| VC-25 | |
|---|---|
 VC-25A 28000 overMount Rushmore in February 2001 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Presidential transport |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Status | In service (VC-25A) In development (VC-25B) |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 2 (VC-25A) |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1986–1990 (VC-25A) |
| Introduction date | 23 August 1990 (VC-25A) |
| First flight | 16 May 1987 (VC-25A) |
| Developed from | VC-25A:Boeing 747-200B VC-25B:Boeing 747-8I |
TheBoeing VC-25 is a military version of theBoeing 747 airliner, modified for presidential transport and commonly operated by theUnited States Air Force (USAF) asAir Force One, the call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States.
Only two examples of this aircraft type are in service; they are highly modified Boeing 747-200Bs, designated VC-25A and havingtail numbers 28000 and 29000. Although technically theAir Force One designation applies to the aircraft only while the president is on board, the term is commonly used to refer to the VC-25 in general. The two aircraft often operate in conjunction withMarine One helicopters, which ferry the president to airports whenever a vehicle motorcade would be inappropriate.
Two new aircraft, based on theBoeing 747-8I and designated VC-25B, have been ordered by the USAF to replace the aging VC-25As.
By 1985, the pair ofBoeing 707-basedVC-137s used as the presidential aircraft had been in service for 23 and 13 years respectively, and the USAF began searching for an eventual replacement. TheRequest for Proposal issued stated that the aircraft to be selected should have at least three engines and an unrefueled range of at least 6,000 miles (9,700 km). Both Boeing with its747 andMcDonnell Douglas with theDC-10 were in competition to be selected, with the Boeing entry the eventual winner.[1] The fabrication of the current 747s began during the presidency ofRonald Reagan (1981–1989).
The VC-25s were completed in 1986 and first flew in 1987.[2] The interior designs were created byFirst LadyNancy Reagan, who used designs reminiscent of theAmerican Southwest.[3] Problems with interior wiring for communication systems delayed delivery of the two aircraft until 1990,[2] during the administration ofGeorge H. W. Bush.
The Air Force reported that the operating cost for each VC-25A in 2014 was $210,877 (~$267,357 in 2023) per hour.[4]
The VC-25 is capable of flying 7,800 miles (12,600 km)—roughly one-third the distance around the world—without refueling. The VC-25A can accommodate more than 70 passengers.[5] Each VC-25A cost approximately $325 million. While the VC-25 has two main decks and a cargo area, like a regular Boeing 747, its 4,000 square feet (370 m2) of floor space has been reconfigured for presidential duties. Its lowest level is mostly cargo space, carrying luggage and the onboard food supply. The main passenger area is on the second floor or main deck.[6] The upper deck contains thecockpit and the communications center.
Typically, the president boards and disembarks from the front, main deck entrance using amobile stairway, while journalists and other passengers enter at the rear door of the main deck.[7] However, the aircraft also has built-inairstairs that lead to the lower deck, typically used when security concerns make the use of a mobile stairway impractical.[8]
The front section of the aircraft is informally called the "White House", a reference to thepresident's official residence in Washington, D.C.[6] The president's executive suite includes sleeping quarters with two couches that can be converted into beds, lavatory and shower, vanity, double sink, and a private office, or the president's "Oval Office aboard Air Force One". If necessary, the president can address the nation from the office. This capability was added after theSeptember 11 attacks, during which the aircraft had to land atBarksdale Air Force Base for PresidentGeorge W. Bush to address the nation.[9] These offices, including the president's suite, are mostly located on thestarboard (right) side, and a long corridor runs along theport (left) side. The aircraft also contains a conference room, originally designed as asituation room, but now used for meeting with staff while traveling. This room includes a 50-inchplasma screen television which can be used for teleconferencing. The aircraft has fully equipped office areas with telecommunication systems (including 87 telephones and 19 televisions).[6]
