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Which Air Force ONE Is Being Used BY Obama Today

rw774477 From United States of America, joined Feb 2001, 1028 posts, RR: 0
Posted (2 years 1 month 5 hours ago) and read 5556 times:

How can you track which one is which if at all possible ?

14 replies: All unread, jump to last

D L X From United States of America, joined May 1999, 10554 posts, RR: 53
Reply 1, posted (2 years 1 month 5 hours ago) and read 5538 times:

Both VC-25s fly on every mission involving the President. The one that the president is on is the one following.

papatango From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 500 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5538 times:

Quoting rw774477 (Thread starter):

Air Force One is not a specific aircraft it is the call sign of the POUS and any USAF aircraft he is flying on.

BN747 From United States of America, joined Mar 2002, 5287 posts, RR: 52
Reply 3, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5520 times:

Quoting D L X (Reply 1):
Both VC-25s fly on every mission involving the President.

What do you mean by that? Because I've seen a single ship here at LAX a zillion times when or Bush came in.

BN747

"Home of the Brave, made by the Slaves..Land of the Free, if you look like me.." T. Jefferson

D L X From United States of America, joined May 1999, 10554 posts, RR: 53
Reply 4, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5448 times:

Quoting BN747 (Reply 3):
What do you mean by that? Because I've seen a single ship here at LAX a zillion times when or Bush came in.

Maybe it's only when he flies internationally, or maybe the other one was around but not parked at the same place. But according to the National Geographic special on Air Force One, both planes fly every mission, with one sort of blazing the trail for the other.

MPDPilot From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 934 posts, RR: 0
Reply 5, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5432 times:

Quoting BN747 (Reply 3):
What do you mean by that? Because I've seen a single ship here at LAX a zillion times when or Bush came in

The other aircraft might have been at March AFB or something but typically they do travel with two aircraft in case of maintenance issues with one. It is often said that Air Force One is the safest place for the POTUS to be so it is important that they always have one available for him to get on one at a moments notice.

Another fun fact, I am not sure if this is still the case but it has been the case that an E-4B always travels with POTUS in case of a nuclear war, as that is the command plane for that senario. So that means that anytime POTUS travels there is atleast a C-5 with his cars, and two or three 747s. That is quite a bit of hardware to fly for one person.

One mile of highway gets you one mile, one mile of runway gets you anywhere.

UAEflyer From United Arab Emirates, joined Nov 2006, 903 posts, RR: 1
Reply 6, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5432 times:

no doubt he will take this one

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rampart From United States of America, joined Aug 2005, 2851 posts, RR: 7
Reply 7, posted (2 years 1 month 4 hours ago) and read 5342 times:

Quoting rw774477 (Thread starter):
How can you track which one is which if at all possible ?

I could tell you, but then I'd have to shoot you.

-Rampart

KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52
Reply 8, posted (2 years 1 month 1 hour ago) and read 5083 times:

The 89th schedules which airplane is primary and which is back-up. The back-up always lands somewhere else, but within about 60 minutes flying time of the primary airplane.

So if he is flying today on a VC-25A, both 28000 and 29000 are in use.

ZANL188 From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 3247 posts, RR: 0
Reply 9, posted (2 years 4 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 5026 times:

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POTUS doesn't ALWAYS travel with both 747s, nor does he ALWAYS have the E-4 in tow.

Probably best to stay away from absolutes.... Far too many myths involving these aircraft...

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as739x From United States of America, joined Apr 2003, 5819 posts, RR: 23
Reply 10, posted (2 years 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 4787 times:

Quoting D L X (Reply 1):

I do not believe this is true. Both VC fly on every overseas mission, but domestically I have seen different.

Last year AF1 arrived at SFO and had a mechanical issue. Overnight a C-32 was brought in as a back-up. The VC flying Obama was repaired overnight and left with no problems. But there was no sight of the other VC aircraft.

"Some pilots avoid storm cells and some play connect the dots!"

LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22024 posts, RR: 51
Reply 11, posted (2 years 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 4745 times:

28000 was at LAX today.

As far as back ups, I can tell you that during Clinton's presidency they had a mechanical issue here in LAX, and the 2nd aircraft arrived up from San Diego (Miramar I believe it was) overnight.

Also during the 90s, I recall one of the aircraft during an Australia visit suffered a bid strike, and returned a few days later on its own after an engine change via LAX.

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7433 posts, RR: 2
Reply 12, posted (2 years 3 weeks 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 4638 times:

Quoting LAXintl (Reply 11):
Also during the 90s, I recall one of the aircraft during an Australia visit suffered a bid strike, and returned a few days later on its own after an engine change via LAX.

OMG, that is Saudi type excessive. But then again, it is the US military...

KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11705 posts, RR: 52
Reply 13, posted (2 years 3 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 4422 times:

Quoting LAXintl (Reply 11):
bid strike

What's a 'bid' strike?

One VC-25A had a maintenance issue on a President Bush Asian trip, he went onto the next meeting using a C-32A as Air Force-1, arriving on-schedule for his meeting. IIRC, the issue with the VC-25 was a tire and brake issue, but they fly with these types of spare parts. It was repaired and President Bush used the VC-25A for his next leg on that trip.

LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22024 posts, RR: 51
Reply 14, posted (2 years 3 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 4337 times:

Bird strike obviously.

Trip I mentioned was in 1996 - Both VC-25s were down in Australia.

When the President and his entourage flew in to Sydney late on Tuesday, they needed two United States Air Force 747s and a giant C5 Galaxy transport plane to carry all the people and equipment that go with a presidential stop-over.
http://inside.theage.com.au/view_bes...raction=update&inttype=1&intid=115

From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California

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