A couple of days ago, I talked about the first \u201cAir Force One.\u201d When I re-read it, I realized that some of it may have been a little misleading and maybe I should clear it up a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I probably shouldn\u2019t have assumed that everyone knew that the term \u201cAir Force One\u201d isn\u2019t tied to any particular aircraft \u2014 Air Force One can describe any Air Force aircraft carrying the President. It is a term used to refer to specific planes equipped to transport the Commander-in-Chief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. The \u2018Air Force One\u2019 call sign was created in 1953, after President Eisenhower\u2019s Lockheed Constellation, named Columbine II, entered the same airspace as an Eastern Airlines commercial flight using the same flight number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For completeness, I should have included a few other \u201cfacts\u201d while I was on the subject of presidential airplanes. Eisenhower chalked up another \u201cfirst\u201d when he became the first president to use a jet aircraft, when a Boeing 707 was added to the Air Force\u2019s fleet in 1958. President John F. Kennedy, in 1962, became the first president to fly in a jet specifically built for presidential use \u2014 a modified Boeing 707.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1990 President George H. W. Bush took possession of the first 747 Air Force One. This airplane is one of the most recognizable symbols of the office of the President. The paint scheme includes the words \u201cUnited States of America,\u201d the American flag, and Seal of the President of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The current Air Force One is capable of midair refueling, giving it unlimited range. Its onboard electronics are hardened to protect against an electromagnetic pulse and it\u2019s fully loaded with advanced secure communications equipment. All this allows the aircraft to function as a mobile command center. Inside, there is 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels \u2014 that includes an extensive suite for the President that contains a large office, lavatory and conference room. It also contains a medical suite that can function as an operating room. A doctor is always on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cnew\u201d Air Force One is currently under contract\u2026 it\u2019ll be hard to improve on the current model, but I\u2019m sure it will be impressive\u2026.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A couple of days ago, I talked about the first \u201cAir Force One.\u201d When I re-read it, I realized that some of it may have been a little misleading and maybe I should clear it up a bit. I probably … Continue reading