Air Force One is perhaps the most famous presidential aircraft of all time. However, it didn’t always exist, so why was it made and how has it evolved over time? Today we will find out!
Air Force One isn’t actually one aircraft, in fact it refers to any aircraft that is carrying the President of the United States. The aircraft’s name has inspired several films, including Air Force One, starring Harrison Ford.
The First
Although he wasn’t in office when he first flew, former President Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to fly. He did this on October 11 1910, over a year after he left office.
The first serving president to fly was actually Teddy Roosevelt’s cousin, FDR. He flew on a specially reconfigured Douglas Dolphin, which formerly acted a commercial airliner. That aircraft was redesignated the RD-2 by the Navy.
The onset of World War II and the subsequent use of U-Boats by the Germans led to aviation being the preferred way of transatlantic VIP transport.
This resulted in a new aircraft being chosen- the first aircraft that could travel across the Atlantic, solely flying. The aircraft that was chosen was the Boeing 314, which was staffed with a Pan Am crew. This aircraft flew FDR to the Casablanca Conference in Morocco in 1943.
The war also made the military high command very paranoid. The USAAF (precursors to the modern USAF) worried that relying on converted used commercial aircraft might cause them issues down the line.
As such, the USAAF approached the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation about a VIP variant of their famed C-87 Liberator Express bomber. However, further review showed that the C-87 was not fit for presidential transport.
The result was that the USAAF and Secret Service, converted one of its existing C-54 Skylifters in to a presidential transport aircraft. This C-54 was redesignated as the VC-54C and flew FDR to the Yalta Conference in 1945.
The VC-54C was given a distinctive paint job, but still very similar to standard US Air Force colours.
FDR nicknamed the VC-54C the Sacred Cow, which it was referred to informally by the public and the media. It is now currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
Start of The Cold War
With FDR’s passing in 1945, and Harry Truman becoming president came a new presidential aircraft. As soon as Truman became president, the Secret Service began work on a new presidential aircraft.
In the mean time, President Truman continued to use the Sacred Cow until 1947. Under President Truman and on board the VC-54C, the National Security Act of 1947, arguably the most important piece of legislature in a post-WWII world.
1947 saw the introduction of President Truman’s new presidential aircraft. This aircraft, which was designated as the VC-118A, a converted C-118 Liftmaster cargo aircraft (itself a conversion of the DC-6 airliner).
President Truman gave the VC-118A a nickname, similarly to how FDR gave his aircraft a nickname. The nickname Truman gave the VC-118, was Independence, after his hometown in Missouri.
Just as with the VC-54C, the VC-118A was given a special paint job. Unlike the VC-54C, however, the VC-118A was given a distinctive paint job. This paint job made the nose of the VC-118A resemble a Bald Eagle.
This aircraft served as Truman’s presidential aircraft until he left office in 1953. The VC-118A is now housed alongside the VC-54C at the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
1950’s
With the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953 also came a new presidential aircraft. As a former General in the US Army, Eisenhower knew a lot about military aircraft. Together with the Secret Service, they picked out a replacement aircraft.
Eisenhower was the one who brought in the idea of having several presidential aircraft. He foresaw that the Soviets or an unforeseen future enemy might attack the President of the US.
In order to combat that, Eisenhower introduced four aircraft that could be used as a presidential transport. The two most used (and most famous) were converted Lockheed C-121 Constellations, designated as the VC-121.
These two Constellations were nicknamed Columbine II and Columbine III. These were named after the Columbine flower, the official state flower of Colorado (the adopted state of First lady Mamie Eisenhower).
Eisenhower also introduced two militarized Aero Commander 500s, one designated as L-26 and another designated as U-4B. The U-4B was the first presidential aircraft to use the now iconic blue and white paint scheme.
Under Eisenhower was also the first time that the call sign Air Force One was used. The story behind that is because of an accident- US Air Force flight 8610 and Eastern Air Lines flight 8610 crossed paths.
