Questions tagged [air-force-one]

Air Force One is the call sign of any aircraft operated by the US Air Force while the president of the United States is onboard. It often, but not necessarily, refers to one of two Boeing VC-25 aircraft (heavily-modified 747-200Bs).

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Is there a specific purpose for the silver "swoosh" on Air Force One?

Air Force One, just ahead of where the wing joins, has a silver "swoosh" on the bottom of the fuselage: Air Force Two, or other congressional aircraft painted with the blue/white livery that I was ...
14 votes
2 answers
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What are the reflective structures above and to the rear of the engines on a VC-25?

In this video at 7:04 we see the following view of a VC-25 (an aircraft frequently known as "Air Force One"): What are the two shiny, gold-coloured structures above and to the rear of the ...
19 votes
2 answers
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Why do Presidential flights have special call signs?

"One of the most powerful people in the world is on this airplane" does not seem like something you would want to broadcast, but "Air Force One" is effectively a code-word for that ...
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Is "Air Force One" used as an ATC call sign? [duplicate]

When the President is on an Air Force aircraft, is "Air Force One" the actual call sign used on the radio with ATC?
14 votes
2 answers
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Has a C-130 ever been designated as "Air Force One"?

Near the end of the movie, "Air Force One", Harrison Ford is transferred to a C-130, which then changes its call sign to "Air Force One". My question is, has a president of the US ever flown in a C-...
5 votes
2 answers
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Is the CV-22 / MV-22 Osprey classified as a helicopter, plane or both?

Is the CV-22 / MV-22 Osprey classified as a helicopter, plane or both? If the President had to hitch a ride on one, would it become Airforce One (CV-22) or Marine One (MV-22)?
144 votes
9 answers
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Is this plane landing or departing?

I have a picture of Air Force One I took fairly up close several years ago. Unfortunately, I don't remember if that was on arrival or departure. Is there anything visible in the airplane's ...
4 votes
1 answer
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What would the call sign of a non-standard aircraft carrying the US President be?

So, it's well known that the government planes operated for the US President are called Air Force One; less well-known is that this is a call sign given to any Air Force aircraft that carry the ...
14 votes
2 answers
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Do presidential aircraft use additional call signs?

From the answer to another question I learned that the call sign Air Force One (or Marine One, Navy One or Executive One) is transferred immediately to the aircraft currently carrying the president of ...
11 votes
1 answer
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Do any other nations have an equivalent of the "Air Force One" call sign?

Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. - Wikipedia Do any other nations have an equivalent ...
3 votes
1 answer
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How do the military pilots of Air Force One train for exceptional circumstances in an airliner not designed for high performance?

This article discusses how on one occasion, the pilot of Air Force One, the personal air transport of the President of the United States, was required to perform evasive manoeuvres to avoid presumed ...
34 votes
1 answer
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Who has final authority over Air Force One?

U.S. FAA FAR 91.3 ("Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command") says that: The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the ...
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1 answer
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When escorting Air Force 1, at what safe distance must fighter jets fly?

Air Force 1 is sometimes escorted by fighter jets, either for security reasons or for show. Given that Air Force 1 is a very large aircraft that produces an extremely large amount of jet blast and ...
0 votes
2 answers
702 views

Does Airforce one carry missiles to protect itself and its passengers?

Do the VC-25 aircraft used for Air Force One carry missiles to protect itself and its passengers? If so, can these missiles be fired at potential threats?