VC-137C SAM 27000
 | This article or section is in a state of significant expansion or restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. If you are the editor who added this template and you are actively editing, please be sure to replace this template with {{in use}} during the active editing session. Click on the link for template parameters to use.
This article was last edited by Happyme22 (talk | contribs) 17 years ago. (Update timer) |
The Boeing VC-137C is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 707. The aircraft's call sign was SAM (Special Air Mission) 27000.
Air Force One is the air traffic control call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. From 1972 to 2001, the presidential fleet consisted of this specifically configured, highly customized Boeing 707 series aircraft with Air Force designation VC-137C. While SAM 27000 was referred to as "Air Force One" only while the president was on board, the term is commonly used to describe aircraft normally used and maintained by the U.S. Air Force solely for the president.
History
The plane first entered service in 1972 during the administration of Richard Nixon. SAM 27000 replaced the aging SAM 26000 as the primary means of presidential travel, although SAM 26000 remained as a back-up plane. SAM 27000 served seven presidents in its twenty-nine years of service: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. In 1990, it was replaced as the primary presidential plane by two Boeing 747 200-B series jumbo jets—SAM 28000 and SAM 29000.
Nixon was the first president to utilize this Air Force One, dubbing it and its sister plane, SAM 26000, the "Spirt of '76," and having that phrase painted on the nose of the two aircrafts. Although SAM 27000 replaced SAM 26000 as Nixon's primary way of flying, he chose to ride SAM 26000 when his family flew with him. Nixon garnered much attention for his frequent flying aboard Air Force One, usually flying to his homes in California and Florida. Nixon also made many foreign trips abroad, such as his trip to China in 1972. Top presidential aides and cabinet ministers used the plane as well, including Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. When President Nixon resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974, he flew to his home Orange County, California aboard SAM 27000. While flying over Missouri an route to their destination, Colonel Ralph Albertazzie, the pilot, contacted Kansas City Center and had the aircraft's call sign changed from Air Force One to SAM 27000 due to [[Gerald Ford's inauguration.
Gerald Ford used SAM 27000 somewhat-frequently, especially for his trips abroad, such as his meeting with Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev in Vladivostok in 1974.
References
Hardesty, Von (2003). Air Force One: The Aircfrat that Shaped the Modern Presidency. San Diego, California: Tehabi Books. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)