Air Force One and Presidential Air Travel

Today’s guest post comes from Susan Donius, Director of the Office of Presidential Libraries at the National Archives. This post originally appeared on the White House blog.

The President of the United States must be ready to travel anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice. Fortunately, modern Presidents have access to a variety of transportation options, including flying aboard Air Force One. Strictly speaking, the term “Air Force One” is used to describe any Air Force aircraft when the President is on board, but since the middle of the 20th century, it has been standard practice to use the title to refer to specific planes that are equipped to transport the Commander-in-Chief.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first sitting President to fly on an airplane when, in January 1943, he traveled aboard a Boeing 314 Clipper Ship called the Dixie Clipper to attend the Casablanca Conference in Morocco. Two years later, Roosevelt again flew abroad, this time aboard a converted military plane dubbed the Sacred Cow, to join Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin at the Yalta Conference. The Sacred Cow did not have a pressurized cabin, so when it flew at high altitudes, oxygen masks were necessary for everyone on board. The plane was also equipped with an elevator that could accommodate President Roosevelt and his wheelchair for boarding and disembarking.

The Presidential plane has, from time to time, served not only as a mode of transportation, but also as a “flying Oval Office” upon which historic events have taken place. President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 — which established the United States Air Force as an independent branch of the Armed Services — while on board the Sacred Cow. Another notable moment in history took place on October 10, 1985: Ronald Reagan was midflight from Chicago to Washington, D.C., when he gave the order for Navy jets to intercept the plane carrying the men who had hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro.

President Harry S. Truman’s Presidential airplane, the Independence, in flight over an unknown location. 1950
President Harry S. Truman’s Presidential airplane, the Independence, in flight over an unknown location. 1950

 

The Presidential plane has also been the setting of lighter events and celebrations, such as on June 3, 1988, when the passengers of Air Force One celebrated the birthday of James McKinney — cake and all — in the air. McKinney was Director of the White House Military Office, whose duties (among others) includes maintaining and operating Air Force One. Cake was also on the menu when President Roosevelt celebrated his 61st birthday midflight on the Dixie Clipper, and again on March 16, 1974, when First Lady Pat Nixon celebrated her birthday while on board Air Force One.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt celebrates his 61st birthday on the Dixie Clipper while flying from Trinidad to Miami. 1/30/1943

 

In 1947, a DC-6 plane known as Independence took the place of the Sacred Cow, and with it came upgraded technology such as a radio typewriter and a pressurized cabin, which allowed for high-altitude flying without the use of oxygen masks. The Independence — named for Truman’s hometown in Missouri — featured an eagle painted on the nose, and an interior with a seating capacity of 24 (12 for sleeping).

President Eisenhower flew aboard two aircraft while in office, Columbine II and Columbine III, both named after the state flower of Colorado, and both four-engine, propeller-driven Lockheed Constellations. The original Columbine had been used by Eisenhower from 1951 to 1952, as commander of NATO in Europe. Columbine III remained the Presidential aircraft throughout Eisenhower’s Presidency, retiring on January 20, 1961, the day John F. Kennedy was sworn into office.

The Columbine II sits on the tarmac in D.C. awaiting the arrival of President Eisenhower. 2/23/1953. (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service)

 

The popular use of the term “Air Force One” to refer to the Presidential airplane began with the Boeing 707 purchased for use by President John F. Kennedy. This aircraft, with the tail number 26000, flew the President to Germany, where he delivered his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in West Berlin. On November 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson took the Presidential Oath of Office aboard the same plane following the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Nearly 10 years later in 1972, President Richard Nixon made his historic visit to the People’s Republic of China, also on tail number 26000.

President John F. Kennedy arrives in Alameda, California. 3/23/1962

 

President Lyndon B. Johnson holds his grandson Patrick, who plays with the telephone as First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and Luci Johnson look on. 3/2/68

 

Arrival of Air Force One in Peking, China. 2/21/1972
Arrival of Air Force One in Peking, China. 2/21/1972

 

The next Air Force One to go into use (tail number 27000) is currently on display inside the Air Force One Pavilion on the grounds of the Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. Used by Presidents Nixon through George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan flew in this plane more than any other President, logging over 660,000 miles in total. When he flew home to California after the inauguration of his successor, President George H.W. Bush, he again traveled aboard this plane. However, since it was no longer transporting a sitting President, it carried the name SAM (Special Air Mission) 27000 instead of Air Force One.

First Lady Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford inside Air Force One after Sara Jane Moore’s assassination attempt. 9/22/1975
First Lady Betty Ford and President Gerald Ford inside Air Force One after Sara Jane Moore’s assassination attempt. 9/22/1975

 

President Jimmy Carter with White House staff aboard Air Force One. 7/20/1977
President Jimmy Carter with White House staff aboard Air Force One. 7/20/1977

 

President Ronald Reagan sitting with the crew in the cockpit of Air Force One. 3/16/1982
President Ronald Reagan sitting with the crew in the cockpit of Air Force One. 3/16/1982

 

There are currently two Boeing 747 airplanes designated as Air Force One, and both are equipped to allow the President to conduct official business while in flight, including secure communications, medical supplies, a conference room, and a Presidential suite. Today’s Air Force One can also refuel while in flight. Guests of the President — whether they be foreign dignitaries, White House staffers, or members of the press — can attend meetings, rest, or enjoy a meal from the galleys, which can feed up to 100 people at a time.

President George Bush is welcomed by Military Personnel to Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10/28/1990
President George Bush is welcomed by Military Personnel to Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10/28/1990

 

President William J. Clinton speaking on the telephone to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin from his office on Air Force One. 9/9/1993
President William J. Clinton speaking on the telephone to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin from his office on Air Force One. 9/9/1993

 

Air Force One landing At Buyant-Ukhaa Airport in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. 11/21/2005

 

Learn more about the Presidential Libraries and Museums of the National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/

 

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