Former Air Force One doppelgänger at ATL?

[StraightnLevel]

While on a Delta flight taxiing at ATL this morning, I saw outside the maintenance hangars a plane that looked remarkably like the old 707 Air Force Ones.

Does anyone here know what plane that actually is? To my knowledge, the actual AF1 707s are now static museum displays, so it isn’t likely to be the real thing. Is this a mock-up for a movie or something similar?

 

[SoonerAviator]

While on a Delta flight taxiing at ATL this morning, I saw outside the maintenance hangars a plane that looked remarkably like the old 707 Air Force Ones.

Does anyone here know what plane that actually is? To my knowledge, the actual AF1 707s are now static museum displays, so it isn’t likely to be the real thing. Is this a mock-up for a movie or something similar?

Maybe used for training like fire response or similar?

 

[clear_prop]

Maybe it was one of the 737s or 757s in the SAM fleet. The maintenance on them is contracted out to the airlines.

 

[StraightnLevel]

Maybe it was one of the 737s or 757s in the SAM fleet. The maintenance on them is contracted out to the airlines.

I thought I saw 4 engines, but maybe....?

 

[Cardinalguy]

KC-135?

 

[TCABM]

No pic, no idea.

 

[RyanShort1]

Can you approximate where you saw it on Google Maps?

 

[StraightnLevel]

Can you approximate where you saw it on Google Maps?

I can certainly describe where it was. It's in the northeast corner of the central facility, parked outside the Delta maintenance hangars, just off taxiway E, near the east end of 26L. (Maybe as far east as UTC). Right about where the red mark is on the diagram below:

 

[StraightnLevel]

I'm second-guessing myself about the engine count, wondering if it's this plane (Air Force Two - B757?):

 

[Brad Z]

The C32 (757) and C40 (737) are on contract by the USAF with Delta for maintenance, so it would make sense to see it there.

 

[Mahneuvers]

Driving through ATL on 3/9 I could have sworn I saw a plane w/ AF1 coloring on final. I thought it might have been the real AF1 as there was a campaign event later that day but maybe it was one of these other planes. I'm thinking the later b/c there wasn't a TFR at the time.

 

[Brad Z]

Driving through ATL on 3/9 I could have sworn I saw a plane w/ AF1 coloring on final. I thought it might have been the real AF1 as there was a campaign event later that day but maybe it was one of these other planes. I'm thinking the later b/c there wasn't a TFR at the time.

The real AF1 (or specifically 28000 and 29000) VC25s, unlike the C32s and C40s, are maintained by blue shirts. Presumably the security threshold for maintainers is so high that it cannot be reasonably outsourced. That said, I'm sure Boeing spends a lot of time handholding USAF maintainers to make sure everything is done 100%, 100% of the time.

 

[X3 Skier]

That said, I'm sure Boeing spends a lot of time handholding USAF maintainers to make sure everything is done 100%, 100% of the time.

Especially on the Plug Doors???? Might be the other way round

 

[Ventucky Red]

That said, I'm sure Boeing spends a lot of time hand-holding USAF maintainers to make sure everything is done 100%, 100% of the time.

One could shoot many holes in that statement these days...

 

[StraightnLevel]

The real AF1 (or specifically 28000 and 29000) VC25s, unlike the C32s and C40s, are maintained by blue shirts. Presumably the security threshold for maintainers is so high that it cannot be reasonably outsourced. That said, I'm sure Boeing spends a lot of time handholding USAF maintainers to make sure everything is done 100%, 100% of the time.

Right, and this one definitely was not AF1 - a 747 is hard to mis-identify.

 

[TCABM]

Right, and this one definitely was not AF1 - a 747 is hard to mis-identify.

The 89th Airlift Wing operates the VC-25 and C-35s, C-37s, and C-40s, all with similar paint schemes.

 

[Brad Z]

Especially on the Plug Doors???? Might be the other way round

One could shoot many holes in that statement these days...

Something tells me Boeing probably spends a bit more time focusing on safety related to the twin aircraft that carry the predominant leader of the free world.