# Air Force One question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 21, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066 "2007-04-21T14:36:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/21 "2007-04-22T02:47:06Z")
Yes but, the idea of emergency command while traveling is an old one. Even as early as 1900, HQ government provided the king with an army officer who carried the mobilization and other orders. If the French acted up the king could issue the mobilization (and convoy and censorship) orders from his place in Brighton.
So a 1900 ‘football.’
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/22 "2007-04-22T14:44:07Z")
I thought the question was about the call sign the 747-200 / VC-25’s (there are 2) use when the President is not on board. Then, 28000 is “Venus 1” and 29000 is “Venus 2”.[Here’s a guide to the entire VIP transport operation](http://www.n4kss.net/~swvsc/fall01.html)
The president makes any US military aircraft “Air Force One”, “Navy One”, etc., and any civilian aircraft “Executive One”.
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### Author:  [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/23 "2007-04-22T14:45:31Z")
For the record, if a President were to fly in a civilian plane it would be referred to as Executive One.
As others have said, the call sign follows the President, not the plane. The planes are known as VC-25s when not used by the President. Since the Air Force and the Marines take responsibility for the President’s transportation, there has rarely been a case when he wasn’t on an aircraft designated Air Force One or Marine One. There was once a Navy One, though. I’m sure you guys remember that one pretty well.
Nixon flew commercially (with his plane following behind) in 1973, but the plane (strangely) was not known as Executive One, nor was his plane known as Air Force One. That is the only instance of a President flying commercial or civilian air. The Army used to share helicopter transport responsibilities with the Marines, but that went away in the mid 1970s. When Nixon left the White House for the last time he was flown on Army One, for instance. There has not been an instance of an Army One since the 1970s that I can recall offhand.
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### Author:  [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/24 "2007-04-22T14:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi]
Even as early as 1900, HQ government provided the king with an army officer who carried the mobilization and other orders. If the French acted up the king could issue the mobilization (and convoy and censorship) orders from his place in Brighton.
[/QUOTE]
Do you mean 1800? The Brighton Pavilion ceased to be a royal residence around 1850. (And in 1900 there was a queen, not a king, and the main threat to the UK was perceived as the Germans, not the French.)
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/25 "2007-04-22T15:13:48Z")
Grumble.
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### Author:  [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/26 "2007-04-22T16:16:38Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi]
I wonder if the Secretary of Education gets to ride in School Bus One.
[/QUOTE]
When W is in a school bus it’s called “Short Bus 1”.
**Apologies to Shagnasty.**
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### Author:  [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/27 "2007-04-22T16:33:03Z")
Hmmm.
How about that air craft carrier?
Did it become Navy 1 when he landed?
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/28 "2007-04-22T16:46:13Z")
The carrier didn’t, but the plane he rode there on did.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/29 "2007-04-22T16:54:09Z")
When Bush is back in Crawford do they have a designated Horse One for him to ride?
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### Author:  [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/30 "2007-04-22T17:22:05Z")
When he’s in the toilet does it become “Lavatory One?” What if he’s doing number twos?
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### Author:  [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/31 "2007-04-22T18:10:04Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves]
The carrier didn’t, but the plane he rode there on did.
[/QUOTE]
Dang.
Blows my world view!
I had always assumed the presidential limo was Army One… probably isn’t, unless he gets one of those cars from Transformers that can change into an airplane or a fighting robot.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/32 "2007-04-22T20:55:18Z")
I’m giggling at the thought of Canada’s PM being flown around on “Sea King One”
“Uh… sorry Mr Harper, but it’s going to need about 40 hours more of service if you want to make that Toronto-Montreal flight…”
The various provincial premiers, of course, have local variations… Jean Charest and his “Ski-Doo Un”, Dalton McGuinty and “GO-Bus One (Express)”, Danny Williams and his “Trawler One…eh”…
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/33 "2007-04-23T03:49:45Z")
The Chinese government ordered an all-the-bells-and-whistles big jet for their president a few years ago, and there was a stink after listening devices (presumably installed by the CIA or NSA) were found aboard it even before delivery to Beijing.
The British Royal Air Force has a squadron that provides jet transportation to the Royal Family and the PM, I think, although I recall the Queen flying aboard a British Airways Concorde jet at least once, as well.
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### Author:  [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/34 "2007-04-23T04:43:05Z")
It is only called Air Force One when he is on it. For example if you have ever seen the movie Air Force One, when the president is finnaly rescued into another aircraft you hear them say Flight blah blah blah is now changing call signs to Air Force one. And i do believe that if he is on a comerical air craft it is known as civilian one.\*
\*Everyone seems to be saying Executive one, but i have seen a show on discovery channel saying it is Civilian One, maybe they just reserved the name Civilian One just so their would not be any confusion.
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/35 "2007-04-23T07:15:38Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo]
When Bush is back in Crawford do they have a designated Horse One for him to ride?
[/QUOTE]
You aren’t paying attention. Whatever horse he’s on is Horse One. Until he dismounts whereupon the horse reverts to its usual name.
Of course, this doesn’t apply when he’s on Mountain Bike One…
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### Author:  [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/36 "2007-04-23T07:28:11Z")
[QUOTE=dtilque]
You aren’t paying attention. Whatever horse he’s on is Horse One. Until he dismounts whereupon the horse reverts to its usual name.
Of course, this doesn’t apply when he’s on Mountain Bike One…
[/QUOTE]
Don’t forget about Segway One.
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/37 "2007-04-23T07:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384]
Don’t forget about Segway One.
[/QUOTE]
Does Shrub actually own one of those? If so, why?
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### Author:  [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/38 "2007-04-23T12:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384]
Don’t forget about Segway One.
[/QUOTE]
I thought that was called _Catapult One_😉
Si
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### Author:  [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/39 "2007-04-23T18:13:41Z")
[QUOTE=1920s Style “Death Ray”]
The 28000 and 29000 are tail numbers which I’m not sure would be used as a call sign.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t see why the tail number COULDN’T be used. IANAP, but I seem to remember the few small planes that I’ve been a passenger in used their tail number to ID to ATC. Planes certainly CAN have FCC approved call signs different from their tail numbers though. [Home](http://www.afss.com/service/?svc=inflight&p=5)
[QUOTE=ChrisBooth12]
\*Everyone seems to be saying Executive one, but i have seen a show on discovery channel saying it is Civilian One, maybe they just reserved the name Civilian One just so their would not be any confusion.
[/QUOTE]
There was at least one Executive One. A United Airlines flight that Nixon took from Dulles to LAX in 1973.
The obligitory Wiki link for AF1… [Air Force One - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_One)
I’m not sure what the plane would be called if the President was flying something like a privately owned Cessna 172… not that he’d likely be allowed to fly it anyway.
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### Author:  [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-question/401066/40 "2007-04-23T18:36:04Z")
This thread reminds me of a story in Readers Digest several years ago. An air traffic controller was contacted by a plane whose call sign he heard as Pig Sty One. After several minutes of giving instructions to “Pig Sty One” he was informed that the correct designation was “Big Sky One” carrying the governor of Montana.
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