THE BIRD AND THE BEAST

Air Force One together with "Cadillac One", the official presidential fleet, in Mexico, (2012).

President Barack Obama boards Air Force One at Los Cabos International Airport in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Please click on the graphic for a larger view.

Welcome Aboard Air Force One!

Air Force One: Inside the Oval Office in the Sky
ABC News, May 4, 2015

This is the homepage for my new presidential aviation fansite, entitled "I Love Air Force One". This is the second version of this website, and on these pages I hope to explain why I love these two particular twin airplanes and how they will serve the Obama Administration and the country as a whole.

A Rich History

I am obviously not the only one out there who is facinated by the rich history, technical inner workings and layout, and overall mistique of these famous airliners. In fact, I would like to proudly display, as an homage to the hard work and attention to detail of two individuals whose blogs and sites I have admired for some time now, The White House Museum page on Air Force One, as well as the blog ("Wingnuts Workings") that chronicles the development of 3D models showcasing these twin 747s.

What is "Air Force One"?

Technically speaking, "Air Force One" is the radio call sign used on any United States Air Force jet that carries the President of the United States ("POTUS"). Usually this name applies to one of two Boeing 747 aircraft otherwise known as Special Air Mission ("SAM") 28000 and SAM 29000, but it does not have to be that way. Also, the callsign "Executive One Foxtrot" is used when only the family of the president is on board.

History of the presidential call sign:

The presidential call sign was established for security purposes during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The change stemmed from a 1953 incident where an Eastern Airlines commercial flight (8610) had the same call sign as a flight the president was on (Air Force 8610). The aircraft accidentally entered the same airspace, and after the incident the unique call sign "Air Force One" was introduced for the presidential aircraft, (from Wikipedia).

A Saint Louis Connection to the First Presidential Flight in History!

On October 11, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to fly in an aircraft, although at the time of the flight in an early Wright Flyer from Kinloch Field (near St. Louis, Missouri), he was no longer in office, having been succeeded by William Howard Taft. The record-making occasion was a brief overflight of the crowd at a country fair but was nonetheless, the beginning of presidential air travel, (Hardesty 2003, pp. 31-32).

What's there to do?

Have a look around, and feel free to give me feedback. I will add more content as time permits.

This fansite has grown much since its initial debut in 2003. Please feel free to let me know what you like and what you don't like to see. As any scholar knows, peer review is a very constructive and valuable resource. Enjoy!!