Flying Better than First Class on Air Force One

Written by Dabney B. on Monday, February 27th, 2012

Most people don’t like to fly. Long lines, lackluster customer service, flying sickness, and that unavoidable anxiety you feel when you picture your plane crashing into the earth can all make for a miserable experience. Flying first class can alleviate some of those woes by emphasizing comfort. While flying first class is certainly a great way to fly, it’s hardly the best way to fly, as that distinction goes to America’s most important and recognizable aircraft, Air Force One. As the president’s personal aircraft, it has some of the most modern features and comfortable seating arrangements available.

One common misconception about Air Force One is that it is a single aircraft. In reality, any Air Force aircraft that carries the U.S. president temporarily gains the air traffic control sign of  “Air Force One.” In the event that the president flies in a commercial aircraft, that aircraft gains the designation “Executive One.” Theoretically, any aircraft has the potential to be promoted up to Air Force One or Executive One.

In a much more practical sense, however, Air Force One typically applies to one of two customized Boeing 747 200-B designed for the express purpose of transporting the president. This wasn’t always, the case, of course, as the presidential aircraft has changed over the years.

In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Presidential Airlift Group, which now operates under the 89th Airlift Wing. It is the group responsible for maintaining and operating any and all Air Force One aircraft. In its earliest years, most Air Force One aircraft were relatively small propeller aircraft, and it wasn’t until the 1990’s that the current buy tadalafil cheap Boeing began service during the presidential term of George H. W. bush.

And as the president’s personal aircraft, every square foot of the Boeing is intended to serve the president in any way imaginable. The president can make use of a full conference room, a large office, and an extensive suite as comfortable as any 5-star hotel room. The jet’s massive kitchen can feed up to 100 people, and the aircraft even has a fully functional operating room. A doctor is on board every second of every day to ensure the president’s safety.

In the event of a crisis, Air Force One is equipped with everything the president needs to use the aircraft as a mobile command center, allowing him to give orders and communicate with military officials as easily as if he were in the Oval Office. The aircraft’s electronic equipment are specially designed to make it resistant to electromagnetic pulses, and the president can request air support at a moment’s notice. In fact, shortly after the 9/11 attacks when George W. Bush was returning from Florida to the White House, the pilot of Air Force One requested air support, fearing that they were also a target.

While Air Force One may not be as famous as the Spirit of St. Louis or the Enola Gay, it is certainly America’s most prestigious and most respected aircraft, and while in use it may very well be our country’s most important aircraft. And with all of the features of modern technology, the president can continue to serve our country even when he’s thousands of feet in the air.

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