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Facts and History of 707as Air Force One
SAM 970 VC-137A/B
| 26-Aug-59 |
First Presidential Flight. Visted
W. Germany, England, France, Scotland and Italy with President Eisenhower
aboard. |
| 25-Feb-60 |
Eisenhower's first visit to South
Africa. |
| __-__ -61 |
Returned to Boeing. 'United States
of America' titles replaced 'Military Air Transport Service' titles.
'MATS' lettering on the tail was replaced by American flag. |
| __-Oct-62 |
Delivery of SAM 26000 officially precedes
SAM 970 as primary presidential aircraft. |
| __-Feb-63 |
New blue colors designed by Raymond
Loewy applied at the request of Mrs. Kennedy. |
| 31-Oct-69 |
Carried Apollo 11 Astronauts to Perth. |
| __-May-96 |
Donated to Museum of Flight at Boeing
Field, Seattle. |
SAM 26000 VC-137C
| 09-Oct-62 |
The First Officially designated presidential
aircraft with the call sign of 'Air Force One.' |
| 22-Nov-63 |
Lyndon B. Johnson becomes the first
president to be sworn in aboard an aircraft after the assassination
of President Kennedy. |
| 23-Nov-63 |
Carried J.F. Kennedy coffin from Dallas
to Andrew AFB. |
| 18-Aug-70 |
During a flight a loud explosion was
heard on engine #4, after a safe landing the crew discovered the engine
had ingested two large seagulls. |
| 17-Feb-72 |
President Nixon's historic
flight to the People's Republic of China. After this visit the US
government approved the sale of 707s to China. |
| __-Dec-72 |
Delivery of SAM 27000 officially precedes
SAM 26000 as primary presidential aircraft. |
| 05-Mar-83 |
Visited San Francisco with Queen Elizabeth
II onboard. |
| __-May-85 |
Reagan Trip to Bitburg, Germany to
participate in a wreath-laying ceremony in military cemetery where
former Nazi Waffen-SS soldiers were buried. (See
picture) |
| 24-Mar-98 |
Final flight with Vice President Al
Gore aboard, the aircaft was retired and donated to the Air Force
Museum in Dayton, Ohio. |
SAM 27000 VC-137C
| __-Feb-72 |
Originally ordered by Nigeria Airways.
After construction started at the request of the US Government, diplomats
and Boeing persuaded Nigerian Goverment to transfer its deposit to
another airplane. |
| 23-Dec-72 |
Arrived Andrews AFB for the first
time |
| 08-Feb-73 |
Flew from Andrews AFB to San Clemente,
Calif. on its first service for President Nixon. |
| 22-Jan-74 |
Carried former president Jonhson's
coffin from Andrews AFB to his home town Austin, Texas. |
| 09-Aug-74 |
Flew Nixon on his last
flight as president from Andrews AFB to El Toro Maine Air Station
near Los Angeles. Took off from as Air Force One and changed its call
sign to SAM 27000 over Jefferson City, Missouri after Ford was sworn
in to office. |
| 12-Oct-88 |
A near miss occurred, durring a flight
from Philadelphia to Newark, with a Bar Habor ATR42 with President
Reagan onboard. The two aircrafts came within 1.5 miles horizontally
and 500 ft. vertically due to mis-communication between Washington
and New York area controllers. |
| __-__ -89 |
Delivery of SAM 28000 (747) officially
precedes SAM 27000 as primary presidential aircraft. |
| 30-Aug-01 |
President George W. Bush flies from
Andrews AFB to Waco, Texas and officially retires SAM 27000 and ending
the era 707s in presidential flight. |
| 08-Sep-01 |
SAM 27000 final flight from Andrews
AFB to San Bernardino, Calif. to wait for the completion of the Ronald
Reagan Presidential Library Air Force One Pavilion where it will be
on display. |
The President and Mrs. Reagan Bitburg, Germany with
SAM 26000
Presidential VC-137 Aircraft and
Where they are Now
58-6970 First of three 707s purchased in 1959 by the Air
Force as a VC-137A and delivered on May 4, 1959. America's first official
presidential jet powered aircraft that started service for President Eisenhower
until Kennedy and its replace 62-6000 in 1962. SAM 970 remained
as a Presidential backup until her retirement in 1996 to the Museum of
Flight, Seattle.
58-6971 Second of the three 707s purchased in 1959 by the
Air Force as a VC-137A and delivered on May 12, 1959. SAM 971 was
assigned as a presidential backup aircraft. The aircraft accumulated over
18,800hrs TAT in the presidential fleet by 1996. It is now on display
at Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona.
58-6972 Last of the three 707s purchased in 1959 by the
Air Force as a VC-137A and delivered on June 30, 1959. SAM 972
was assigned as a presidential backup aircraft. The aircraft accumulated
over 24,359hrs TAT in the presidential fleet by 1996. It was removed from
service at McConnell AFB and stripped for parts. Many cockpit parts were
acquired by Air Force One 707 Simulator Project to complete the Boeing
formerly owned 707 serial #0001 simulator. The aircraft was finally
scraped 1998.
62-6000 Delivered October 9, 1962 as a VC-137C with the livery
paint theme designed by industrial stylist Raymond Loewy and First Lady
Jackie Kennedy. This presidential paint design is still used by the president's
aircraft today. SAM 26000 was official retired by Vice President
Al Gore on March 24, 1998 and is on display at the Air Force Museum is
Dayton, Ohio.
72-7000 Delivered August 9, 1972 as a VC-137C to succeed SAM
26000 as the primary presidential aircraft known as Air Force One.
SAM 27000 was flown mostly by President Reagan in his eight year term
and was official retired by President George W. Bush on August 29, 2001.
SAM 27000 will be on display in a new expansion to the Reagan Library
in Simi Valley, Calif. called the Ronald Reagan Presidential Air Force
One Pavilion.
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