Air Force One Is For Sale

[Initech]

Here's something that you never really run across eBay or Craigslist: the real Air Force One airplane. As in the freaking flying aircraft that has freaking transported freaking Presidents of the freaking United States of America in the freaking air. Let's buy this thing, people!

The starting bid for the plane is at $50,000 (yeah, you're not going to win an airplane auction with that chump change) and the auction starts on May 15th. The GSA says:

In the thirty years this aircraft was assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing (Feb 1975-Sep 2005) it flew Presidential missions, Vice President, First Lady, Cabinet Secretaries (Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, others), Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives, Four-Star Generals, Admirals, Foreign Heads of State and other foreign dignitaries.

http://gizmodo.com/you-can-buy-the-presidents-real-air-force-one-airplane-499234503

[MADem]

1. Technically, if the President is in a glider, that's "Air Force One."

The a/c designation has to do with who is inside the aircraft. This plane wasn't one of the "command and control" a/c we see popularly; this thing was more of a short hop/short runway plane. It may have carted around the Prez a time or two, but it ain't a Boeing Big Boy like we see on tee vee when The Man goes overseas.

[Aristus]

2. That won't stop the right-wing scandal-monkeys from screeching

"OBUMMER IS TRYING TO SELL AIR FORCE ONE, THAT MY TAXES PAID FOR, AND KEEP THE PROFITS FOR HIMSELF!!!"

And, you know, maybe flinging their feces, too...

[MADem]

3. I'm wondering who the last President--if any ever did--was to fly in that old thing?

Nixon? Reagan? Bush I? Maybe Clinton to the Vineyard?

I'm betting Porgie never used the old thing. I doubt Obama did either...

But hey, maybe this was John Ashcroft's private "I don't want to take public air travel owing to a threat I won't disclose to the rest of the American people" plane....

Could be...

[erpowers]

4. Bush II

According to CNN President Bush II was the last to use it. It carried him to a number of places. Some of his most famous trips were taken on that plane.

[MADem]

5. It's a crappy plane--did it take him from Dallas to Waco, or something?

Or from Boston to Portland so he could whip over to Kennebunkport?

It doesn't have the full kit; it's not the "command post in the air" that the Big Aircraft is....but it'll do for a twenty minute or so flight, I suppose.

[erpowers]

6. My Mistake Maybe

It may have actually been President Clinton who was the last to fly on the plane. I looked at a video from the CNN website. The video mentioned Clinton being the last to use the plane when he flew to Buffalo and then the story transitioned to President Obama. When the story went back to President Bush I assumed they were talking about President Bush and the plane that is currently for sale. After your reply to my post I watched the video a second time. I now think the video was talking about President Bush and the 747 version of Air Force One.

http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?hpt=hp_t3#/video/us/2013/05/13/tsr-starr-air-force-one-for-sale-ebay.cnn

[MADem]

7. It looks like it's small enough to handle the airport on the Vineyard.

I'll bet that's what they used it for.