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72-801: The company was founded by brothers Thomas and Joseph Caruso, as Bar Harbor Airways. They began flying charters and scenic flights from the Bar Harbor town dock. By 1950, they had established a base of operations at the Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport . Operating as Bar Harbor Airways, the company started scheduled commuter flights in 1968, initially offering only flights to Bangor International Airport with jointly-marketed direct connections provided to Northeast Airlines flights to Boston Logan Airport and beyond. The collaboration with Northeast Airlines did not last long and direct flights from Bar Harbor to Boston were soon initiated to replace

144-479: A metonym for the primary presidential aircraft, VC-25 , although it can be used to refer to any Air Force aircraft the president travels on. The idea of designating specific military aircraft to transport the president arose during World War II when military advisors in the War Department were concerned about the risk of using commercial airlines for presidential travel. In 1944, a C-54 Skymaster

216-571: A supersonic aircraft that could function as Air Force One. Contracts have been signed with Exosonic , Hermeus , and Boom . During the Johnson Administration , the United States Air Force acquired a Beechcraft King Air B90 which was designated VC-6A (66-7943). The aircraft was used to transport President Johnson between Bergstrom Air Force Base and his family ranch near Johnson City, Texas , and

288-580: A Pan Am-crewed Boeing 314 flying boat , on a flight that covered 5,500 miles (8,890 km) in three legs. Concerned about relying upon commercial airlines to transport the president, officials of the United States Army Air Forces , the predecessor of the US Air Force, ordered the conversion of a military aircraft to accommodate the special needs of the commander-in-chief . In 1943, a C-87A transport, number 41-24159,

360-629: A VC-137A on his visit to Russia in July 1959 for the Kitchen Debates . The following month, Eisenhower became the first president to fly via jet airplane when he used SAM 970 , nicknamed "Queenie" , to meet German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. During Eisenhower's " Flight to Peace " goodwill tour in December 1959, he visited 11 Asian nations, flying 22,000 miles (35,000 km) in 19 days, twice as fast as he could have covered that distance in one of

432-537: A civilian flight on which the US president is aboard. On 26 December 1973, President Richard Nixon and his family flew as commercial passengers on a United DC-10 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles International Airport . His staff explained that this was done to conserve fuel by not having to fly the usual Boeing 707 Air Force aircraft. In November 1999, President Bill Clinton flew from Ankara , Turkey, to Cengiz Topel Naval Air Station outside Izmit, Turkey, aboard

504-484: A code-share agreement with Eastern Air Lines , and later with Continental Airlines . As of 1982, Bar Harbor had an agreement with Eastern to handle reservations at some airports. In April 1987, Texas Air Corporation purchased 50% of Bar Harbor Airlines and arrange for the sale of its own Provincetown-Boston Airlines (PBA) to Bar Harbor. Texas Air had acquired PBA through its merger with People Express , and already owned Eastern Airlines and Continental Airlines. At

576-514: A couple days or more, bringing the presidential limousine and Sikorsky VH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, along with Secret Service personnel and several hundred maintenance crew. Longer trips are accompanied by tankers, such as the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender , to limit the need to stop for fuel and ensure that AF1 does not take fuel from an unvetted source. The support aircraft will often use several airports in

648-492: A large number of aircraft available, Bar Harbor had hubs in every city it served. During the 1970s, Bar Harbor Airlines primarily used Cessna 402's and 310's, later adding Beech 99 aircraft. The airline also offered cargo service to the destinations it served. Bar Harbor's first crash, on August 16, 1976, was on a cargo flight from Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine , to Bar Harbor. The airplane carried only one person,

720-461: A manufacturer defect and several family members of the crash victims received cash settlements from the manufacturer of the aircraft. On August 25, 1985, a Beechcraft Model 99 operating as Flight 1808 crashed while landing in Auburn, Maine . Two crew members and six passengers, including Samantha Smith , died in the crash. Other than the crash in 1985 of a Beechcraft that carried Samantha Smith,