On board the VC-25 is a medical annex, which includes a fold-out operating table, emergency medical supplies, and a well-stocked pharmacy. George W. Bush had atreadmill added to Air Force One during his term in office. Every flight is staffed by a doctor and nurse. The aircraft is self-sufficient, such as carrying all the food it will need. Meals are prepared in twogalleys, which together are equipped to feed up to 100 people at a time.[6] The president gets a personal menu. An area where guests sit is near the center of the aircraft, outside the "White House".[6]
There are separate quarters for guests, senior staff,Secret Service and Air Force security personnel assigned to the plane, and the news media located in theaft area of the main deck. Protocol states that one may wander aft of one's assigned seat, but not forward of it.[6] Communications equipment and thecockpit are on the upper deck. There are also secure and non-secure voice, fax and data communications facilities.[6] While the aircraft's luggage capacity is adequate to carry the belongings of the passengers, the logistics train of the president means that the aircraft must fly preceded by an aerial convoy of several cargo transports, which carry the helicopters, motorcade vehicles, and other equipment required by the presidential entourage.[6]
The VC-25A replaced theVC-137C (a military version of theBoeing 707) as the mainstay of theAir Force One fleet. On some occasions, the VC-25s serve as transport for the US vice president, for which service they use theAir Force Two call sign. The VC-25A aircraft are maintained and operated as military operations by the Presidential Airlift Group, part ofAir Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, based atJoint Base Andrews inCamp Springs, Maryland.
The aircraft can also be operated as a military command center in the event of an incident such as a nuclear attack. Operational modifications includeaerial refueling capability[10] and countermeasures againstanti-aircraft missiles. The electronics on board are connected with approximately 238 miles (383 km) of wiring, twice that of a regular 747. All wiring is covered with heavy shielding for protection from anuclear electromagnetic pulse in the event of a nuclear attack. The aircraft also haselectronic countermeasures (ECMs) (AN/ALQ-204 Matador) tojam enemy radar,flares to spoof heat-seeking missiles, andchaff to spoof radar-guided missiles.[11][12] All small arms and ammunition stores not in the physical possession of the Secret Service and Air Force security personnel on board the VC-25s are stowed and secured in separate locked compartments, each with a different locking mechanism for added security. Many of the VC-25's other capabilities are classified for security reasons.
There has been at least one instance of a VC-25A carrying the president of the United States without using the Air Force One call sign, when President George W. Bush went on a secret flight (with the "Gulf Stream Five" call sign) to meet withtroops in Iraq onThanksgiving, on 27 November 2003.[13]
After a presidential inauguration resulting in a change in office, the outgoing president is provided transport on a VC-25 aircraft to their home destination. The aircraft for this flight does not use the Air Force One call sign because it is not carrying the president in office. For both PresidentsBill Clinton and George W. Bush, the flight was known asSpecial Air Mission 28000, where the number represents the aircraft's tail number.[14][15]
The VC-25As have also been used to transport deceased former presidents, as the guest area aft of "the White House" has chairs and tables that can be removed and the casket laid in their place.[6] The bodies of Ronald Reagan,Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter were transported to Washington for their state funerals, and then on to their final resting places.[16] Colonel Mark Tillman, pilot for President George W. Bush, said, "We'll take care of the president from basically when he's in office to when he lays in state."[6] For the funeral of President Ronald Reagan in 2004, Tillman said that the crew converted the front of the aircraft to look the way it would have appeared when Reagan was president; President andNancy Reagan's Air Force One jackets were placed on the chairs to "make them feel at home".[6] A specially designed hydraulic lifter (similar to the type used by airline catering) with the presidential seal affixed to the sides lifts the casket up to the portside aft door to enter the VC-25A. The tradition of placing the caskets in the passenger cabin dates back to theassassination of John F. Kennedy, when the crew did not want the president's body placed in the cargo hold,[17] and again during the state funeral ofLyndon B. Johnson.[17][18][19]
According to an April 2024 report, the two VC-25As are slated for retirement infiscal year 2028 and 2029, respectively.[20]
