Page 1 of 1
A380 to be the next air force one?

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 14:08
by virgin crazy
does anyone think that the A380 could be the next air force one once the 747 is retired?

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 14:10
by iforres1
Nope, just because of politics. I'm sure they will pick Boeing;)
Iain

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 14:37
by Scrooge
UUUmmm..nope,never,won't happen.
Also the two current 742's that serve as air force one have a lot of life lieft in them.

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 16:25
by Nottingham Nick
If they didn't buy Boeing, whichever party that made the choice would never get another elected representative from the State of Washington (or several others) again.
Nick

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 16:27
by virgin crazy
ok thanks. what plane do you think they will get when the 747s are too old. maybe the new 747-8?

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 16:38
by Scrooge
Which ever is the largest Boeing being produced at the time,but don't hold your breath.
The VC-25's are the best kept aircraft in the world so they should be around for a longtime to come,the old 707's were with us for 28 years,the current ones only are 16 years old.

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 19:35
by slinky09
Read something recently that said the US Air Force tanker fleet averages 46 years old [:0] so well maintained aircraft can stay around for a long time. Of course, the Air Forces of the world are not under the same commercial pressures as airlines so renewal may not be so much of an issue. The same report did not exclude buying Airbus for the replacement fleet, in fact it suggested there was no reason to consider a mix of Boeing and Airbus ... so it might be feasible however politically unlikely.
Take a look at
this article too.

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 19:39
by mcmbenjamin
747-800 is too big. The 742 'broke' the capital runway in Australia so I assume the 748 would limit the aircraft's operations. The 742 are here for a while. I do see the 757 fleet getting replaced with 787s or 739s.

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 19:44
by JAT74L
Why choose an ugly big lump to replace a graceful and purposeful 747?
I take it the OP was meant as a bit of a joke??
Regards
John

Posted:
13 Jun 2006, 21:07
by Bazz
Agree with John, the original question was posed "tongue-in-cheek" wasn't it Nick?
There is no way on God's earth the American Administration would buy a European jet to replace a domestic to fulfil this role!

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 03:40
by ChuckC
As has been pointed out by Jetwet1, the two birds currently in service have only been around a relatively short while -- in aircraft years.
For a bit more history on the story, it had been hoped that the aircraft would be completed in 1988 so that President Reagan, a well known aviation buff and lover of presidential protocol, could experience the new "Flying White House" while he was still in office. It was not to be, however, and so the first sitting president to fly the VC25 was the first President Bush, in 1989.
When President Reagan died in California the current President Bush dispatched one of the VC25's to carry the former president's body to Washington, and to fly it home to California for Reagan's memorial service at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA.
Reagan was, in fact, such a lover of Air Force One that "his" aircraft, a converted Boeing 707, is now on permanent display at the Reagan Library. Politics aside it makes for a nifty side trip for anyone visiting the Los Angeles area.
Chuck-

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 09:31
by FamilyMan
I think the real question should be whether or not the A380 could become a kind of Europe One for overseas visits of European Presidents and heads of states to use. Possibly it would rotate in sync with the rotating presidency so that 'everyone has a go!'
Just a thought.
Phil

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 10:15
by jerseyboy
Originally posted by jerseyboy
Hey guys THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT DID NOT BUY AIRFORCE 1 BOTH 747'S WERE GIFTED BY BOEING TO THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT. and i am sure that the same will happen again when they eventually replace these aircraft.
cheers wayne:D

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 14:36
by G-VFAB
It must cost so much to keep airforce one flying.
The TV programme Commander in Chief uses Airforce one quite alot.

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 15:16
by jaguarpig
It must cost so much to keep airforce one flying.
Don't think cost is much of an issue to Uncle Sam.
The TV programme Commander in Chief uses Airforce one quite alot
Not familiar with this programme,but I did read somewhere that the sets from the film Airforce one had been used to make a tv series.The film sets were supposed to be quite accurate.

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 15:48
by Scrooge
Actually they were not gift's if the old grey matter is working right today.
From memory Boeing quoted a price for the aircraft then ended up having to take a large hit due to cost over runs.
Just as a note,take a closer look at the aircraft and you will see that while it is a 742 frame,the engines and avionics are from the 744,well they would be used in the 744 when it came out,throw into that mix all the special electronic's that were added in the hump and again from memory Boeing had a hard time getting the wiring hardened enough to with stand an EMP.

Posted:
14 Jun 2006, 17:28
by slinky09
Originally posted by FamilyMan
I think the real question should be whether or not the A380 could become a kind of Europe One for overseas visits of European Presidents and heads of states to use. Possibly it would rotate in sync with the rotating presidency so that 'everyone has a go!'
Just a thought.
Phil
Wow there's a horribly wasteful thought!