Whatever plane the president is in is assigned the call sign Air Force One for air traffic control. This is typically the 747 outfitted and secured for presidential use (there might be more than one of them). Is this call sign ceremonial, or is this treated as a military flight and operated by the Air Force?
Same question for Marine One, which is the presidential helicopter.
Which agency is responsible for procurement of the physical aircraft? Are these DOD procurements under the military budget, or are the in the White House budget?
Assuming the Wikipedia entry is accurate, the two 747s (and the 707s which preceded them) are, in fact, Air Force aircraft, ordered from Boeing by and for the USAF.
“The USAF issued a Request For Proposal in 1985 for two wide-body aircraft…”
“The presidential air fleet is operated by the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Field, Maryland.”
Any airplane will use the call sign “Air Force One” when the President is aboard.
Exception: If, for some reason, the President is on a commercial flight, the call sign is “Executive One”.
Any US military aircraft carrying the President will use the call sign “* One”, where “*” is the service branch operating the aircraft. Case in point, in 2003 George Bush flew on Navy One.
It’s a no-kidding military aircraft full of military equipment (just the equipment in the communications room onboard would get you arrested for espionage if you tried to install it on a civilian plane without some hairy authorization).
The aircraft designation is VC-25. (“VIP Cargo” is what the letters mean. “Cargo” is equally applicable to true cargo haulers and passenger planes, which the Air Force has a lot of.) It started out life as a 747-200 but got some serious upgrades. It’s the flying White House, after all. The President has to be able to conduct presidential business there.
There are two VC-25s. They’re flown by the 89th Airlift Wing out of Andrews AFB, MD. Everything about the operation is top-of-the-line Air Force, and pretty much dedicated to Executive Transport missions.
The White House web page entry says Air Force One is “maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of the White House Military Office.” The White House Military Office is part of the Executive Office of the President. How does the chain of command work for the Presidential Airlift Group, which I understand is part of the Air Force? Does the funding for Air Force One goes through the EOP or the DoD?
Just that there’s comm and crypto gear no civilian airliner would legally use or possess. Protected by espionage laws, classified information handling laws, or munitions restriction laws. Because sufficiently-strong crypto is a weapon. "Encryption items specifically designed, developed, configured, adapted or modified for military applications (including command, control and intelligence applications) are controlled by the Department of State on the United States Munitions List."
The United States Munitions List pertains to transfer of sensitive articles to other countries, not ownership by American persons or businesses. For example, if you invent a new form of encryption, or a new crew-served weapon, or various other technologies, you are not prohibited by the USML from possessing it. You are prohibited from transferring such things to foreign persons without permission.
See for example: “Any article, service, or related data found to be on the USML requires an export license issued by the United States State Department to be exported (given to a non-U.S. person). A “U.S. person” is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who does not work for a foreign company, government, or non-governmental organization.” United States Munitions List - Wikipedia
The Espionage Act pertains, among other things, to the handling of classified information or certain associated items. If you legally come across, say, a terminal with capability to communicate with military satellites, I don’t see how the Espionage Act prohibits you from owning it. Use of such systems may be unauthorized, of course.
This sounds like an interpretation of law that is as errant as the debunked myth that soldiers cannot use .50 caliber machine guns against people, only materiel, because “Geneva Conventions.” I cannot see how the Espionage Act or the USML has anything to do with anything you’ve raised.
Any idea why they used the 747-200? The -300 project was underway in 1980, before the VC-25 design and construction. Did they just want to stick with the tried and true?
And a related question: how many service hours have accumulated on the two VC-25 aircraft currently in service? Commercial 747 aircraft generally rack up tens of thousands of service hours before being retired, but I suspect the VC-25s have far less than that.
What will become of them? Will all the classified stuff be removed and the planes sold at a GSA auction? Or is that such a demeaning end that they will instead be scrapped? Previous Air Force One aircraft have been donated to museums, but the VC-25s are damn big planes. Have any museums expressed interest in receiving them?
The complete rules, as laid out in FAA Order 7110.65R (Air Traffic Control) §2-4-20 ¶7 (Presidential aircraft and Presidential family aircraft):
(a) When the President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word “One.”
EXAMPLE-
“Air Force One.”
“Army One.”
“Marine One.”
(b) When the President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words “Executive One.”
(c) When a member of the President’s family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words “Executive One Foxtrot.”
And for the VP, §2-4-20 ¶8:
(a) When the Vice President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word “Two.”
EXAMPLE-
“Air Force Two.”
“Army Two.”
“Marine Two.”
(b) When the Vice President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words “Executive Two.”
(c) When a member of the Vice President’s family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words “Executive Two Foxtrot.”
Additionally to the detailed answers already given, the Air Force credentials of VC-25 are unmistakable if one looks at this picture. You can see the USAF emblem on the fuselage just forward of the tail, and “USAF” on the starboard wing.
Incidentally, the wart-like bump on the plane’s nose is among the many non-standard features. It’s for emergency in-flight refueling, which in theory would allow the plane to remain in the air indefinitely.
There must have been a change in plan but I’ve never heard anything about it. As I understood it, the present 747-200Bs were to be replaced by 747-8s and they were supposed to go into service in 2017. Now it sounds like some entirely new plan is under development, perhaps still based on a 747-8, but not scheduled for service as you say until much later. Anyone have the scoop on this?
Probably the most impressive museum-ization is the entirety of the 707 that served as AF1 for Reagan in the Reagan Presidential Library. Apparently it’s also a commercial venue that can be rented for private events.