792-400: A marked C-20C (Gulfstream III) using the call sign Air Force One , escorted by three F-16s. On 8 March 2000, President Clinton flew to Pakistan aboard an unmarked Gulfstream III while another aircraft with the call sign Air Force One flew on the same route a few minutes later. This diversion was reported by several US press outlets. On 1 May 2003, President George W. Bush flew in

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864-441: A more contemporary water blue   to represent an America both rooted in the past and flying inexorably into the future. The presidential seal was added to both sides of the fuselage near the nose and a large American flag was painted on the tail. Loewy's work won immediate praise from the president and the press. The cheatline suggested a sleek and horizontal image that mirrored America's Jet Age optimism and prosperity of

936-494: A region to minimize the impact to one particular airport, and Secret Service may also preposition a Gulfstream C-37B or Boeing E-4 in a neighboring region for backup. In addition to the President, staff, and flight crew, a VC-25A can carry 102 guests in typical domestic business-class seats . The back-up VC-25 typically flies with 14 crew, two pilots, six flight crew, two cooks, and four flight attendants. When transporting

1008-609: A stateroom in the aft fuselage and a main cabin that could seat 24 passengers or could be made up into 12 sleeper berths. It is now housed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio . Eisenhower introduced four propeller-driven aircraft to presidential service. This group included two Lockheed C-121 Constellations : aircraft Columbine II (VC-121A 48-610) and Columbine III (VC-121E 53-7885). They were named by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower for

1080-582: Is categorized as a non-primary commercial service facility. The airport operated as Bar Harbor Naval Auxiliary Air Facility (NAAF) supporting operations of Naval Air Station Brunswick from September 1, 1943 until November 15, 1945. In July 2010, sitting United States president Barack Obama landed at the airport, in a smaller version of Air Force One , for a vacation with his family. Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport covers an area of 468 acres (189 ha ) at an elevation of 83 feet (25 m) above mean sea level . It has two asphalt paved runways : 4/22

1152-593: Is 5,200 by 100 feet (1,585 x 30 m) and 17/35 is 3,253 by 75 feet (992 x 23 m). The airport is uncontrolled . For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2016, the airport had 21,250 aircraft operations, an average of 58 per day: 84% general aviation , 8% scheduled commercial , 7% air taxi , and <1% military . In September 2017, there were 33 aircraft based at this airport: 32 single- engine and 1 glider . Cape Air operates Cessna 402 twin prop aircraft with code sharing agreements with American Airlines , JetBlue Airways and United Airlines . Previously,

1224-574: Is a county-owned, public-use airport located in Trenton, Maine , eight  nautical miles (9  mi , 15  km ) northwest of the central business district of Bar Harbor , a city in Hancock County, Maine , United States. It serves the residents of Hancock County with commercial and charter aviation services. During the summer months, the airport becomes one of Maine's busiest, with significant private jet operations bringing visitors to

1296-458: Is descending into you, we are not in contact with them – they have shut their responder [ sic ] off.' And at that time it kind of led us to believe maybe someone was coming into us in Sarasota, they saw us take off, they just stayed high and are following us at this point. We had no idea what the capabilities of the terrorists were at that point." Tillman then flew Air Force One over

1368-595: The Columbines . SAM 970 to SAM 972 would be removed from the presidential role with the early-1960s arrival of the specially built VC-137C designated SAM 26000 . The older planes would be repainted in the Loewy secondary livery designed for Air Force Two and other non-presidential VIP aircraft. SAM 970 is now on display at The Museum of Flight in Seattle , Washington. SAM 971 , best remembered for returning

1440-513: The Gulf of Mexico in order, he later said, to test whether the other aircraft would follow. The other jet continued on its route, and Tillman said that it was later explained to him that an airliner had lost its transponder , which normally broadcasts an electronic identification signal, and that the pilots on board neglected to switch to another radio frequency. Later, Tillman received a warning of an imminent attack on Air Force One. "We got word from

