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Air Force One
shep_one

Posts: 13
From: jacksonville, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2001
posted 09-10-2001 02:12 PM
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I just noticed that Air Force One is on the ground here in JAX. George W. is in town to meet with some kids at a local school.
My question is, has anyone been on Air Force One (or even knows anyone who has been on that bird)? I have been on some corporate jets and they are quite remarkable machines, but from the films I have seen about Air Force One, it is something else.

PS. My apologies if this is posted in the wrong forum, but I couldn�t find an Air Force One Mileage Program here!


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Goldlust

Posts: 528
From: Denmark *** AC Elite - SK Silver - Hilton Gold VIP - Starwood Gold
Registered: Nov 2000
posted 09-10-2001 02:29 PM
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I guess the Air Force One ff-program is the only one that can really call its lounges for "President's Club."
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hnechets

Posts: 817
From: Niceville, FL, USA
Registered:
posted 09-10-2001 02:49 PM
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Air Force One is NOT on the ground in JAX. What is there is one of the planes (I think that one is a 707, but not sure) that were at one time Air Force One.
I'm absolutely not trying to be a fussbudget here. I'd just like to try to correct some possible misassumptions...Air Force One is the plane the President happens to be flying i AT THE MOMENT. It's a call sign, not a plane designator.

If President Bush went up in a Piper Cub tomorrow, THAT plane would be Air Force One.

There have been any number of airplanes that have carried American presidents. Usually, but not always, they have been especially outfitted for the job. But again, the designation itself is reserved for whatever the president happens to be in at the moment.

...now I gotta waffle..

Subject to security concerns this callsign may vary.

Dang, I'm sorry I got into this, now.

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shep_one

Posts: 13
From: jacksonville, FL USA
Registered: Apr 2001
posted 09-10-2001 03:00 PM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by hnechets:
Air Force One is NOT on the ground in JAX. What is there is one of the planes (I think that one is a 707, but not sure) that were at one time Air Force One.
I'm absolutely not trying to be a fussbudget here. I'd just like to try to correct some possible misassumptions...Air Force One is the plane the President happens to be flying i AT THE MOMENT. It's a call sign, not a plane designator.

If President Bush went up in a Piper Cub tomorrow, THAT plane would be Air Force One.

There have been any number of airplanes that have carried American presidents. Usually, but not always, they have been especially outfitted for the job. But again, the designation itself is reserved for whatever the president happens to be in at the moment.

QUOTE]

You are correct in that it is Air Force One when he is on it. But there is a blue and white 747 sitting on the tarmac in JAX and when gets back on it in about 15 minutes it will then be Air Force One and then I believe that my question will be exactly correct!

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Mikey likes it

Posts: 285
From: Wrigleyville, USA; UA 1P; US Silver; Hilton Diamond; Starwood Gold
Registered: Nov 2000
posted 09-10-2001 03:13 PM
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There was a program recently on one of the "educational" cable channels re: Air Force One. It showed the current and a former craft and interviewed a number of former staff.
Anyway, to one of the points raised above: When Nixon abdicated the throne, he took AF1 out of town. When the word came that Ford had been sworn in, the pilot radioed the center to ask that the call sign of the aircraft be changed from Air Force 1 to some other designation.

Mike

[This message has been edited by Mikey likes it (edited 09-10-2001).]

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hnechets

Posts: 817
From: Niceville, FL, USA
Registered:
posted 09-10-2001 03:28 PM
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quote:
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Originally posted by shep_one:
...
You are correct in that it is Air Force One when he is on it. But there is a blue and white 747 sitting on the tarmac in JAX and when gets back on it in about 15 minutes it will then be Air Force One and then I believe that my question will be exactly correct!


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You are quite correct, shep_one, when he gets on it, it will indeed be Air Force One.
And I just realized that I went off on a real tangent there, and I apoligize. Your question was has anyone been on Air Force One. I ignored that, and I'm sorry. Any one of htose kids who get on that plane while the president is on it will have, indeed, been on Air Force One! What a thrill that has to be...I am jealous, really.

BTW, no, I have never been on Air Force One.

Just color me jealous...

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flipside

Posts: 236
From: Goshen, NY USA
Registered: May 2001
posted 09-10-2001 03:56 PM
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A girl I work with got to go on it a few months ago. Her husband knows one of the pilots from his military days or something.
I don't remember much of the details, but she was quite impressed, and I was jealous.

Flip




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Actually if the President was on a Piper Cub which did not belong to the Air Force the call sign would be "Executive One." This is the call sign reserved for private planes.

However if the Air Force owned the Piper ....


Freefaller12k



[This message has been edited by freefaller12k (edited 09-12-2001).]

CBS Radio just reported Air Force One had to do a go-around after aborting her landing at Jacksonville due to a police car on the runway.

The plane circled and landed without incident.

That PBS special on Air Force One was fabulous. I don't know when it's going to be on again but it had lots of memories from AF1 pilots, crew and others.

Picky, picky, picky.

This same type of discussion went on around here a week or two ago.

It's a call sign and is whoever is operating the plane, just like flights operated by united airlines are "united [flight number]," which explains "Air Force One," "Navy One," "Marine One," "Army One," etc, etc, with the special one being "Executive One" on a private flight.

There is no magic to the president walking on the plane. I'm sure that they pick up their IFR clearance as "air force one" before he's on the plane.

Here's a link to today's go-around story which is really quite boring and not news.

Which is why I put it in TravelBuzz instead of In The News on a pre-existing thread on Air Force One.

This is like the 500th thread on FlyerTalk where someone feels the need to "correct" someone else's imprecision in the use of the term "Air Force One."

It's incredibly stupid since when people say "Air Force One," everyone knows what they mean.