Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, RR: 22 Posted (2 years 1 month 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 1214 times:
Browsing the news when I got to work today and it seems as if GWB is bringing AF1 to town!
I'm not Bush's biggest fan (let's not turn this into political debate) but haven't seen AF1 before and am considering driving round to the airport this afternoon. Not been in presence of a serving President before but wondering if anyone knows a good place to get a view of the aircraft without being molested by the Secret Service.
I guess only runway 16/34 would be big enough for the aircraft....am thinking of staying out of the airport boundary, perhaps where Route 60 and the spur road off I-64 meet would be a good place.
I'm going to try and get some pictures...WRIC says he is expected at 4.30pm.
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
Go3Team From United States, joined Mar 2004, 2998 posts, RR: 21 Reply 1, posted (2 years 1 month 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1103 times:
Probably a little late now, but they would use 16/34. If they were using 16, there is some places across the street from the airport to catch a good look. If the SS is around they may give you a pretty hard look though, as those places are pretty open. If they are using 34, you could conviently stop on the side of 295 where it opens up. There is a cement plant right there beside the bridge that the road passes under as well.
Back in May, they were using either an E-4 or one of the aircraft used as AF1 doing touch and goes on 34. They did quite a few of them. Only myself and one other person seemed interested that they had the aircraft down here. Everybody else on the A concourse could care less.
I'm pretty sure, with the short hop, he will be using one of the 757s though.
Flymatt2bermud From United States, joined Jan 2006, 520 posts, RR: 5 Reply 2, posted (2 years 1 month 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1085 times:
Quoting Go3Team (Reply 1): with the short hop, he will be using one of the 757s though.
Or maybe even a Gulfstream V.
I used to watch the presidential 747's do touch and goes Richmond and also at Patrick Henry Field over at Newport News, Virginia on a regular basis. A pretty awesome sight no matter whose livery she's flying under.
"I just want you to know, we're all counting on you!"
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, RR: 22 Reply 3, posted (2 years 1 month 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 1071 times:
Well I went there and saw it, it was the VC-25! Was supposed to come in around 4.30pm so arrived at 3.45pm or so. Police were all over the place as expected even as far away as the I-64/I-295 junction....I scoped out the spur road down to the airport and settled on Route 60 right under the flightpath as their were planes taking off on 16. Within about two minutes a "plain clothes" Camaro with blue flashing lights comes up behind me   I said that he probably knew why I was here. Of course he played dumb, then said the road would be closed when it came in. I moved elsewhere, the car park of the Homewood Suites/Microtel. Would have a nice side on view of it landing on 16....although at 4.10pm or thereabouts I spotted lights off in the distance. The bugger was landing with the wind and onto 34!!! I got a good view (if from a distance) of it taxiing round and it went out of view...As I was heading round to the south side of the airport all the roads were closed off and about 10mins later the motorcade pulled out and headed towards I-64. The sheer amount of vehicles was insane, I've seen the Queen's and Blair's motorcade before but this was incredible!
After that was done I went round to the south side of the airfield and got pretty close to it by the CO Express hangar. All the news crews were parked up and a few kids milling about in suits, so I guess that was some kind of welcome ceremony...I drove around to where a load of bizjets were parked up and got some pictures from there. I don't know the south side of Richmond airport very well...
Here are a couple of (bad) pictures!
Taken from the north side of the airport by the Microtel
From the south side of the airfield
A shame it didn't come in on 16 as I'd have had a superb view of it Â
Anyone know when it is due to leave? I suspect Bush isn't staying at the OMNI tonight  Â
On a side note where does all that motorcade come from? There were probably twenty motorcycles but umpteen Excursions, minivans and the ilk. Does that all go in the back of a VC-25? Or is it flown in in advance? If the latter it seems like A LOT of effort. If he was coming down from DC I'm surprised he didn't arrive by chopper and land much nearer the Science Museum!
[Edited 2006-10-20 01:26:10]
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
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From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, 
From United States, joined Mar 2004, 2998 posts, 
 I said that he probably knew why I was here. Of course he played dumb, then said the road would be closed when it came in. I moved elsewhere, the car park of the Homewood Suites/Microtel. Would have a nice side on view of it landing on 16....although at 4.10pm or thereabouts I spotted lights off in the distance. The bugger was landing with the wind and onto 34!!! I got a good view (if from a distance) of it taxiing round and it went out of view...As I was heading round to the south side of the airport all the roads were closed off and about 10mins later the motorcade pulled out and headed towards I-64. The sheer amount of vehicles was insane, I've seen the Queen's and Blair's motorcade before but this was incredible! 
From Ireland, joined Oct 2001, 2841 posts, 
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