Air Force Two

History

Richard Nixon was one of the first senior officials in American government to travel internationally via jet aircraft on official business, taking a Boeing VC-137A Stratoliner on his visit to the Soviet Union in July 1959 for the Kitchen Debates as Eisenhower's vice president.

Domestically, non-presidential VIP travel still relied on the prop powered Convair VC-131 Samaritan aircraft until Nelson Rockefeller was named Gerald Ford's vice president in 1974. Rockefeller personally owned a Grumman Gulfstream II jet that he preferred to the much slower Convair; Rockefeller's Gulfstream II then used the "Executive Two" callsign while he was in office. This would prompt the 89th Airlift Wing's acquisition of three McDonnell Douglas VC-9Cs in 1975, adding to their three VC-137s jets used for senior executive international travel.{{cite book | url-access = registration

Prior senior executive aircraft included the former presidential Douglas VC-54 Skymaster, Douglas VC-118A, and Lockheed C-121 Constellations, held in reserve as back-up aircraft for the newer aircraft designated for presidential travel.

Design

Aircraft allocated for use by the vice president and senior executives authorized to travel under the Special Air Mission designation operated by the 89th Airlift Wing can be distinguished from the distinctive Raymond Loewy Air Force One livery by the lack of the steel blue cheatline and cap over the cockpit.

Former presidential aircraft that has been redesignated for non-presidential VIP travel will be repainted in the secondary livery as illustrated in the difference between VC-137C SAM 26000 and VC-137C SAM 27000's current paint schemes. Both SAM 26000 and SAM 27000 were relegated to a non-presidential VIP role upon delivery of their replacements, but SAM 27000 was repainted by the Reagan Library to match its Reagan era paint scheme (see chronology of SAM 27000 images under Reagan, George W. Bush, and as currently maintained by the library).

Incidents

In 2012, Joe Biden switched to another plane after the plane in which he was flying in California struck birds. A similar incident in 2020 involving a bird strike in the engine during takeoff caused Air Force Two to land back at a nearby New Hampshire airport while it was carrying Mike Pence and some of his staff. In June 2021, Air Force Two, with Kamala Harris aboard, was forced to return to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after suffering a "technical issue." Harris—who was on her way to Guatemala—resumed her flight on a different aircraft approximately an hour and a half later.

References

References

1. (January 2006). "Factsheets: C-32". U.S. Air Force.
2. (14 March 2007). "Order 7110.65R (Air Traffic Control) §2-4-20 ¶7".
3. (10 March 2002). "Cheney heads overseas to talk terrorism". [[USA Today]].
4. Whitelaw, Kevin. (11 March 2002). "Reporter's Notebook on Cheney's Mideast trip: Day 1: London". [[U.S. News & World Report]].
5. "First of 3 Jets for President and Top Aides Is Unveiled." ''The New York Times'', April 28, 1959, p. 3.
6. (January 1959). "U.S.S.R. Moscow, on plane, American B-707, at airport, American exhibit".
7. (25 Aug 1974). "A Maine Vacation, Rockefeller Style". [[The New York Times]].
8. (3 July 2019). "Out of the blue: A look back at Air Force One's classic design".
9. "Air Force One Color Scheme".
10. {{harvnb. Hardesty. 2003
11. "Air Force One".
12. Groppe, Maureen. (16 October 2017). "6 fun facts about Air Force Two". [[The Indianapolis Star]].
13. (20 April 2012). "Air Force Two carrying Biden struck by birds, lands safely".
14. (22 September 2020). "Air Force Two, carrying Vice President Mike Pence, returns to airport after hitting bird on takeoff". USA Today.
15. [https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/06/06/Kamala-Harris-returns-Joint-Base-Andrews-technical-issue-Air-Force-Two-Guatemala/6451623013443/ 'Technical issue' forces Harris back to air base after departing on trip to Guatemala.]