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt use it instead.

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—a bald eagle head painted on its nose.

The presidential call sign was established for security purposes during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. 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 introduced 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 columbine, 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 (designated SAM 970, 971, and 972) into the fleet. "Ike" became the first president to use the 707 during his "Flight to Peace" Goodwill tour, from Dec. 3 through 22, 1959. He visited 11 Asian nations, flying 22,000 miles in 19 days, about twice as fast as he would have on "Columbine"

Capability and features

The VC-25A 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 plane has storage and freezer capacity to provide up to 2,000 meals when fully loaded. 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, two on the lower and one on the main deck. Typically the president boards and deplanes from the front, main deck entrance via an airstair, while journalists and other passengers enter at the lower rear door. Facilities for the press and other passengers are configured like an ordinary airliner's first-class cabin.[1]

On board Air Force One are medical facilities, including a fold-out operating table, emergency medical supplies, and a well-stocked pharmacy; President George W. Bush had a treadmill added to Air Force One during his term in office. Every flight is staffed by a doctor. There are separate quarters for guests, senior staff, Secret Service and security personnel, and the news media. The president's executive suite includes a sleeping quarters with two couches that can be converted into beds, lavatory and 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. When Air Force One taxis to an airport's ramp for events, it comes to a stop with the left side of the aircraft facing gathered onlookers.[citation needed]

In the office areas, Air Force One has 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.

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, flares to avoid heat-seeking missiles, and chaff to avoid radar-guided missiles. Many of Air Force One's other capabilities are classified for security reasons.

The VC-25A has also been used to fly former presidents on their final flights after death. Both President Reagan's (aboard SAM 28000) and President Ford's (aboard SAM 29000) caskets were transported to and from Washington for their state funerals, and on to their final resting place aboard the VC-25A. The casket is placed within the mid - aft section of the 747 on the main deck, and enters/exits via the fourth door on the port side of the plane. Chairs in this area which normally serve as a staff cabin are removed and the casket is strapped down. A specially designed hydraulic lifter (similar to the type used by airline catering) with the presidential seal affixed to the sides lifts the casket up to the door to enter the 747.

Transition to Boeing 747s

Though Ronald Reagan's two terms as President saw no major changes to Air Force One, the fabrication of the current 747s began under his presidency. Most of the interior was completed in Wichita, Kansas.[citation needed] The first aircraft was delivered in 1990, during the administration of George H. W. Bush. The delays were to allow for additional work to protect the aircraft from electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

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 a second attack on New York. President Bush flew on Air Force One to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, and then flew to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, before returning to Washington. The next day, officials at the White House and the Justice Department said that Bush did this because there was "credible evidence that the White House and Air Force One were targets."