From Airport to Runway: Air Force One

Air Force One is the name officially designated as air traffic control call sign to any air transport bearing the President of the United States. The carrier is the symbol of the authority and power of the US Chief Executive on air.

Prior to 1953, no official air transport had been assigned to any President; he traveled using the commercial planes. Although he was no longer in the office, Theodore Roosevelt was the first American President who took flight in air. He flew an early Wright Flyer from Kinloch Field on October 11, 1910 to attend a country fair. Franklin D. Roosevelt was actually the first president to travel in a plane while still in office. His aircraft was a Boeing 314 flying boat named Dixie Clipper, manned with a Pan-Am crew. FDR attended the 1943 Casablanca Conference in Morocco.

USAAF officials started to consider the risk of the president taking commercial flights so they converted a military plane to accommodate the Commander-in-Chief's flying missions. The first VIP aircraft, the C87A was rejected by the Secret Service for safety reasons. They later adopted a safer model, the C-54 Skymaster as the presidential transport. They named the VC-54C aircraft as Sacred Cow.

In 1945, when Harry S. Truman became President, his airplane was a modified C-118 Liftmaster called Independence. This first aircraft was predecessor of Air Force One. The necessity of having an official air transport for the President to insure his safety again surfaced during the time of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The Chief Executive had a harrowing flying incident in a commercial airline. This event started the works for Air Force One which had its official flight in 1959. Since then, there were several planes used as presidential fleet. In 1990, two Boeing VC-25 and Boeing 747 were used as the presidential airfleet. Until this time, the Air Force officials are in search for better contenders.

At present, two planes, similar to Boeing 747-2004 jets, bear this designation. They are VC-25A, with tail numbers 28000 and 29000. The general structure and capabilities of the two planes are like normal Boeing 747-200B. Its height is comparable to a six-story building and its length is as long as a city block. Special features are:

• The four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines of each plane provide 56,700 pounds of thrust a piece.
• The plane’s ceiling maximum rate is 45,100 feet and has a top speed between 630 and 700 miles per hour.
• Fuel capacity of each plane is 53,611 gallons of fuel.
• Fully loaded used for a long-range mission, it weighs 833,000 pounds.
• The plane with its tank fully loaded has the capacity to fly halfway around the world.

These types of planes have 3 levels similar to the normal 747; however its interior part does not resemble a commercial 747 at all.

Air Force One is not just a plane nor an air traffic control sign but it is the President’s flying carpet around the world to accomplish his duties. No wonder, media calls Air Force One as “the flying White House”.

Links:

• Air force one – History of Air Force One, Other Presidential Aircrafts, Aircrafts on display, Roster of Presidential pilots, References and External Links..
• Air traffic control air sign – History, Language, Air Control, Enroute & Area Control Center, Problems, Call Signs, Technology, Air Navigation Service Providers, References and External Links.
• Boeing 747 – 200 B Jets – Its development, Design, Variants, Operators, Specifications, References and External Links.
• C-54 Skymaster – Specifications, Achievements and Photos.
• C87A – Description and Specifications.
• Jet Engine – History, Uses, Types, General Principles, References and External Links.
• Theodore Roosevelt – Flight experience
• Franklin D. Roosevelt – Flight experience as the first incumbent president to take a presidential plane.
• Harry S. Truman – History of his flights.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower – Harrowing incident in flight.