1512-487: The U.S. West Coast aboard the aircraft. In 2012, President Barack Obama took British Prime Minister David Cameron to a basketball game in Ohio. On 11 October 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first US president to fly in an aircraft, an early Wright Flyer from Kinloch Field near St. Louis , Missouri . He was no longer in office at the time, having been succeeded by William Howard Taft . The record-making occasion

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1584-663: The Yalta Conference in February 1945. The National Security Act of 1947 , the legislation that created the US Air Force, was signed by President Harry S. Truman aboard the VC-54C. He replaced the VC-54C in 1947 with a modified C-118 Liftmaster , calling it the Independence after his Missouri hometown. It was given a distinctive exterior, as its nose was painted like the head of a bald eagle . The plane included

1656-422: The columbine , official state flower of her adopted home state of Colorado . Two Aero Commanders were also added to the fleet. Columbine II is the first plane to bear the call sign Air Force One. This designation for the US Air Force aircraft carrying the incumbent president was established after a 1954 incident in which a commercial flight, Eastern Air Lines 8610, crossed paths with Air Force 8610, which

1728-558: The oath of office aboard SAM 26000 . On Johnson's orders, the plane carried Kennedy's body back to Washington. A decade later, SAM 26000 took Johnson's body home to Texas after his state funeral in Washington. The U.S. Air Force usually does not have fighter aircraft escort the presidential aircraft over the United States but it has occurred. The first instance came during the state funeral of John F. Kennedy when it

1800-595: The 1970s, the airline featured a rather simple, small yellow cheatline livery on otherwise all-white airplanes. Later, a bold livery of single red and blue stripes separated by large blue stars was adopted. As an Eastern Express carrier, Bar Harbor utilized a modified Eastern Airlines color scheme including a flared "hockey stick" livery on the tail. The following are major incidents and accidents that occurred involving Bar Harbor aircraft. Hancock County%E2%80%93Bar Harbor Airport Hancock County–Bar Harbor Airport ( IATA : BHB , ICAO : KBHB , FAA LID : BHB )

1872-470: The Air Force One call sign. After the deaths of former Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, VC-25 aircraft flew their remains to their home states of Michigan and California, respectively. On 27 April 2009, a low-flying VC-25 circled New York City for a photo-op and training exercise , alarming many New Yorkers. During Joe Biden's 2023 visit to Ukraine , the Air Force One call sign

1944-806: The Americans held during the Iran hostage crisis in 1981, is on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona . SAM 972 was scrapped in October 1996. The new VC-137C was not yet modified for presidential service when John F. Kennedy took office in 1961. On the recommendation of his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy , he contacted the French-born American industrial designer Raymond Loewy for help in designing new livery and interiors for

2016-822: The Florida operation. Continental then merged the New England portion of Bar Harbor and PBA with its other commuter carriers: Britt Airways (based in Terre Haute, Indiana) and Rocky Mountain Airways (based in Denver), and operated Continental Express under the Britt Airways certificate. Bar Harbor Airlines and its parent Eastern Air Lines suffered economically from the Gulf War of 1991. Rising fuel costs from

2088-564: The Gulfstream C-37 variant on a personal trip in 2009 to visit the production of August Wilson 's Joe Turner's Come and Gone in New York. Several Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs typically accompany the president whenever he travels, carrying the presidential limousines and other support vehicles, and have been rumored to have discreetly transported presidents and vice presidents in and out of Iraq and Afghanistan without using

2160-535: The Kennedy administration's brand. SAM 26000 was in service from 1962 to 1998, serving Presidents Kennedy to Clinton . On 22 November 1963, SAM 26000 carried President Kennedy to Dallas, Texas, where it served as the backdrop as the Kennedys greeted well-wishers at Dallas's Love Field . Later that afternoon, Kennedy was assassinated , and Vice President Lyndon Johnson assumed the office of President and took

