AIR FORCE ONE

AIR FORCE ONE

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



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.

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.

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.


The upper level is the focus of Air Force One’s highly sophisticated electronics. The communications center is here, with connections for 87 telephones, dozens of radios and computers, and 19 TVs.

The middle level is the passenger area, with galleys, the medical room, and the president’s personal suite.

The lowest level is the cargo space. It also contains large freezers, where food is stored for up to 2,000 meals.

The president has his own personal suite of rooms, including a bedroom, gym, shower room, and office. US presidents say they have more privacy on Air Force One than when they are on the ground.

Air Force One has its own retractable stairs at the front and rear, so it does not have to rely on local airport facilities, which could be a security risk.

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.

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.

A standard jumbo jet can squeeze in more than 400 passengers, as well as a large crew. Air Force One carries 70 passengers at the most, and has a crew of 26. Besides reporters, the passengers include the president’s personal staff and any VIPs invited aboard.

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.

On board, the sophisticated electronic communications and defense systems mean the aircraft has twice the amount of wiring of a standard jumbo—more than 175 miles (380 km) of it. The wiring is specially encased to protect it from a damaging electromagnetic pulse that would be sent out by a nuclear explosion.

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.