Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign for any aircraft carrying the president of the United States. Air Force One is usually always referred to any aircraft the president and his staff travels on. The official name of the plane is the SAM 2900 and VC-25.[1]
Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the presidency not just in American culture but across the world. Emblazoned with the words “United States of America,” the United States flag, and the Seal of the President of the United States. Air Force One has an undeniable and amired presence wherever it goes and flies to.[1]
History
Air Force One is maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of the White House Military Office. The Airlift Group was founded in 1944 as the Presidential Pilot Office at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.[1]
For the next 15 years, various propeller-driven aircraft served until President Dwight D. Eisenhower flew to Europe aboard VC-137A, a Boeing 707 Stratoliner, in August 1959.[1]
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy became the first president to fly in a jet specifically built for presidential use a modified Boeing 707 until it retired in 1990.[1]
The current presidential aircraft, Boeing 747-200B, became the new and modified presidential plane in 1990, when President George H.W. Bush became the first president to ride on the aircraft.[1]
On 21 May 2025, the Trump administration accepted a Boeing 747-8 as a gift from the royal family of Qatar. The administration plans to use it as the new Air Force One. With an estimated value of US$400 million, this will be the most valuable gift given to the United States from a foreign government.[2]
Layout and amenities
- Inside, the president and his staff members can enjoy 4,000 square feet of floor space on three floors, including an extensive suite for the president that features a large office, lavatory, conference room, gym, and a large bathroom.[1]
- Air Force One includes a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is permanently on board. The plane’s two food preparation galleys can feed 100 people at a time. It can also prepare up to 2,000 meals[1]
- Air Force One also has quarters for those who accompany the president, including senior advisors, Secret Service officers, traveling press, and other guests. Several cargo planes typically fly ahead of Air Force One to provide the president with vehicles and services needed in remote locations.[1]
- The aircraft has two lower decks so stairs won't be an issue in foreign countries.[3]
- It has 85 telephones for government secured lines and regular use.[3]
- It has 20 television sets.[3]
- All of it's windows are bulletproof and armored.[3]
Air Force One Media
Boeing VC-25B Bridge, new Air Force One. In service since July 2026.
SAM 29000, one of two VC-25As used as Air Force One, approaching Dayton International Airport in October 2012.
Theodore Roosevelt and pilot Arch Hoxsey before their 1910 flight in St. Louis
President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Douglas C-54 Skymaster aircraft, nicknamed the Sacred Cow
The VC-118 Independence used primarily by President Harry S. Truman
The VC-121 Columbine II, shown here while undergoing restoration in 2016, used by President Dwight Eisenhower
Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as president aboard SAM 26000 following John F. Kennedy's assassination.
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Air Force One (in en-US). The White House. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ↑ Karl, Jonathan. Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources (in en). ABC News. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Macias, Amanda. These features make Air Force One an incomparable flying fortress (in en-US). Business Insider. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