2232-526: The President, the primary VC-25A has three cooks and 15 flight attendants, 20 or more Secret Service agents, and some 40 members of the presidential press pool . During international state visits, another aircraft may be chartered to accommodate another 150 or more journalists and security personnel. On 11 September 2001 , George W. Bush was interrupted as he attended an event at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida , after an airplane hit

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2304-707: The South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. He took off on a VC-25 from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport piloted by Colonel Mark Tillman, the senior pilot of Air Force One that day. Some time later, air traffic controllers warned Tillman that a passenger jet was nearby and not responding to radio calls. Tillman recalls: "As we got over Gainesville, Florida , we got the word from Jacksonville Center. They said, 'Air Force One you have traffic behind you and basically above you that

2376-726: The US Navy, it was delivered in 1933 and based at the naval base at Anacostia in Washington, D.C. The aircraft remained in service as a presidential transport from 1939. During World War II, German submarines operating in the Atlantic Ocean made air travel the preferred method of VIP transatlantic transportation. In 1943, Roosevelt traveled to the Casablanca Conference in Morocco on the Dixie Clipper ,

2448-542: The VC-137C. Loewy, who had seen SAM 970 , complained to a friend in the White House that it "had a garish orange nose and looked too much like a military plane", Air Force One historian and former Smithsonian curator Von Hardesty told CNN . He offered Kennedy his design consultation services free of charge. Kennedy chose a red-and-gold design from one of Loewy's initial concept sketches, and asked him to render

2520-671: The aging 707 VC-137 variants he used. The interior designs, drawn up by First Lady Nancy Reagan , were reminiscent of the American Southwest . When President George W. Bush left office in January 2009, he flew to Texas in a VC-25 that used call sign SAM 28000, as it did not carry the current president of the United States. Similar arrangements were made for former presidents Ronald Reagan , Bill Clinton , and Barack Obama . President Donald Trump flew to his Mar-a-Lago estate shortly before his tenure as president ended, under

2592-561: The airline did not receive much bad publicity outside New England after the accident. This was partly because commuter air carriers are generally known only around the communities they serve. Bar Harbor Airlines decided to make Boston's Logan International Airport its only permanent base, apart from the Bar Harbor airport hub. Also during this decade, the airline bought some Convair CV-600 , CASA C-212 Aviocar , Saab 340 , Beechcraft 1900 , and ATR 42 turboprops , putting them into service immediately. Bar Harbor began to operate flights under

2664-411: The airport was additionally served by Silver Airways Saab 340 and PenAir during the summer months. Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control -designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States . The term is commonly used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and used to transport the president, and as

2736-630: The co-pilot seat of a Sea Control Squadron Thirty-Five ( VS-35 ) S-3B Viking from Naval Air Station North Island , California to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast, where Bush delivered his "Mission Accomplished" speech . During the flight, the aircraft used the call sign of " Navy One " for the first time. This aircraft is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida. Barack Obama used

2808-491: The connecting flights operated via Bangor. The Boston route proved popular and in 1972, now operating as Bar Harbor Airlines, the airline expanded its route system to five airports including an international route from Boston to Quebec City via Portland and Bangor, Maine. By 1974, the airline offered round-trip services between each city it served. Being a commuter airline made this easy, as each of its services consisted of short flights with quick turnaround times, and, with

2880-536: The cost of acquiring a new aircraft. On 28 January 2015, the Air Force announced that the Boeing 747-8 would be the next presidential aircraft. On 6 December 2016, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his opposition to the Air Force One replacement because of its high cost, "more than $ 4 billion". The US Government Accountability Office estimated the total cost at $ 3.2 billion, and the US Air Force's budget for

2952-580: The current Boeing VC-25As . Since 1990, the presidential fleet has consisted of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B (VC-25A) aircraft. The USAF has ordered two Boeing 747-8s to serve as the next presidential aircraft, designated VC-25Bs and expected to enter service no earlier than 2026. From time to time, presidents have invited other world leaders to travel with them on Air Force One. In 1973, Nixon invited Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev to fly with him to California from Washington, D.C. In 1983, President Reagan and Queen Elizabeth II toured