The VC-25A aircraft are aging and have become less cost-effective to operate. The USAF Air Mobility Command investigated possible replacements, with early press coverage suggesting that the USAF would consider theBoeing 747-8 and theAirbus A380.[21] On 7 January 2009,Air Force Materiel Command issued a newSources Sought notice for a replacement aircraft to enter service by 2017 with an additional two aircraft to follow in 2019 and 2021.[22] On 28 January 2009,EADS North America representingEADS and its Airbus division confirmed it would not respond to the US Air Force notice, as assembling only three airplanes in the US would not make financial sense.[23] This made Boeing the only aircraft manufacturer interested in supplying the replacement aircraft,[24] and was reported to be exploring a787 option also.[25] On 28 January 2015, the Air Force announced the selection of the Boeing 747-8 to replace the aging VC-25A for presidential transport.[26][27]
On 10 May 2016, the Air Force posted online an amendment to its Air Force One contract authorizing Boeing to begin preliminary design activities. This version of the contract synopsis confirmed that the government will buy two modified 747-8 aircraft. Boeing was awarded a contract in January 2016 to identify cost reduction opportunities in areas including maintenance, aerial refueling and communications.[28][29] On 15 July 2016, Boeing received another contract for pre-engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) risk-reduction to address "system specification, the environmental control system, the aircraft interior, the electrical and power system and sustainment and maintenance approaches" to reduce development risks and life-cycle costs.[30]
On 1 August 2017,Defense One reported that in an effort to pay less for the replacement program, the USAF entered into a contract to purchase two747-8 Intercontinental (747-8I) jets from Boeing, which had originally been ordered in 2011 byTransaero, a Russian airline. Before they could be delivered, Transaero filed for bankruptcy and was closed down; the two aircraft were stored atSouthern California Logistics Airport in theMojave Desert to prevent corrosion. On 27 February 2018, the White House announced a US$3.9 billion (~$4.66 billion in 2023) agreement with Boeing to modify the two unsold 747-8s to replace the VC-25As. The new aircraft is to be designated VC-25B.[31] These aircraft are to be retrofitted with telecommunications and security equipment to bring them to the required security level for the presidential aircraft.[32] In April 2022, Boeing's CEODave Calhoun revealed that he expects the company to have a loss of $660 million on the VC-25B program, after the contract was renegotiated by President Trump.[33]
In June 2019, President Trump announced his plans to revamp the VC-25'slivery from the traditionalRobin egg blue (called "luminousultramarine")[34] white and silver shades to one of red, white, and blue.[35][36] This would have been the first deviation from theRaymond Loewy livery scheme since it was introduced in 1962 on theVC-137C which was first used as Air Force One during theKennedy administration.[37] The Biden administration abandoned the new design, citing "additional engineering, as well as increased time and cost."[38][39] A modified version of the traditional scheme was announced in March 2023.[40][39]
The 747s began undergoing modification work at Boeing's San Antonio facility in 2020.[41] According toThe Wall Street Journal, the development process has been hit by multiple "production mishaps", including the discovery of emptytequila mini-bottles on one of the aircraft, and the use of jacks that were not rated to support the weight of the aircraft. While the jacking did not result in damage to the planes, "the Pentagon's contractor-management agency formally requested Boeing improve its operations."[42]
While the initial delivery date was set to 2024, the Pentagon expects the jets to be two to three years late,[38] with the Air Force projecting delivery of the first VC-25B in 2027, and the other in 2028, as of a 2023 press release.[40] Once the new aircraft are delivered, the VC-25As will be retired and placed in museums.[43]
Data from Boeing BDS[44]
General characteristics
Performance
The VC-25 "Air Force One" is a prominent symbol of the U.S. presidency and its powers; with theWhite House andpresidential seal, it is among the most recognized presidential symbols.[45] Air Force One has often appeared in popular culture and fiction, including the setting of the1997action movieAir Force One where the aircraft had an escape pod and a parachute ramp, unlike the actual presidential aircraft.[46]
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Gordon Johndroe: You cannot hide a blue-and-white 747 that says 'United States of America' across the top. You can't move it secretly through the daylight.