The call sign was originally used as an informal call sign by Air Traffic Control and the US Air Force. Upon Eisenhower’s departure from the White House in 1961, and the entrance of JFK, made the call sign official.
The end of the 1950’s also saw the start of the jet age and the Golden Age of Aviation. In 1959, Eisenhower and the USAF saw the first of three specifically designed militarized 707s, redesignated as the VC-137.
All of Eisenhower’s presidential aircraft have been stored in the President’s Hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base alongside the VC-54C.
The Kennedy Administration
JFK was the first president to use air travel extensively, using Air Force One to fly to Canada, the UK, France and Austria. In 1962, one year after JFK was elected (and three years after the first VC-137s were introduced) JFK introduced a new Air Force One.
October 1962 saw the introduction of the first VC-137C (a VIP configured C-137 Stratoliner, itself a long-range militarized variant of the 707). The VC-137C was the first mainstream use of the SAM designation (Special Air Mission).
The first VC-137C was designated as the VC-137C SAM 26000. The SAM 26000 was the Air Force One that made the now-iconic blue and white livery famous.
Despite this, the Air Force didn’t actually want to use the blue and white livery. Instead, they had a specially designed red and gold livery for the SAM 26000. However, the Kennedys decided that the livery didn’t fit with the US’s aims.
The result being that famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy was contracted to design a new livery. Taking inspiration from the U-4B’s paint scheme, modernizing it and adapting it for the VC-137C, became the world famous livery we know and love!
The SAM 26000 has been the most used Air Force One, being used since 1962 until 1998.
The SAM 26000 was the aircraft that JFK used to travel to Dallas in November 1963. This aircraft was also used to carry him back to Washington, DC. The SAM 26000 was were Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as President.
The Johnson Administration
President Johnson used the SAM 26000 extensively. He used the SAM 26000 as the aircraft at the State Funeral of his friend, John F. Kennedy. This aircraft was followed by a fighter escort consisting of 20 Navy and 30 USAF fighters.
Johnson used the SAM 26000 on all of his overseas trips. Johnson was perhaps the president who flew the most in the shortest amount of time.
It was because of these journeys, that the SAM became world famous, recognized from London to New York to Beijing to Moscow to Berlin.
Johnson used the SAM 26000 to travel to China to meet with Mao Zedong. Johnson also used the SAM 26000 to travel to Moscow to meet with Nikita Khrushchev. The SAM was also used by Johnson to travel to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
President Johnson also used a militarized Beechcraft King Air B90, redesignated as the VC-6A. This aircraft was used to transport Johnson from Bergstrom Air Force Base to his family ranch.
Johnson also frequently used a Lockheed Jetstar, one of the first business jets, as Air Force One to transport him to his ranch (the runway at the ranch wasn’t equipped for a larger aircraft like the 707).
Upon Johnson’s death in January 1973, the SAM 2600 that he traveled in so many times, carried his coffin back to DC for a state funeral.
Once the SAM was retired in 1998, where it was put on display at the President’s Hangar of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
1970’s
A new decade saw a new president, and with it, a new Air Force One. In December 1972, the SAM 26000 was replaced by the SAM 27000. The SAM 27000 was another VC-137C that was designed to replace the SAM 26000.
However, this did not mean that the SAM 26000 entered retirement. Instead it was used as an auxiliary Air Force One, or as the Vice-President’s aircraft, commonly referred to as Air Force Two.
President Nixon too used the SAM 27000 extensively during his presidency. Rumor has it that Nixon installed listening devices in the SAM 27000, however, these are merely rumors and haven’t been proven or disproven.
In 1973, a United Airlines DC-10 was boarded by a serving President Nixon. For the first time since the 1950’s, an aircraft with the President on board did not have the call sign Air Force One, instead, it had the call sign Executive One.
After Watergate, and Nixon’s subsequent resignation, Nixon boarded the SAM 27000, which was the final time Nixon boarded an aircraft designated as Air Force One.