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3024-535: The design all in blue. Loewy also drew inspiration from the first printed copy of the United States Declaration of Independence , suggesting the widely spaced and upper case "United States of America" legend in Caslon typeface. He chose to expose the polished aluminum fuselage on the bottom side and used two blues, steel blue   associated with the early republic and the presidency, and

3096-432: The era, and today signifies its legacy and tradition. Loewy's VC-137C livery was adapted for the larger VC-25A when it entered service in 1990, and the secondary variation (without the darker blue cheatline and cap over the cockpit) is still in use on USAF C-40 , C-37 , C-32 , and C-20 aircraft in standard (non-presidential) VIP configurations. The presidential paint scheme can also be seen on Union Pacific 4141 ,

3168-451: The incident was found to be due to a cumulation of errors at four separate FAA facilities along the east coast. In 1989 Bar Harbor moved its headquarters to Houston , Texas from Maine after the state refused to renew a multimillion-dollar tax break. With additional aircraft financing, Texas International Airlines (through Eastern and Continental) acquired a majority interest in Bar Harbor. Bar Harbor stopped flying its older aircraft and

3240-725: The locomotive used in George H. W. Bush 's funeral train. Under John F. Kennedy , presidential air travel entered the jet age. Although he could use the Eisenhower-era jets for trips to Canada, France, Austria , and the United Kingdom, when he came into office, his primary aircraft domestically was still a prop powered Douglas VC-118A Liftmaster . In October 1962, the modified long-range Boeing VC-137C Stratoliner SAM 26000 , featuring livery designed by Loewy would be delivered, and immediately became an important element of

3312-531: The manufacture of the presidential aircraft version of the 747 began during his presidency. The USAF issued a Request For Proposal in 1985 for two wide-body aircraft with a minimum of three engines and an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles (9,700 km). Boeing with the 747 and McDonnell Douglas with the DC-10 submitted proposals, and the Reagan Administration ordered two identical 747s to replace

3384-671: The numerous summer colonies in the county, which includes Mount Desert Island . Scheduled passenger airline service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. As per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the airport had 10,562 passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2008, 10,100 enplanements in 2009, and 11,109 in 2010. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021, in which it

3456-500: The older PBA aircraft by the beginning of 1990 in favor of newer, modern aircraft. After Eastern's strike, bankruptcy filing, and ultimate separation from Texas Air, Bar Harbor too had to be divided between the two carriers. The aircraft fleet was divided between the two parents; the Saab 340s and Beechcraft 99s went to Eastern, and the ATR 42s went to Continental. The routes were divided between

3528-602: The pilot, and he was not injured. Peter Monighetti, chief pilot for the airline, was ferrying a Beechcraft 99 airplane from Bangor when the plane crashed on a ridge in Lamoine, Maine. Monighetti had been making an approach upon Bar Harbor Airport, located across the Jordan River in Trenton, Maine. In May 1978, the company announced the establishment service between Portland and Hartford, Maine . At this time, T. J. Caruso

3600-412: The plane the "Spirit of '76" in honor of the forthcoming bicentennial of the United States; that logo was painted on both sides of the plane's nose. SAM 26000 was replaced in December 1972 by another VC-137C, Special Air Mission 27000 , although SAM 26000 was relegated to non-presidential VIP status (and repainted without the darker blue cap and cheatline), it served as a backup to SAM 27000 until it

3672-541: The president back to Washington, D.C., was aborted due to concerns that Air Force One would be attacked at Andrews Air Force Base . Instead, Tillman landed at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana , and Offutt Air Force Base , Nebraska , where the president made a speech. After these stops, the president was returned to Washington, D.C. The next day, officials at the White House and the Justice Department explained that President Bush did this because there

