Among them are Bill Greer, the driver of President Kennedy's open-topped limousine; Roy Kellerman, who had been in the front passenger seat; and Clint Hill, who had sprinted forward to climb onto the back of the car, only seconds too late. His code name is Satchel. On Friday, January 22, the press secretary for the Biden administration, Jen Psaki, provided this update at the 39-minute mark of the briefing: I can confirm for you here, the President has not spent a moment thinking about the color scheme of Air Force One, she said. I need you.". These dominoes must fall in order. So it will be escorted by air force planes. And these planes get plenty of special attention: Air Force One ishand-polished before every flight. "Nothing long," he says. ", "Well," Johnson says, "she said she wanted to do it.". We know there are countermeasures, Walsh says, which could ward off an attack like that. Usually the pilot then circles the airport in a . Jackie, General McHugh, and the Irish Mafia huddle in the cramped space beside it. The men remember the Celtic folk songs loved by the man in the box, and through their tearful smiles they talk about what should happen now, how the president, their president, should be sent off and how he should be remembered. Today, the term "Air Force One" refers to one of two twin aircraft that are specially equipped to carry the president. Cecil Stoughton climbs up on a couch, pressing himself against a wall. President John Kennedy rides in a motorcade from the Dallas airport into the city with his wife Jacqueline and Texas Governor Johhn Connally. Air Force One is also larger, faster and can fly for longer without refueling. Walter Cronkite removes his glasses while announcing the death of President John F. Kennedy. "God bless you, little lady," he says, "but you ought to go back and lie down.". Roosevelts journey on the Boeing 314 Flying Boat took four days! Red bronze and weighing several hundred pounds, it was the best one Clint Hill had found at Vernon Oneal's funeral home in Dallas. Ken O'Donnell follows O'Brien into the stateroom. Now he takes advantage of the darkness. Sergeant Ayres has laid out some blue Air Force One towels on it. Mayor Hinges on Voter Rolls. Johnson remains consumed by plots and conspiracies. President Donald Trump has criticized the Air Force One program, saying on Twitter that upgrades and replacement costs for the aircraft are "out of control." The coffin with the late President arrives on Air Force One at Andrews Air Base. His will be the first outside eyes to see inside. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. There was the world inside the plane and the world outside it, each knowing little of what was happening in the other; Stoughton was one of the few who had passed between them. Even Johnson comes up to visit with them, two or three times, asking if they have all the facts they need. On it, a single word had been scrawled: PARKLAND. The center of gravity has shifted. He has the wording of the oath. Swindal idles only one engine, conserving fuel, providing just enough power to keep on some lights and the TV. In April,Boeing won a $3.9 billion contractto create new Air Force One planes to replace the current fleet. Johnson calls Irving Goldberg, a lawyer and friend. The whole flight is considered a military operation. "Thank you very much," Mrs. Kennedy says. Thenalong came the Boeing passenger jet. Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the presidency, spawning countless references not just in American culture but across the world. Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden. Clint Hill will stay assigned to Jackie. In fact, the plane is so fast thatone of the F-16 pilotswho escorted Air Force One to Washington on 9/11 recallshaving to speed up to catch up with it. This is how it begins. The casket's sudden presence on the ramp is proof of a hollow northern victory.The men smash off the casket's long handles in order to fit it through the plane's door and settle it into the empty space in the aft cabin, where the two rows of seats had been. O'Donnell, O'Brien, and Powers; Greer, Kellerman, and Hill; Dr. Burkley and Generals Clifton and McHugh gather at the rear. A white hearse pulls up to the ramp at the rear of the plane, followed immediately by another car, and then another. "I don't give a damn. Colonel Swindal begins a quick climb. Another proposal is to ditch the 747 for the B-21 Raider, a long-range bomber aircraft under development by Northrop Grumman. He manages to keep this thought to himself. Air Force One's designation is actually VC-25A: a military plane. The two planes serving in the Air Force One fleet today have been in service since 1990, andone of them is always readyto fly. Air Force One receives a weather report warning of storm clouds ahead. Volunteer is the code name for Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson. I forced her back into her seat and placed my body above the president and Mrs. Kennedy . Given it's an RAF base where U.S. Air Force are based, Air Force One will have no difficulties landing at or departing from RAF Mildenhall. In the event of an attack on the United States, the president would have everything needed to respond. "Like going back in a tunnel," Roberts remembers. Only the now former president is not. 