Air Force One Replacement

Wonder if it will have the same 52,000 gallon fuel capacity and air to air refueling capability as the current AF1..
 
Seanaldinho said:
What gets me is when they stick the Marine helos into C-5s and fly them across the country or the world for him. Figure 3 helos at least, 3 C-5s, 3 helo crews, 3 C-5 crews, maintenance crew for the helos... the list goes on and on...
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Not to mention the C-17s to carry around the motorcade and support vehicles, the NAOC 747, and the KC-10/KC-135 tankers to support all those airplanes.

Snaproll said:
Wonder if it will have the same 52,000 gallon fuel capacity and air to air refueling capability as the current AF1..
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I'm sure it will
 
I saw a photo of a kids peddle car shaped like a little plane, in the local penney-saver.

That would fit my vision of the plane obama "deserves."

After all, he earned it.
 
I've long said the President should fly in a Gulfstream and hire a limo at the destination like a normal rich person.
 
The current occupant doesn't even deserve a Cri-Cri!




Empty chair in the plane too!
 
Different, but related subject, it always has seemed interesting to me that the Pope doesn't have an airplane.

As wealthy as the Catholic Church is, as much as traveling the guy does, and as frail as Popes tend to be, I would think he could use one.
 
I wonder how many hours a year they get? It must get expensive on international trips they send a decoy fleet with.
 
RalphInCA said:
Different, but related subject, it always has seemed interesting to me that the Pope doesn't have an airplane.

As wealthy as the Catholic Church is, as much as traveling the guy does, and as frail as Popes tend to be, I would think he could use one.
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Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, doesn't have one either. She charters from BA or the MoD when she needs one.
 
RalphInCA said:
Different, but related subject, it always has seemed interesting to me that the Pope doesn't have an airplane.
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The Pope Emeritus (Benedict XVI) is a licensed helicopter pilot, and flew the papal helicopter to and from the Vatican in the early days of his papcy.

Oh, and he never learned to drive a car.
 
ralarcon said:
I don't get it , what is wrong with the 747's they have now ? :dunno:

Cheers
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Costs of old airframes? They may also be adding a technology/security system that makes more sense to install in a new build than retro fit.
 
The Obama haters on this thread are sad and should be embarrassed. I am for them.

A. The president doesn't decide to buy planes.
B. Obama will never ride in the new plane. It won't be delivered until the next guy (or gal) shows up.
 
Captain said:
The Obama haters on this thread are sad and should be embarrassed. I am for them.

A. The president doesn't decide to buy planes.
B. Obama will never ride in the new plane. It won't be delivered until the next guy (or gal) shows up.
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People who think the POTUS drives these decisions or is even invloved is delusional.
 
Pilawt said:
The Pope Emeritus (Benedict XVI) is a licensed helicopter pilot, and flew the papal helicopter to and from the Vatican in the early days of his papcy.

Oh, and he never learned to drive a car.
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I liked him. He had spunk.
 
Captain said:
The Obama haters on this thread are sad and should be embarrassed. I am for them.

A. The president doesn't decide to buy planes.
B. Obama will never ride in the new plane. It won't be delivered until the next guy (or gal) shows up.
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You gotta give it to the clowns, they are quite entertaining:rofl:
Why'd you have to stop the circus??? LOL:D
 
progressive haters are so transparently hypocritical, all the time, every time.
 
WE ARE BROKE! We don't need a new plane for any of the USA kings!!!!!!!!!!!
 
When I worked at EWR, President Clinton was in NYC for the UNGA. He had to take a quick hop back to DC for something and he took this instead of the 747, which stayed parked at EWR. That was my first time seeing the Presidential Gulfstream. Looks pretty darn cool.

Later that day, after setting up portable lights around the aircraft, my co-worker and I met the crew of the C-141 transport plane and got a tour of the cockpit:thumbsup:
 

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Why didn't he just take that to begin with instead of the 747?
 
redtail said:
When I worked at EWR, President Clinton was in NYC for the UNGA. He had to take a quick hop back to DC for something and he took this instead of the 747, which stayed parked at EWR. That was my first time seeing the Presidential Gulfstream. Looks pretty darn cool.
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Coast Guard, Army, Navy, FBI and FEMA all operate C37As which are frequently parked on the Signature ramp at DCA.
If the security of the president was the objective (and not imperial pomp), they would put him in a Suburban, drive him to either Reagan or Andrews and fly him to wherever he has to go on one of the DoD/DHS executive transports.
 
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weilke said:
Coast Guard, Army, Navy, FBI and FEMA all operate C37As which are frequently parked on the Signature ramp at DCA.
If the security of the president was the objective (and not imperial pomp), they would put him in a Suburban, drive him to either Reagan or Andrews and fly him to wherever he has to go one one of the DoD/DHS executive transports.
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Which one is the VC-21?
 
weilke said:
Coast Guard, Army, Navy, FBI and FEMA all operate C37As which are frequently parked on the Signature ramp at DCA.
If the security of the president was the objective (and not imperial pomp), they would put him in a Suburban, drive him to either Reagan or Andrews and fly him to wherever he has to go one one of the DoD/DHS executive transports.
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No argument there, maybe it's just "cool" factor:lol:.

