It is known as Air Force One. This high-tech jet even serves as a commando bunker in times of war or when the United States is in danger. The Air Force One team makes sure that the president--"Passenger Number One"--is not only safe and comfortable, but fully able to meet the demands of the office at any altitude.
This very same "Flying Office" is as tall as a six storey building and as long as a city block. Air Force One can travel at a speed of up to 1000 km/hr and fly as high as 15,000 meters With a full tank it can travel half way around the world. The interior of this is more like a business office than a plane. There are three decks: The lowest deck of the plane is the cargo area. It holds the luggage, food and other equipment. The middle deck is the passenger area where Mr.President and his staff work. The president and his advisers get together for meetings in special conference rooms. There is a separate area for reporters who travel with the president. The upper deck consists of the cockpit and the communications room. All together about 70 passengers and 26 crew members can travel on board Air Force One.
Air Force One is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Every time the President travels, a helicopter, Marine One, brings him from the White House to Andrews.
Conference Room |
As Air Force One is not a normal plane it has special features that other jetliners do not have.
- An on-board doctor travels with the President at all times and there is even a small operating room on the plane.
- The 747 can be refueled in mid-air and is therefore able to stay sky borne without landing for a long time.
- It has 85 on board telephones, two-way radios, fax machines and computer connections.
- The President and his advisers can get into contact with almost anyone in the world while flying at 15,000 meters.
Model: A VC-25 jet, a military version of the Boeing 747-200B Entered service: 1990
Commander: Colonel Mark Tillman, Presidential Airlift Group, U.S. Air Force
Size: Height: 63' 5"(equal to 19.3 m), Length: 231' 5"(70.6 m), Weight: 238,800 kg (without fuel)
Wing span: 195 feet, 8 inches
Speed: 630 miles per hour (near supersonic speed, much more powerful than a typical 747)
Seats: 70
Crew: 26
Interior floor space: 4,000 square feet
Range: About 14 hours in the air; 7,800 statute miles
Defenses: Infrared-missile and radar-jamming technology, along with a host of other top-secret aerial defenses and electronic countermeasures
Amenities: Executive suite for the president; two fully functional kitchens with a full-scale electric range that can churn out 100 meals at a time; workstations; fax and copy machines; broadband internet access; satellite video, dozens of secure phone lines, soundproof-able conference room
PS: If I were to be the president, I would fly fly and die!!