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His briefcase holds a collection of bulky packets, each bearing wax seals and the signatures of allthe Joint Chiefs. Dagger, Swindal knows, is a laconic agent named Rufus Youngblood, a thirty-nine-year-old native of Georgia. Technically the Air Force One designation only applies when the sitting president steps aboard. He taxis to a stop inside a socket bordered by White Housebound helicopters and Bethesda-bound ambulances and the quiet, somber crowd, thousands strong, that's filled the spaces in between. Theres a reason why every picture of the president coming out of the airplane takes place on a set of stairs. The frequency has been cleared"because the operator likely knows, too. The president and White House staff would be in luck since the Air Force One planesinclude a medical suitethat can even function as an operating room, and there isalways a doctor on board. Judge Hughes arrives, wearing a brown dress with white polka dots. The Dark Connection Between UFOs and Grisly Mutilations. Its just $1 per month . Johnson cups the receiver with his hand and looks at his wife. "I'm here.". Air Force One includes a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is permanently on board. Refueling mid-air could keep the president in the air indefinitely if theres an unsafe situation on the ground. 1. Swindal asks Trimble to radio the White House switchboard to find out what's happened, or is happening still. The name was adopted in 1953, after a commercial plane, Eastern Air Lines Flight 8610, entered President Eisenhower's airspace when he was on board his plane, which had a similar name Air Force 8610. "Have Dagger cover Volunteer." He jumps out with Curry. And while the numbers vary, even domestic trips are expensive for U.S. taxpayers: A conservative watchdog grouptracking presidential travel expensesfound that the cost of one of President Trumps flights to a campaign rally in Arizona reached $1.5 million. Nike Air Force 1 Low By MADE Hoops. Together they run up the Eastern Airlines ramp at the rear of the gleaming Boeing 707. And last month, Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered a full review of the $3.73 billion presidential aircraft program, the Associated Press reported. Of course, the VC-25As are modified, and their range will vary slightly from this. A snowstorm in the Washington, D.C., area left U.S. President Joe Biden, as well as other members of his entourage, briefly stuck on a U.S. Air Force C-32A jet at Andrews Air Force . He runs up the ramp and onto the plane. "I wish to God there was something that I could do, and I wanted to tell you that we are grieving with you. Jackie is combing her hair. He does not want to say why; he doesn't know how far the news has traveled and does not want to be the bearer of it. "From Dallas, Texas, the flash apparently official, President Kennedy died at 1:00 P.M. Central Standard Time. Goodbye.". Ready for business (with 85 phone lines) or wartime (they really can withstand a nuclear. Not only does Air Force One have at least 85 telephones (forboth classified and unclassified use), but it also has multi-frequency radios and, of course, WiFi. Now, during the last visit, Roberts looks up at Johnson and thinks, Mr. President, I know you want to talk, but I've got a lot of work to do. .css-gk9meg{display:block;font-family:Lausanne,Arial,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;padding-top:0.25rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-gk9meg:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.15;margin-bottom:0.25rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 73.75rem){.css-gk9meg{font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.2;}}The Rot Beneath Green Labels on Forestry Products, Donald Trump Wants to Make 'The Jetsons' a Reality, They Promised Whistleblowers but Delivered Hot Air, Stock Buybacks Aren't Evil, They're Just Abused, Thomas More Society Joined Election Denial Chorus. Back in the communications shack, Swindal hears the first in a series of puzzling radio calls. Bush. In fact, theyrescheduled to be replacedwithin the next decade. Although we think ofAir Force One as referring to the planes themselves, it istechnically a radio call namefor any plane on which the president of the United States of America travels. By contrast, runways on land often have 7,000 or more feet to . The current plane also has understandably secretive defense capabilities. As a result, the fries on board can be soggy,CBS Newsnotes. Two million dollars' worth of the latest technology buzzes around him, teletype machines and radios and three separate phone patches. Flugzeuginfo.net notes that the range of a Boeing 747-200 is 12,700km - equating to a maximum of 14 hours of flight at cruising speed. It is now 5:58 P.M., Eastern Standard Time. "Not only that, I had the whole record of it in my hand.". But the hallway to the back of the plane begins to fill, packed with mourners standing shoulder to shoulder. She wants Bill Greer, the agent who drove the limousine, to drive the ambulance already waiting at Andrews to carry the body to Bethesda Naval Medical Center. It's a somewhat clearer answer if we take refueling out of the picture. It looks as new as it did the day it was made, its soft black leather cover embossed with a cross. "It can't be allowed to detect a waver Khrushchev is asking himself right now what kind of man I am. O'Donnell tells Jackie not to let anyone change her mind about that. Now he's given permission by Swindal to land and come aboard. She grabs Jackie's hands. