# Trump is going to use a gifted foreign aircraft as Air Force One **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [May 11, 2025, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256 "2025-05-11T17:23:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/121 "2025-05-15T01:09:27Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Whereas the regular use of a plane as Air Force One is an ongoing thing, giving bad actors lots of opportunity for planning, especially when they know it has no special defenses because the president is a fucking moron. I strongly suspect that the emir had an El-Al-style module, or similar device, on his plane to shoot off chaff to deflect an incoming missile. Good enough. The imperial presidency is unacceptable. Trump’s dictatorial rule is the full-on expression of what was only in early stages in past presidencies. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/122 "2025-05-15T01:38:07Z")
This is hilarious! 😁 > **['Rip the plane apart': Trump's hopes of flying in Qatar's royal jet just hit...](https://www.alternet.org/trump-royal-jet/)** > > President Donald Trump was hoping to use a jet from Qatar's royal family as a replacement for Air Force One until its upgrades are finished. But a new estimate suggests that he may have to consider a different plan altogether.NBC News reported... ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/123 "2025-05-15T02:06:21Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > This is hilarious! 😁 It also is basically untrue. Consider: > [@](#): > > . . . the 13 year-old 747 jet — which is [valued at roughly $400 million](https://www.alternet.org/trump/trump-qatar/#) — would have to undergo significant and costly upgrades before it will be deemed suitable for presidential travel. Deemed by whom? The Secret Service? An Air Force transport general? NBC News? None of that matters. The only deemer that matters is Donald Trump. If Trump uses his power as commander in chief to order the plane placed in an empty apron at Andrews Air Force Base, and for Air Force crews to fly it for him, then it is deemed suitable for his travel by the only person who matters. And if he is smart, DJT will order a $300,000 paint job and then do just that. Maybe he will agree to the billion dollar project, thinking he can brazenly deny we spent big money to overhaul a middle-aged plane. Then Democrats can and should fairly slam him for his folly. But to criticize him before he actually makes the political mistake risks putting egg all over Democratic faces. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/124 "2025-05-15T03:09:02Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Whereas the regular use of a plane as Air Force One is an ongoing thing, giving bad actors lots of opportunity for planning, especially when they know it has no special defenses because the president is a fucking moron. For this reason, I would encourage Trump to do it. What’s the worst thing that can happen? Because that is what I want for him and I will achieve extra satisfaction knowing he chose it despite numerous actual experts telling him he was being an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/125 "2025-05-15T23:43:25Z")
I understand the sentiment, but that would also take down such innocents as the flight crew, Secret Service, reporters, and so forth. ETA: Given that the Secret Service refused to obey his furious orders to let him go to the Capitol on January 6th, I suspect there’d be strong pushback from them against allowing him to fly in an unprotected plane. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/126 "2025-05-16T00:34:19Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I understand the sentiment, but that would also take down such innocents as the flight crew, Secret Service, reporters, and so forth. Not a real issue. I just found evidence for the Qatari royal 747’s having an anti-missile defense system: [The ultimate luxury - a private 747-8, fully equipped with anti-missile defense systems](https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/13kh117/the_ultimate_luxury_a_private_7478_fully_equipped/) I will say one thing to support the idea of the gift inevitably costing a lot: Even it Trump were to use one of these, with absolutely no modification, maintenance cost will be higher than for a 747 already in the U.S. government inventory. The Air Force would have to train mechanics to work on this particular sub-model. There probably is special equipment needed to maintain it. There could also be an issue with obtaining parts, especially if some of the fancy VIP subsystems were made in a country we have sanctions against, or are heavily tariffing. I suppose some in the Air Force will proudly think their defense system is better than some off-the-rack solution the Qataris purchased from France or China or Israel. But are we correct there? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/127 "2025-05-16T02:07:50Z")
I had to look it up, and Wikipedia says that 747s were manufactured until 2023. I did not know they were produced so recently. Two unsold aircraft were selected to become VC-25Bs. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/128 "2025-05-16T02:46:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I had to look it up, and Wikipedia says that 747s were manufactured until 2023. I did not know they were produced so recently. Though the final few 747s to be built and delivered were freighter versions, rather than passenger versions. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/129 "2025-05-16T04:59:37Z")
Seems it is less a gift and more about unloading a financial burden on someone else all while currying favor: > **[Qatar's Gift to Trump is unsold plane it's been trying to dump for years](https://www.newsweek.com/qatar-gift-trump-unsold-plane-2072564)** > > The aircraft was first commissioned for Qatari officials and spent years on the market without a buyer. > The Boeing 747-8 [being offered](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-qatar-plane-air-force-one-2070761) to U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/donald-trump) by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/130 "2025-05-16T05:50:55Z")
