AIR FORCE ONE - INTERESTING INFORMATION

You would expect the president of the US to travel in style. For longer journeys, he takes to the skies in one of two specially adapted aircraft. When the head honcho is on board, the aircraft is called Air Force One.

Both planes look like standard Boeing 747s on the outside. Inside is a staggering array of secret technologies and a variety of luxury rooms to ensure the president is kept safe and comfortable at all times. Welcome aboard!

Air Force One Pilots
Hand-picked pilots Air Force One crew members are very carefully selected. Each pilot has a long and distinguished flying career, and is thoroughly checked to be sure he poses no security risk.

Air Force One Chefs
Kitchen staff can prepare up to 100 meals at once in two large galleys. The aircraft’s freezers contain enough food to keep passengers fed for up to a week. If food runs out, the plane lands and stewards sneak out to local grocery stores, selecting them at random to avoid any chance of the president’s food being poisoned.

Air Force One Fuel tanks and engines
The four engines and the fuel tanks in the wings are Air Force One’s most vulnerable spots. The fuel tanks can hold more than 50,000 gallons (200,000 liters) of flammable fuel, so they are protected with infrared units that can detect the heat of incoming bullets or missiles and fire flares to intercept them.

Air Force One Defense systems
Air Force One is equipped with devices to provide maximum protection. These are the aircraft’s most highly guarded secrets, but we know they include “electronic countermeasures” (ECMs), designed to jam enemy radar so that the plane effectively becomes invisible.

Air Force One Security
Keeping the president safe is top priority. Dangers could come from inside Air Force One as well as outside. Secret service agents are hidden throughout the aircraft to seize terrorists or would-be assassins should they manage to sneak on board. Most agents hide near the president’s suite.

There are two identical Air Force One planes, SAM-28,000 and SAM-29,000.
􀁎 Each one is 64 ft (19.4 m)—higher than a five-story building.
􀁎 They have more than 4,000 sq ft (370 sq m) of cabin space.
􀁎 Each one weighs a massive 400 tons (360 metric tons).
􀁎 They can fly at more than 600 mph (1,000 kph).

Aside from the president’s staff and the flight crew, reporters are allowed to travel on board so that the world gets the news directly from the source. Reporters travel in the rear of the aircraft and have their own phones and computer terminals so that they can send their news reports to editors on the ground.