On another note, speaking of security and Reagan. When he was President, he gave the commencement address at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ.

He took AF1 into EWR and flew to the university in Marine One with a half dozen CH-46's in formation. They flew right over my parent's house and as I saw them, I remember wondering to myself, which one he was actually in. That was a pretty impressive sight to see as well.
 
Buying a new 747 will be expensive, but it could be a lot worse. It could be a F35. Now that would be expensive.
 
NoHeat said:
Buying a new 747 will be expensive, but it could be a lot worse. It could be a F35. Now that would be expensive.
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Once the advanced communications and control systems, not to mention other defensive systems, plus the executive outfitting, I bet the new AF-1 will be more than an F-35.
 
The F-35 is pretty cheap when you consider the capability it brings to the table. It's only about 2.5X as expensive as an F-18 today. Costs will be reduced further as more are purchased.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Henning said:
Which one is the VC-21?
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The Air Force operates C-21s(Lear 35s). I don't think any have been used for presidential transportation but they do fly DVs and aeromedical evacuations.
 
Obama visited Austin recently in his B757. Bidden always uses the 757. I always try to get out to Bergstrom when they are in town because of the cool static display of interesting airplanes that accompany AF-1.

There is a political contribution honeypot right near my office so the big motorcades ride by my office window a couple of times a year.

As a motorcycle rider I've often wondered what the purpose of the squadron of motor officers riding in front of the President's 15 black suburbans and limos might be. Besides making some noise and looking cool, I don't grok their function. It looks dangerous to the riders.

Run over and activate any mines in the road?

I know a couple of years ago a motor officer was killed riding in front of Hillary.
 
JimNtexas said:
As a motorcycle rider I've often wondered what the purpose of the squadron of motor officers riding in front of the President's 15 black suburbans and limos might be. Besides making some noise and looking cool, I don't grok their function. It looks dangerous to the riders.
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It used to be horses. There is a protocol, X for a king, Y for a crown-prince, Z for an ambassador. Has nothing to do with security, all royal protocol.
 
JimNtexas said:
As a motorcycle rider I've often wondered what the purpose of the squadron of motor officers riding in front of the President's 15 black suburbans and limos might be. Besides making some noise and looking cool, I don't grok their function. It looks dangerous to the riders.

Run over and activate any mines in the road?

I know a couple of years ago a motor officer was killed riding in front of Hillary.
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They are easy to leapfrog through traffic and chase down someone going cross country than with a big vehicle.
 
Busflyer said:
Not a fan of the current administration but you guys that are jumping on them about the replacement do realize that this administration will be gone before the plane is delivered, right?
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In my case, anyway, this issue has nothing to do with the current occupant, and everything to do with how foolish the world's worst debtor nation looks to people when our faux King arrives in such opulent splendor.

It's all puffery and ego, backed by...nothing. The US is financially a hollow shell, brittle and ready to shatter. It's just a matter of time, and everyone knows it.

Which is what makes these flying palaces so embarrassing. Like the "generals" who run the banana republics, we just keep adding more gold braid to the uniform, and end up looking weak and silly.
 
Jay Honeck said:
In my case, anyway, this issue has nothing to do with the current occupant, and everything to do with how foolish the world's worst debtor nation looks to people when our faux King arrives in such opulent splendor.

It's all puffery and ego, backed by...nothing. The US is financially a hollow shell, brittle and ready to shatter. It's just a matter of time, and everyone knows it.

Which is what makes these flying palaces so embarrassing. Like the "generals" who run the banana republics, we just keep adding more gold braid to the uniform, and end up looking weak and silly.
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That train has left the station.....:sad::sad::sad::sad:
 
Jay Honeck said:
In my case, anyway, this issue has nothing to do with the current occupant, and everything to do with how foolish the world's worst debtor nation looks to people when our faux King arrives in such opulent splendor.

It's all puffery and ego, backed by...nothing. The US is financially a hollow shell, brittle and ready to shatter. It's just a matter of time, and everyone knows it.

Which is what makes these flying palaces so embarrassing. Like the "generals" who run the banana republics, we just keep adding more gold braid to the uniform, and end up looking weak and silly.
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I think you are wrong about the impact the airplane and all the pomp make on others around the world. I think it's impressive and influences people to think that the United States really is as rich and powerful as it thinks it is.

It's all psychology - A mind game.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
RalphInCA said:
I think you are wrong about the impact the airplane and all the pomp make on others around the world. I think it's impressive and influences people to think that the United States really is as rich and powerful as it thinks it is.
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They laugh.

And then they try to emulate it. The german chancellor used to travel in a Challenger 601. Got him and immediate staff wherever he needed to go. Additional staff and press flew commercial or charter. Now they have a pair of A340s to cart her around :rolleyes: .
 
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