The new president, President Carter didn’t fly too much during his presidency, this was mostly down to how short his presidency was, however, rumors abound that it was also partly due to a dislike or unwillingness to flying.
1980’s
After Carter came Ford at the end of the 1970’s and at the start of the 1980’s came Ronald Reagan, perhaps the most famous US president after George Washington.
Despite not traveling as much as other presidents like JFK or Johnson, Reagan was still an avid traveler.
Reagan traveled on several occasions to meet with America’s allies. He most famously traveled on several occasions to the UK to meet with the Queen and close ally Margaret Thatcher.
Reagan also traveled on several occasions to other US and NATO allies, including Canada and France. During the Cold War and Reagan’s helm of the US, Reagan also flew to neutral ground as well.
In an effort to help end the Cold War, or at least to deescalate it, Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev met on several occasions. Mostly this was on neutral ground like Geneva in Switzerland and Reykjavik in Iceland.
Reagan also visited “enemy” territory. He visited the Berlin Wall in June 1987, only months before the wall was pulled down by Berliners. Reagan also visited China to meet with Li Xiannian in April 1984.
As the Cold War progressed and began to slow down at the end of Reagan’s presidency, Reagan even visited Moscow! At the End of May and the beginning of June in 1988, Reagan visited Moscow to deescalate nuclear armament between the two countries.
Although Reagan continued to use the SAM 27000, Nancy Reagan, Boeing and the US Air Force began work on a new Air Force One- the VC-25, a converted Boeing 747-400.
Modern Age
The current Air Force One is the most secure and advanced aircraft on the planet. During its development, Boeing had to stall the delivery as the USAF now wanted the VC-25A to be impervious to EMPs.
The first president to use the VC-25A was George H. W. Bush, after it was delivered at the beginning of his presidency. The VC-25A is one of the longest serving Air Force Ones in history, and when it is retired, it will be the longest serving.
After George H. W. Bush, came Bill Clinton, who too flew quite often. During his tenure as president, President Clinton traveled to several countries, most famously Ireland (both Northern and Southern), the UK and India.
After Clinton came President George Bush, who’d use the aircraft during the US’s worst aviation incident ever. Immediately after 9/11, Air Force One was prepped and ready and the President was in the air immediately.
Throughout the crisis that followed, President Bush co-ordinated the relief effort. For several hours, Air Force One became the unofficial White House in the air, as the US defense service did not know what was going on, nor what might follow.
After Bush came President Obama, who was a frequent flyer. Obama was known for flying to his ally’s countries, flying several times to the UK to meet with both the Queen and the Prime Minster.
Once, Obama flew to Britain, met the Prime Minster (David Cameron) to fly to Ohio to watch a basketball game in Ohio. Both heads of state flew aboard Air Force One.
After Obama came the infamous Donald Trump. Trump, despite owning his own private jet (nicknamed “Trump Force One” during the 2016 campaign) still uses Air Force One.
In fact, Trump has been very vocal about Air Force One, both the current Air Force One and the future Air Force One.
The Future
As the VC-25A (a militarized Boeing 747-400) is ageing, the US Air Force has announced a new Air Force One aircraft. The aircraft will be designated as the VC-25B.
The VC-25B will a be a militarized Boeing 747-8 and will feature most of the features available on the current VC-25A. However, current President Trump has complained about the cost of replacing the current Air Force One.
His complaint was mainly about the cost of the replacement, which he saw at being over the $4 billion mark. This is contrary to official statistics which claim the replacement will cost $3.2 billion.
To cut costs, the US Air Force announced that they’d be buying two undelivered civilian 747-8s (from the bankrupt Transaero). The Air Force has already begun to reconfigure the 747-8s as VIP aircraft with all necessary security measures.
These two VC-25Bs (one primary aircraft and one reserve aircraft) will be delivered in 2024, to be used by the president elected after the 2024 Presidential Elections.
What do you think about the history of Air Force One? Tell me in the comments!