5 things you didn’t know about Air Force One
SUMMARY
For decades, the president has flown in style on a variety of different planes and under various call signs. Air Force One is one of the most famous aircrafts to ever take to the skies as it's the to-go plane for U.S. presidents.
The plane is so popular, it was featured in the 1997 action film, Air Force One, starring Harrison Ford as he battles terrorists trying to take over his flying fortress.
You better listen! (Image via GIPHY)
Here's what you might not know about this famous flyer.
Air Force One isn't an actual plane
The term was coined as a call sign for the President's two nearly-identical planes. The planes are perfect twins except for their tail fin numbers. The two modern AF1 edition aircraft are labeled with different numbers: 28000 and 29000.
The original Air Force One
In the mid-1940s, planes were deemed reliable for transportation, seeing as they were successfully flying some intricate missions in World War II. The Army repurposed a C-54 Skymaster for the president's use and dubbed the aircraft, The Sacred Cow.
Air Force One almost collided with a commercial flight
In 1953, President Eisenhower flew under the call sign Air Force 8610. A control tower got it confused with Eastern Airlines flight 8610 as they entered each other's airspace. After that near accident, the call sign Air Force One was permanently used.
The government hired a real designer
Since Air Force One wasn't considered a "looker," designer Raymond Loewy came into the picture and took the plane's aesthetic to a new level. Loewy designed the logos for IBM, Exxon, Shell, Lucky Strike, the Coast Guard, and the U.S. Postal Service.
The cost to operate the plane per hour
According to the Freedom of Information Act, the cost of operating Air Force One for an hour is around $206,337 smackaroos, compared to the average airline flyer's $25,000.
Check out World War Wings' video below to get the full scoop on this historic plane.
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