Any time the president (or in this case the “resident”) is on an Air Force aircraft that plane is called Air Force One. This would mean if he is on a C17 or B2, it would take that call sign.
There are many reasons to fly the “resident” in the other VIP/SAM aircraft and the 747s that are typically associated with presidential airlift group do require maintenance.
What you say is correct, the plane the President flies on is AF1 when he is aboard. Can you remember any other President being flown on something other than one of the four engine 747 aircraft, especially overseas?
Absolutely correct. The 747 that is typically used as AF1 is a flying command center with capabilities that no other plane in the fleet has, including a lot of top secret tech for defense and communications. The president would always have that plane when outside the country, since it's a flying White House. I had a co-worker about 20 years ago who worked in that fleet, and to be chosen to be a mechanic was a huge honor, and they only took the best of the best for that assignment. He maintained a lot of the aircraft and said that the 747 (back then) was so advanced, a lot of the tech when parked was draped in black covers, so people could not see it.
That's certainly interesting to hear about the tech being covered. We know they don't cover anything on the hull, and for the various pictures while it's in use, granted we don't see everything, I would imagine there's some tech that people wouldn't know what it is.
There are areas on that plane that you need a top secret or above to even walk through. It's filled with a LOT of very sensitive surveillance gear. When AF1 is flying over a county, it's gathering a ton of signal intelligence.
Any time the president (or in this case the “resident”) is on an Air Force aircraft that plane is called Air Force One. This would mean if he is on a C17 or B2, it would take that call sign. There are many reasons to fly the “resident” in the other VIP/SAM aircraft and the 747s that are typically associated with presidential airlift group do require maintenance.
What you say is correct, the plane the President flies on is AF1 when he is aboard. Can you remember any other President being flown on something other than one of the four engine 747 aircraft, especially overseas?
Absolutely correct. The 747 that is typically used as AF1 is a flying command center with capabilities that no other plane in the fleet has, including a lot of top secret tech for defense and communications. The president would always have that plane when outside the country, since it's a flying White House. I had a co-worker about 20 years ago who worked in that fleet, and to be chosen to be a mechanic was a huge honor, and they only took the best of the best for that assignment. He maintained a lot of the aircraft and said that the 747 (back then) was so advanced, a lot of the tech when parked was draped in black covers, so people could not see it.
That's certainly interesting to hear about the tech being covered. We know they don't cover anything on the hull, and for the various pictures while it's in use, granted we don't see everything, I would imagine there's some tech that people wouldn't know what it is.
There are areas on that plane that you need a top secret or above to even walk through. It's filled with a LOT of very sensitive surveillance gear. When AF1 is flying over a county, it's gathering a ton of signal intelligence.