Trump flies on Air Force One again, but it may soon be in his red, white and blue choice

USA Today

31-01-2025

AI-assisted summary
Former President Donald Trump will be using Air Force One for the first time since his return to the White House.
Boeing is currently working on two new Air Force One planes, with expected completion in 2027 and 2028.
The new Air Force One planes will feature upgrades such as electrical power upgrades and an updated medical facility.
Trump has requested a red, white, and blue color scheme for the new Air Force One planes.
When not in office, Trump uses his personal Boeing 757, often referred to as "Trump Force One."
When Donald Trump returns to Palm Beach County on Friday, Jan. 31, it will be the first time he'll be landing in South Florida on Air Force One since regaining the White House.
Air Force One is one of two official presidential airplanes. Both planes are Boeing 747-200s. When the president flies on one, it's called Air Force One; when the vice president flies on one, it's called Air Force Two.
As a businessman, Trump flies on his personal airplane, a Boeing 757 with a "Trump" logo on it. Some call it "Trump Force One."
The current presidential aircraft has an iconic look, colored mostly robin egg blue, with the presidential seal on it.
According to the Air Force, the planes have an executive suite with a stateroom that includes a dressing room, bathroom and shower and the president's office. There's a conference/dining room for the president, his family and staff and eating areas for up to 100 meals in one sitting. There are also accommodations for guests, senior staff, Secret Service, security personnel and the media.
Air Force One became a selfie-snapping, tourist attraction of sorts when parked off Southern Boulevard in West Palm Beach during Trump's 30-plus visits to Palm Beach during his first term in office.
New Air Force Ones are in the works ... and Musk is involved
Boeing is working on two new Air Force Ones which will be Boeing 747-8s, but their completion has been delayed and over budget because of design changes, labor constraints and supply chain problems, according to multiple reports.
Now Trump advisor Elon Musk is working with Boeing to get the new planes sooner, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed to CNBC.
'We've been engaged with Elon,' Ortberg said, about trimming costs and delivering the plans earlier.
It had been reported that one of the new Air Force Ones was expected to be ready by 2027 and 2028 for the second but now it is not clear whether either will be ready by the time Trump leaves office. Boeing will provide an updated delivery schedule in the spring, an Air Force spokesperson told CNBC.
'The president wants those planes sooner so we're working with Elon to see what can we do to pull up the schedule of those programs,' Ortberg told CNBC.
Trump wanted to change Air Force One colors to red, white and blue
In 2019, during his first presidency, Trump announced the new Air Force Ones would be donned in red, white and blue. But the Air Force said soon after that wouldn't happen for technical reasons.
The Air Force said in a news release that a thermal study found that the dark blue in the design "would require additional Federal Aviation Administration qualification testing for several commercial components" because of the added heat in certain environments.
In 2023, then-President Joe Biden chose a light-blue paint scheme.
But now, it appears Trump may get his wish with his red, white and blue design.
Trump, using a sword, cut a cake adorned with, apparently, the new plane at his Jan. 20 inaugural ball.
Later in the month, while aboard Air Force One, he told the Associated Press: 'We want power blue, not baby blue. Everything has its time and place. We'll be changing the colors.'
New upgrades to the Air Force Ones
Along with the likely color adjustments, the new planes will have some upgrades.
The Air Force said the new aircraft will be "uniquely modified" to provide the president, staff and guests with the same level of "communications capability and security" available in the White House.
The old Air Force One was being replaced because of what the Air Force called "capability gaps," rising maintenance costs, and obsolete parts. Upgrades included "electrical power upgrades, a mission communication system, a medical facility, an executive interior, a self-defense system, and autonomous ground operations capabilities."
According to the Air Force, the new aircraft is 250 feet, 2 inches long, the longest commercial jet in the world and will emit 16 tons less carbon dioxide per trip compared to the current aircraft.
Some interesting facts about Air Force One