'tis about selling the sizzle, more than the steak. Am sure that from 45/47’s real estate background he would recognise and appreciate the gesture. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/131 "2025-05-16T06:17:56Z")
What if the US government accepts the 747 to please Trump’s scatterbrained mind, and then, while he is distracted, just converts it for some plain USAF or governmental usage that requires little or no modification? Surely it could help with Logistics Command or something quasi-civilian. Then it would indeed be a $400 million gift. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/132 "2025-05-16T09:33:44Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Seems it is less a gift and more about unloading a financial burden on someone else all while currying favor: > > [Qatar's Gift to Trump Is Unsold Plane It's Been Trying to Dump for Years - Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/qatar-gift-trump-unsold-plane-2072564) > > > The Boeing 747-8 [being offered](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-qatar-plane-air-force-one-2070761) to U.S. President [Donald Trump](https://www.newsweek.com/topic/donald-trump) by Qatar once served the Qatari royal family and has been sitting unsold for years. So it’s a White Elephant? Yeah, that makes sense - the Qatar officials and royal family, who are actually competent, saw a way to unload a hole in the sky they were throwing money into in a manner that might gain them favor with the most powerful toddler on Earth. Well played, Qatar! ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/133 "2025-05-16T13:33:46Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > What if the US government accepts the 747 to please Trump’s scatterbrained mind, and then, while he is distracted, just converts it for some plain USAF or governmental usage that requires little or no modification? I don’t see where it needs modification to fly on day one. It’s that we have nothing in the U.S.Air Force inventory that is that model. It has anti-missile defense systems that are almost surely different from what the Air Force is used to maintaining. Maintenance staff will need to be trained. Even without renovation, there will be high recurring cost. I wonder if any of the VIP subsystems require Iranian or Russian parts. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/134 "2025-05-16T13:41:50Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well played, Qatar! The real gift was the one they gave to Erdoğan in 2018. That one was makes Trump’s plane look like government issue. See pictures here: [The generous ruler of Qatar once gifted an even more expensive and luxurious Jumbo Jet to Turkey which makes the one offered to the United States look modest. The $500 million flying palace has gold-clad interiors, an onboard hospital, a throne room, and bedrooms](https://luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/qatar-private-747-jet-gifted-to-turkey-05142025.php) > [@](#): > > VQ-BSK was delivered with just 436 flight hours and 200 cycles, essentially brand-new by aviation standards. No throne room. Donald — that’s an insult. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/135 "2025-05-16T13:44:47Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > So it’s a White Elephant? More like a White Mouse. The royal family is worth 335 billion. - > **[Inside the Emir of Qatar's billion-dollar lifestyle: Palaces, jets and a $400...](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/inside-the-emir-of-qatars-billion-dollar-lifestyle-palaces-jets-a-400-million-yacht/who-is-sheikh-tamim-the-emir-of-qatar/slideshow/118379002.cms)** > > Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani became the Emir of Qatar in 2013 after succeeding his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The Al-Thani family has ruled Qatar since its establishment, with 11 members holding the title of Emir. According to... ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/136 "2025-05-16T13:51:36Z")
It’s the Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system. It’s good for MANPADS, but won’t stop a radar-guided SAM or AAM. The VC-25s likely have a more robust countermeasures suite. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/137 "2025-05-16T14:52:46Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > It’s the Northrop Grumman AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system. It’s good for MANPADS, but won’t stop a radar-guided SAM or AAM. It takes away all the fun when the other guy actually knows something about the subject 😀 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/138 "2025-05-16T15:33:17Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I don’t see where it needs modification to fly on day one. Even if it does have some defense countermeasures system, it’s questionable as to whether its ECM and secure communications systems are even as good as the current VC-25As, much less what’s being installed in the the VC-25Bs. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/139 "2025-05-16T15:43:40Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > So it’s a White Elephant? Yeah, that makes sense - the Qatar officials and royal family, who are actually competent, saw a way to unload a hole in the sky they were throwing money into in a manner that might gain them favor with the most powerful toddler on Earth. Well played, Qatar! He’s _such_ a toddler that Saudi Arabia rolled out a mobile McDonalds restaurant when he visited. Honestly it’s embarrassing having a president with such lowbrow tastes. ---
**Author:** ![knavette57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knavette57/32/3871_2.png) [@knavette57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knavette57)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256/140 "2025-05-16T16:10:35Z")
I, for one, am glad he eats such terrible food. But it might just be a ploy to appeal to his base, too. He pretends to like McD’s bc of them. Behind closed doors, I am sure he is a secret vegan!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-is-going-to-use-a-gifted-foreign-aircraft-as-air-force-one/1018256.md?page=8)