Air Force One. We see it coming and going on the news, from the US to foreign countries and also see it from time to time at local airports when the President is visiting. It is the designated transportation for the U. S. President. However, it is NOT just one single airplane. Air Force One is the designation- call sign – given by Air Traffic Control for the aircraft currently carrying the President of the United States.
Although the designation may be given to smaller aircraft at times, the term Air Force One mainly applies to the beautiful Boeing 747-202 shown below.
It truly is magnificent in its design, color with the flag on the tail, but ever wonder what is inside? Once when I was lived in the D.C. area, I met an airman who was assigned as a steward on the plane. I pumped him for answers to my questions, but didn’t get a lot of detail. But I did get a book of matches with the Presidential seal on it. And I also was told that it was NOT quite as prestigious an assignment as one might think. Keeping in mind that the crew must go when and where the President goes, it usually meant for these airmen that they were away from home most Holidays.
But my curiosity has never waivered as to what it looked like inside. In searching the Internet, I found a cutout that shows the interior and also some strategic parts of the external design such as bullet-proof windows. I am happy to share that view with you here,
THE INTERIOR
The interior is 4,000 square feet and has 85 telephones and numerous television sets.
As you can see on the cutout above, the President’s private suite is in the very nose of the aircraft complete with lavatory, exercise equipment and lounges for resting. There are also Guest Suites about mid-way in the plane. One note I found interesting was that with the security on-board, passengers are free to move around the plane BUT can never move forward any further than their assigned seats. They are free to move toward the rear at will.
There is a fully equipped and staffed Medical Facility just behind the Presidential Suite. Always staffed with a nurse and has a supply of blood, drugs and a defibrillator.
The Conference Room on the plane also doubles as a Dining Room. The food is touted to be The Best Meals in the sky. The elaborate meals served aboard Air Force One are prepared inside a special kitchen at Joint Base Andrews. Each entree is vacuum sealed and frozen on the ground; the cooking process is completed on stoves, ovens and microwaves in the plane’s galley kitchen.
The president can order just about any meal he’d like. Only one catch: Because there’s no fryer on the plane, the fries served up by Air Force One tend to be a bit soggy.
Finally, the Traveling Press is confined to the very rear of the plane. The President will sometimes walk back and answer questions, but as noted above, the Press cannot travel forward.
Some History
The official presidential plane hasn’t always been so large and luxurious. President Truman’s plane, The Independence, is a military version of the Douglas DC-6.
The Independence was commissioned in July 1947. It was retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio in 1965.
Inside Truman’s plane the Independence aircraft was cramped, offering space for just 25 passengers and a crew of nine. Today, President Trump’s Air Force One can carry up to 76 passengers, with a crew of 26.
More History
I plan to add additional pages under the heading Government as time goes on. You can check for them there.
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