Basic Facts About air force one

Fact #1: On every flight that the president takes on Air Force One is a briefcase containing codes that allow the president to launch nuclear weapons while he or she is flying. When the briefcase is taken on to the plane, it's immediately locked in a safe and isn't removed until the end of the flight.
Picture
Photo Credit: http://www.deseretnews.com/media/photos/2222133.jpg
Picture
Photo Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16 /The_nuclear_football.jpg
Fact #2: If a plane is approaching Air Force One, it's asked to change it's path. If it doesn't steer clear, it will be shot down.


Fact #3: Even though Air Force One isn't aerodynamically capable of this, if it was, it's engines are so powerful that they could stand Air Force One on it's tail and send it straight up in the air like a rocket.

Fact #4: The president can call anyone, in any part of the world, when he's on Air Force One. That's how advanced the technology is.
Picture
Photo Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQXJn5bi3y0/U8y8yr-TF9I/AAAAAAAAB20/PqPMzvBa25Y/s1600/airforceone-phone2009-detail.JPG
Fact #5: The current Air Force One, VC-25A, first flew on September 6th, 1990.

Details About The President's Plane

Type Of Plane
Modified Boeing 747-200
Plane Tail Numbers (Main and Backup Planes): 28000 (Main) and 29000 (Backup)
Referred To As VC-25A (Sometimes Called SAM 28000 and SAM 29000)
SAM stands for Special Air Mission


Accommodations:
Flight Crew: 4 People Total (two pilots, the navigator, and the flight engineer)
  • Four Cooks
  • 14 Flight Attendants
  • One Medic
  • 20 Security Personnel
  • 14 Journalists
Total Crew Members: 23
Normal Passenger Count: 70
Maximum Capacity: 102

Performance
Fastest Speed: 610 Miles Per Hour (about 894 feet per second)
Cruising Altitude: 45,100 feet (about 8 miles)
Maximum Range: Can Fly Indefinitely (because a special Air Force fuel plane can refuel Air Force One mid-air)
Maximum Range On One Fueling: About 7,798 Miles
Thrust: 4 engines, each putting out 56,700 pounds of thrust
Holds 53,611 Gallons Of Fuel

Weight
More than 400 tons (about the weight of 100 fully grown elephants)

Dimensions
Length: 231 feet, 10 inches
Height: 63 feet, 5 inches
Wingspan: 195 feet, 8 inches
Floor Space: 4,000 Square Feet

Cost
$650 million or both planes ($325 million for one)
Cost While Flying: $179,750 per hour (about $50 dollars per second)