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3744-466: The president to fly in a propeller-driven aircraft. This paved the way for the Air Force's initial procurement of three Boeing 707 -120 (VC-137A) jet aircraft , designated SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, 971 and 972 . The high-speed jet technology built into these aircraft enabled presidents from Eisenhower through Nixon to travel long distances more quickly for face-to-face meetings with world leaders. Then-Vice President Richard Nixon first used

3816-421: The program is projected to be nearly $ 4 billion. In December 2016, Boeing was on contract for preliminary development worth $ 170 million (~$ 212 million in 2023). On 1 August 2017, Defense One reported that, in an effort to pay less for the replacement program, the US Air Force contracted to purchase two of the bankrupt Russian airline Transaero 's undelivered 747-8 Intercontinentals from Boeing, which

3888-660: The remains of Eastern. Bar Harbor's former northern routes continued to grow and develop operating as Continental Express, now under the Britt Airways operating certificate. By 1992, Continental Express gave up the original Bar Harbor route (Bar Harbor to Boston) to Colgan Air , as well as the Boston and LaGuardia hubs completely, consolidating East coast operations at Newark. Many of the former Bar Harbor and PBA cities (Bangor, Portland, Presque Isle, Burlington, Hartford, Manchester, Albany, Philadelphia, Hyannis) continued to operate with flights to Newark using ex-Bar Harbor ATR 42. During

3960-400: The same airspace as a commercial airline flight using the same flight number . Since the introduction of SAM 26000 in 1962, the primary presidential aircraft has carried the distinctive livery designed by Raymond Loewy . Other aircraft designated as Air Force One have included another Lockheed Constellation, Columbine III; three Boeing 707s , introduced in the 1960s and 1970s; and

4032-532: The time, Provincetown-Boston (PBA) was operating as Continental Express , and Bar Harbor as Eastern Express. Texas Air continued to operate the consolidated PBA/Bar Harbor as a commuter carrier for both Continental and Eastern, with hub operations at Boston, New York/LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, Tampa and Miami. In October 1988, a Bar Harbor commuter flight was involved in an incident where it came much closer than usual to Air Force One , with Ronald Reagan on board, during both plane's descent to Newark, New Jersey;

4104-611: The two carriers. The Miami and Tampa hubs went to Eastern and continued operating as Eastern Express, while the Newark, LaGuardia, and Boston hubs went to Continental and operated as Continental Express. Employees were given the choice of going with either the Eastern Express division or the Continental Express portion of Bar Harbor. The Bar Harbor Airlines name and operating certificate ironically went to Eastern for

4176-455: The vice president and the staff that 'Angel was next,' indicating the classified call sign for Air Force One. Once we got into the Gulf [of Mexico] and they passed to us that 'Angel was next,' at that point I asked for fighter support. If an airliner was part of the attack, it would be good to have fighters on the wing to go ahead and take care of us." At this point, Tillman said that the plan to fly

4248-454: The war, as well as management and labor issues were contributing factors in Eastern's demise. Only two months after Eastern stopped flying in January 1991, Bar Harbor ceased flying as Eastern Express. Efforts by a small group of investors were made to purchase Bar Harbor's former Eastern Express assets prior to their liquidation but ultimately proved futile as they too were liquidated along with

4320-404: Was president of the company. The airline's second accident proved to be tragic. On May 16, 1978, a flight carrying company founder Thomas Caruso, his son Gary Caruso (Vice President of the company) and two other company pilots, Peter Monighetti and Malcolm Connell, crashed in heavy fog near Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, Maine. There were no survivors. The cause of the crash was later ruled to be

4392-484: Was "specific and credible information that the White House and Air Force One were also intended targets". The White House could not confirm evidence of a threat to Air Force One, and investigation found the original claim to be a result of miscommunication. The VC-25As are to be replaced as the cost of maintaining the aging systems on their 30-year-old airframes and less efficient GE-CF6 engines has begun to surpass