∎ President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 became the first U.S. president to fly in an airplane while in office. He flew in a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat called the Dixie Clipper. However concerns eventually led the Air Force to have the Douglas Aircraft Company build a plane specifically for the president.
∎ Thus the Douglas VC-54C Skymaster became the first aircraft built specifically for the president. The plane was officially called "The Flying White House" but it became better known by its unofficial nickname, "Sacred Cow," a reference to the high security surrounding the aircraft and its special status, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
∎ From 1947 to 1953, President Harry Truman flew in a military version of the Douglas DC-6 commercial airliner with its nose painted to look like a bald eagle, according to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was the second aircraft built specifically for the president. Truman named it "The Independence," because of his hometown of Independence, Missouri.
∎ Two Boeing VC-137C aircraft served as the presidential planes beginning in 1962 during the John F. Kennedy administration. This was when the callsign Air Force One started being used when the president rode on it. While the plan originally was painted mostly orange, the international color of the Air Force, it was repainted white and light blue with the presidential seal. The color scheme was encouraged by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. It is said the lettering was changed to a font inspired by the heading of the Declaration of Independence. The plane served Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon during his first term. The plane was replaced in 1972 but kept as a backup. The aircraft was finally retired in 1998.
Trump's personal airplane, Trump Force One
When not president, Trump and his family fly on his personal plane, a Boeing 757 known as Trump Force One.
The aircraft was a fixture when Trump barnstormed the country in 2016 as, first, the leading Republican candidate, and later as the party's nominee. The 757 often served as a backdrop at his effective, fly-in airport rallies.
In 2022, photos of Trump Force One in apparent disrepair circulated through social media.
In March of that year, however, Trump denied reports that the aircraft was "mothballed" at a New York state airfield. He said the plane was undergoing "a major scheduled maintenance program, which will be completed in approximately 90 days."
His son, Eric Trump, posted a video that showed the 757 gleaming with new details. The name Trump atop the front fuselage was now spelled out in gold, and a U.S. flag was emblazoned on the tail fin.
The 757 includes gold-plated everything, including sinks and belt buckles, two conference tables, a master bedroom, a private shower, sumptuous upholstery and seating for 43 passengers.
Trump bought the bigger airplane when he was a TV show celebrity
In 2011, when Trump was a TV show celebrity, he bought the 757, which he said was about twice the size of his previous plane, a Boeing 727.
He reportedly bought the 757 for about $100 million from Microsoft's co-founder Paul Allen.
"I bought a great airplane," Trump said in 2011. "It's being retrofitted and will be in service in about a month."
It was about this time that people started asking Trump if he would run for president and whether the new, bigger aircraft might come in handy to shuttle him to campaign stops around the country.
"It's a big plane," Trump acknowledged at the time. "We'll see what happens."
Trump did offer one detail about his new airplane: It's quiet, a gift to his part-time neighbors on Palm Beach, home to his Mar-a-Lago club and home.
"It's one of the quietest airplanes there is," Trump said. "I did that for the benefit of Palm Beach."
Trump's old Boeing 727
As of Trump's old 727, it also included gold-plated things and seating for 23 passengers.
Its asking price in 2009 was $8 million. It was a 43-year-old plane in 2009.
Aviation sources said the plane was old, guzzled gas and was loud, although Trump said he had the plane altered to comply with the highest stage of noise reduction.
Presidential support plane
Before Air Force One arrives, a Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy, one of the largest airplanes in the world, arrives carrying the presidential helicopter, called Marine One when the president rides in it, as well as presidential SUVs and other items needed by the president and his entourage each time he visits.
Here are some details about the C-5M, via the Lockheed Martin website:
• Length: 247.8 feet
• Height: 65.1 feet
• Normal cruise speed: Mach 0.77, about 591 mph
• Wingspan: 222.8 feet
• Fuel capacity: 332,500 pounds
• Operating weight: 400,000 pounds
What plane is Air Force One?
Air Force One is one of two official presidential airplanes. Both planes are Boeing 747-200s.