# Smaller Air Force One **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391 "2010-04-26T13:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/1 "2010-04-26T13:12:37Z")
This weekend Obama took a smaller plane to Asheville, based on pictures it was not the normal 747. It looked like a 757 but it was painted the same as the normal Air Force 1. Was it a 757 and if so how often does the president use the smaller planes? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/2 "2010-04-26T13:23:26Z")
A good place to start: [Air Force One - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_force_one) The military transport version of the Boeing 757 is the C-32: [Boeing C-32 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-32). Obama and both of his immediate predecessors have flown on C-32s before; it’s also the aircraft typically used for the Vice President, and the First Lady if traveling without the President. The President uses smaller planes from time to time. Any Air Force plane on which the President rides is designated Air Force One; of course most people think of the big, white-and-blue converted Boeing 747 (designated a VC-25 in military parlance) when they think of Air Force One. Clinton flew on a much smaller Gulfstream III and a C-17 transport at least once each during his Presidency, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/3 "2010-04-26T13:26:46Z")
I am pretty sure it was the C-32. It’s possible the Asheville runway is not big enough for a 747. Or maybe they just wanted to save money for a non-official trip. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/4 "2010-04-26T16:26:30Z")
What was ‘non-official’ about it, **Bijou**? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/5 "2010-04-26T16:31:42Z")
It was a vacation for the Obamas, he didn’t do any official duties in Asheville from what I have heard. Of course I know his job is 24/7 all year long so he’s never really on vacation, the same is true for all presidents. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/6 "2010-04-26T16:36:28Z")
He spoke at the memorial service for the slain West Virginia coal miners on that same trip, didn’t he? I would think that makes it official. Should’ve added, in 2003 George W. Bush flew aboard the one-and-only (so far) Navy One, as well: [Navy One - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_One) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/7 "2010-04-26T17:59:23Z")
An armed man, perhaps pretending to be a cop, was arrested near Air Force One in Asheville: [News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com](http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/joseph-sean-mcvey-arrested-near-president-barack-obamas-plane/19453712?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl1%7Clink3%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fnation%2Farticle%2Fjoseph-sean-mcvey-arrested-near-president-barack-obamas-plane%2F19453712) ---
**Author:** ![Surly\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Surly\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surly_Chick)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smaller-air-force-one/537391/8 "2010-04-26T18:10:02Z")
What **Elendil’s Hair** said. Any Air Force plane the president is on becomes Air Force One. When he’s on a Marine helo, it’s called Marine One.