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4464-419: Was a brief overflight of the crowd at a county fair but was nonetheless the beginning of presidential air travel. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an aircraft while in office. The first aircraft obtained specifically for presidential travel was a Douglas Dolphin amphibian modified with luxury upholstery for four passengers and a small separate sleeping compartment. Designated RD-2 by

4536-402: Was carrying President Eisenhower. Initially used informally, the designation became official in 1962. Toward the end of Eisenhower's second term, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles commented that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and other senior Soviet officials had begun using the technologically advanced Tupolev Tu-114 aircraft for their travels, and it was no longer dignified for

4608-549: Was converted for use as the first purpose-built presidential aircraft. Dubbed the Sacred Cow and operated by the Army Air Force , it carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in February 1945 and was used for another two years by President Harry S. Truman . The "Air Force One" call sign was created in 1954, after a Lockheed Constellation carrying President Dwight D. Eisenhower entered

4680-543: Was finally retired in 1998. In June 1974, while President Nixon was on his way to a scheduled stop in Syria , Syrian fighter jets intercepted Air Force One to act as escorts. The crew was not informed in advance, so took evasive action including a dive. After announcing his intention to resign the presidency, Nixon boarded SAM 27000 (with call sign "Air Force One") to travel to California. Colonel Ralph Albertazzie, then pilot of Air Force One, recounted that after Gerald Ford

4752-718: Was followed by 50 fighters (20 Navy and 30 Air Force), representing the states of the union. Johnson used SAM 26000 to travel extensively domestically and to visit troops in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. SAM 26000 served President Nixon on several groundbreaking overseas voyages, including his famous visit to the People's Republic of China in February 1972 and his trip to the Soviet Union later that year, both firsts for an American president. Nixon dubbed

4824-608: Was modified to carry President Franklin D. Roosevelt on international trips. But after a review of the C-87's controversial safety record, the Secret Service flatly refused to approve the aircraft for presidential carriage. The C-87, a derivative of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber, also carried more militaristic associations than aircraft designed for transport. The aircraft, named Guess Where II,

4896-624: Was not used for the C-32 aircraft he flew to Poland ; to increase secrecy, the call sign was SAM060 . When flying with the President, Air Force One rarely flies alone. It is often accompanied by a fleet of aircraft that can include the back-up VC-25, cargo aircraft, and tankers. In such cases, up to half a dozen cargo aircraft, such as the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III or the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy , precede AF1 by

4968-441: Was storing them in the Mojave Desert to prevent corrosion. These airplanes, which were completed in 2013, would be retrofitted with all essential equipment to serve as the next presidential aircraft, albeit without certain capabilities such as aerial refueling . In September 2020, the US Air Force announced several Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate contracts signed with aircraft manufacturers to begin development of

5040-456: Was sworn in as president, the plane had to be redesignated as SAM 27000 , indicating no president was on board the aircraft. Over Jefferson City, Missouri, Albertazzie radioed: " Kansas City , this was Air Force One. Will you change our call sign to Sierra Alpha Mike (SAM) 27000?" Back came the reply: "Roger, Sierra Alpha Mike 27000. Good luck to the President." Though Ronald Reagan 's two terms as president saw no major changes to Air Force One,

5112-403: Was used at least once to transport the President to Princeton, New Jersey . It was referred to as Lady Bird's airplane and later in its service life featured a basic color scheme similar to civilian aircraft. When the President was aboard, the aircraft used the call sign Air Force One. United Airlines is the only commercial airline to have operated Executive One , the call sign given to

5184-662: Was used to transport senior members of the Roosevelt administration on various trips. In March 1944, it flew Eleanor Roosevelt on a goodwill tour of several Latin American countries. The C-87 was scrapped in 1945. The Secret Service subsequently reconfigured a Douglas C-54 Skymaster for presidential transport duty. The VC-54C aircraft, nicknamed the Sacred Cow , included a sleeping area , radiotelephone , and retractable battery-powered elevator to lift Roosevelt in his wheelchair. The VC-54C flew President Roosevelt only once, to

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