The Cold War meant all bets were off for American national security, which is the mentality that led CIA director Allen Dulles to turn Air Force One into a spy plane. The year was 1959 and, for a short time, cameras were secretly installed in the plane’s wheel wells that were so powerful they could read license plates from 29,000 feet above.
George HW Bush was vehemently against broccoli. While there might be enemies banned from flying on Air Force One, it was the first President Bush who imposed a ban on the real enemy: broccoli. As his chefs knew, Bush Sr. hated the vegetable more than most people hate anything, so he made a rule that it could never be served in the White House or on Air Force One.
President Reagan was the one who absolutely adored jelly beans during his time in office. He required there to be a bowl on Air Force One at all times. While President Bush made sure broccoli was never on Air Force One, Reagan made sure jelly beans were always on board. During both his terms as President in the ’80s, Ronald Reagan kept jelly beans in a jar in both the Oval Office and his aerial office, Air Force One.
Air Force One gets priority over every other plane in the sky and AF1 pilots don’t have to worry about the amount of air traffic. In fact, air traffic at commercial airports is usually halted when AF1 takes off or lands. A lot of the time, the plane lands at military airports so it doesn’t mess with usual air traffic.
When people label Air Force One as a “floating White House,” it’s because the aircraft is like a tank. It’s nuclear proof, able to jam radars around the globe, and its flight path is not traceable.
If there is a terrorist event, Air Force One will provide the necessary protection for the president and his team.
Every White House administration has its own rules about who can sit where. Still, seating is always assigned on Air Force One. Nearly half of the seats are reserved for the press pool and for Secret Service agents.
Building a plane is expensive. Building Air Force One is outrageously expensive. In its initial production alone, the “flying White House” cost $660 million and the Air Force helped pay down the bill in $140 million payments.
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