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW And during flight, Air Force One can reach a maximum altitude of 45,100 feet (13,750 m). The door swings open. The Air Force One of today dates back to the George H.W. Johnson asks Kennedy whether he's heard any news of plots, of responsibility. From noon to dusk on November 22, 1963, history went dark, locked inside the closed and crowded cabin of Air Force One. "Put it away somewhere," he says. $130. Switching to newer planes provides the obvious benefits that come with a modern aircraftmore efficient engines and better reliabilityand is also a chance to install new defense and communications equipment. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. But for now, the president is still using the traditional 747 jets in the Air Force One program to get around. Although it is Air ForceOne, the military hastwo planesthat are designated as the official planes for presidential travel under the call sign Air Force One. Air Force One isnt the only official fleet for carrying the important people in our government. Together they pull out the dead president's casket, shining bronze in the sun. The "Air Force One" naming convention was established for communication purposes. Maybe she would like to change her clothes, wash away the blood. $120. He can be blunt. He knows that Texas was Jackie's first political trip since the death nearly four months ago of her newborns on, Patrickthat President Kennedy thought the sound of cheering might help wash away some of her grief. "The poor little kid has had enough for one day, to sit here and hear that oath that she heard a few years ago! Emblazoned with the words United States of America, the American flag, and the Seal of the President of the United States, it is an undeniable presence wherever it flies. "We carried it on the plane, we're going to carry it off the plane," O'Donnell says, and he chokes on the words. According to Johnson's account, Kennedy tells him he should take the oath in Dallas, and that it is imperative. Over.". Dr. Burkley wants it known that he was with the president when he died. You have JavaScript disabled. "Yes, Mrs. Kennedy," Ayres says. The new president receives two calls from Washington in quick succession: The first is from McGeorge Bundy, President Kennedy's national-security advisor; the second is from Walter Jenkins, one of Johnson's most trusted aides. Satisfied, he puts the card in his pocket. The Air Force One naming convention was established for communication purposes. In the meantime, he heads for the stateroom and turns on the TV. And I think we should have it.". "I'm sticking to you like glue," Youngblood tells Johnson. Behind his closed curtains, he is certain that something larger is afoot. The Airlift Group was founded in 1944 as the Presidential Pilot Office at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. "We don't even know Lyndon Johnson is within five thousand miles of there," O'Donnell says later. Sometimes, he takes a helicopter. | "We need steps on the right front of the aircraft," he says. Fehmer calls Hughes'soffice; a clerk tells her that the judgeis not in. If the Soviet Union is behind the killing, or Cuba, or Vietnam . But there was one critical group of. [Flying Saucers to Mind Control: 22 Declassified Military & CIA Secrets]. Joining the crowd behind the hearse is President Kennedy's so-called Irish Mafia, his close network of Boston advisors: Ken O'Donnell, Larry O'Brien, and Dave Powers, a conspicuous bloodstain on his brown suit. "No," Johnson says. As with other combat planes, Air Force One can top off its tanks during a flight, with help from a fuel plane that arrives and hovers overhead when needed. The Johnsons ask to go to the adjacentstateroom instead. "I thought they were just wine heads.". We'll have plenty of time later to say more." The day started out rainy and overcast, but now the sun is out, and it's warm for late November. Johnson kisses Evelyn Lincoln again. But Robert Kennedy has the fewest answers of any man in the world. flies on a C-32A, a military plane similar to a Boeing 757. she asks O'Donnell. There's an uneasy, unspoken feeling that Air Force One could be attacked at any moment,driven into by a gasoline truck, strafed by machine-gun fire from a rooftop. Trimble radios Andrews and asks that a voice frequency be kept clear of traffic. Johnson has not ruled out a military response to the assassination. Chief Curry leans toward Jackie. Her right glove, white that morning, is caked and stiff with it. Congressman Albert Thomas, who had waved down the car when it was peeling away from Parkland Hospital, is in the front seat. "You want to know something, Jackie?" His conversation is interrupted by the sound of hammering. Bill Moyers, a twenty-nine-year-old advance man, has chartered a small plane from Austin to Love Field. By "I think I ought to. Now he runs into McHugh and orders the general to get the plane in the air. Colonel James Swindal, a handsome forty-six-year-old carpenter's son from Alabama and the pilot of Air Force One, sits in the communications shack behind his cockpit, pushing back a roast-beef sandwich. Before Coors was available nationwide, the Rocky Mountain beer was so beloved by President Gerald R. Ford thathis crew loaded it ontoAir Force One and hauled cases back to Washington after their trips out west. The 747 model which flies as Air Force One today did not have its first flight until 1969, and the first VC-25s747s that are specially modified to meet the security and communications needs for . The runway at Mildenhall is 9,221 feet in length, according to the base, which is enough for the light 747 to land at and depart from, especially given the short distance of its next flight. Jesse Curry, the chief of the Dallas police, is behind the wheel.