In the year 1953, Eastern Airlines’ Flight 8610 and the Air Force Flight 8610 almost fell prey to a flight mix-up which could’ve resulted in a deadly collision. Fortunately, they didn’t. It was more fortunate since one of the flights was carrying the then US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was due to this incident that the US government decided to have a separate bird for the President of the United States (POTUS).
What is Air Force One?
Designed to be a 'flying White House',the Boeing 747-200B, also known as ‘Air Force One',is presently the aircraft used to carry POTUS around the world. It is interesting to note that Air Force One is not a name of an aircraft, but a callsign for the US Air Force (USAF), for any plane that has the POTUS in it. However, currently, the 747s are officially the Air Force One aircraft for the US Airforce, which has designated the aircraft as VC-25A. The tail codes of these aircraft are 28000 and 29000 (pronounced as ‘2-8-thousand’).
How is Air Force One Different From A Standard Boeing 747?
The Air Force One aircraft(s) (as there are two!) are heavily modified and guarded, with the capacity to withstand a nuclear bomb explosion. Spanning across an area of 4,000 square feet, the Air Force One is equipped with an oval office, situation room, conference/dining room, radar jamming, flares, and a private suite with a small gym, bathroom-cum-shower, and comfortable sleeping quarters for the President. In addition, the aircraft is loaded with roughly 85 phone lines.
The iconic colour of the aircraft – blue and white – was replaced with a more subdued shade of blue, along with a tinge of red added to it. John. F Kennedy decided that the flight looked more “imperial” this way. So, the Kennedys commissioned Raymond Loewy, an American designer, who also designed the emblematic Coke bottle, to redesign Air Force One.
Who Flies The Air Force One?
The pilots for the Air Force One are chosen by the US Air Force, with a minimum criterion of 2,500 hours of flying fighter jet and other military aircraft, and almost two decades of services for the USAF. Among 12,395 pilots and 329,839 Air Force Personnel, 80 pilots and 89 large flight crew are picked for the services of Air Force One. Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is the official base for the presidential fleet.
According to reports, a new Air Force One is under development and will be delivered to the USAF by the year 2024. The development began under the term of former POTUS Donald Trump. The new aircraft will be designated as VC-25B and derived from Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental. The project will cost the US government a whopping $3.9 Billion.
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