Amazing Air Force One Facts That Only A Few Presidents Have Been Willing To Confess

Here’s Why Air Force One Beats Every Other Plane – Rumors About Air Force One Are Finally Confirmed - Brake For It
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Here’s Why Air Force One Beats Every Other Plane – Rumors About Air Force One Are Finally Confirmed
Jackson Sawa | Trending | 4 Mar 2026
Air Force One is the official name for the aircraft that carries the President of the United States when he's traveling. The plane is considered to be one of the greatest symbols of the American presidency and the power of the position. The idea for a specific airplane for the president came about in 1943 after the United States Army Air Forces became concerned about the reliance on commercial airlines to transport the president. But Air Force One is much more than just a private plane. It's a flying vault full of secrets that few presidents have opened up about, until now.
It Can Fly Higher And Go Faster Than Other Planes
Ted Soqui/Corbis via Getty Images
Air Force One has the capability to fly at nearly 650 miles per hour. That's extremely fast for such a large plane. But that's not all! It can also fly higher than most commercial planes at 45,000 feet.
That's 10,000 feet higher than the normal cruising altitude of any typical passenger airliners. Despite flying so high and so fast, Air Force One is also an incredibly smooth ride, making it a traveling experience fit for a president.
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It Can Be Refueled In Mid-Air
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Amazingly, Air Force One has the ability to never need to land. It can be refueled mid-flight for security reasons, so the president never has to land in an unsafe situation.
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If necessary, the plane could fly forever, or at least until there was some kind of serious mechanical failure. But even then, with a plane like this, who knows? On top of mid-air refueling, Air Force One has a gas tank that can hold 53,611 gallons. That should last you for a while!
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Nobody Ever Goes Hungry
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Air Force One is decked out with not one, but two restaurants. Okay, maybe they're not complete restaurants, but there are two massive fully-stocked kitchens that feed the president, his staff, family, and the crew.
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The president and his guests can have just about anything that they want to eat as the stores are always stocked and the plane is staffed with top-rated chefs. The main kitchen can fit up to 100 people and is always full of bustling workers.
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There's No Shortage Of Phones
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Aboard Air Force One, there are over 85 phones available for use. Why so many? As it turns out, the plane is the most secure place that the president can talk, even more so than the White House.
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The Executive Phones are particularly special, and have lights on the back that turn red when the phone line has become secure. Besides a few of these special phones, there are dozens of less-secure lines that are often used for the press and other staff.
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Why Is Air Force One Painted Blue?
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Air Force One's color scheme is certainly eye-catching. Its distinctive paint job is largely due to President John F. Kennedy’s affinity for the color blue. When industrial designer Raymond Loewy worked alongside the president and first lady, he chose the particular robin’s egg blue in the hopes it would please the Kennedys.
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He was right, and the color scheme has remained to this day. However, when President Trump was planning on redesigning Air Force One during his first term, he wanted it to be painted red, white, and blue. In an interview, he specifically said that he wanted to trade the "Jackie Kennedy color" for a hue that’s “more American.”
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Even Early Incarnation Had High-Tech Wheel Wells
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In 1959, President Eisenhower ordered the director of Central Intelligence to install high-powered spy cameras in the wheel wells of the early Air Force One that he flew in. These cameras were so powerful that even at that time they could read license plates from the sky. The motive behind installing these cameras was the Cold War.
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Today, it is believed that these sky-to-ground cameras have been installed in other places on the underbelly of the plane with the technology greatly improving over the years.
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The Plane Is Family-Friendly
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Although Air Force One is one of the most heavily-guarded and technologically advanced aircraft on the planet, it's actually very family-friendly. It's designed to be comfortable for the president and his family, giving them all the opportunity to put their feet up and relax while traveling from place to place.
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It's also designed with guests in mind and the president's guests are treated as though they are at a five-star resort. In addition, journalists and other staff are treated well, and even have their own cabins in the back of the plane.
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It's Essentially A Flying House
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Air Force One is large enough to be a pretty substantially sized house, except it flies thousands of feet in the air. It has three stories and is over 4,0000 square feet in area, definitely not very cramped quarters for the president and others on the plane.
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The president also has a large office, his own bathroom, and a massive conference room. Special guests also receive private quarters which are nothing short of what you'd find in a luxury hotel. Sure beats flying coach!
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"Special Mission 41"
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After former President George H.W. Bush died on December 1, 2018, Air Force One was used to carry him one last time. In a sequence of flights dubbed "Special Mission 41," the plane brought Bush from Houston, Texas, to Washington, D.C. It will then carry him back to Texas. He will be laid to rest at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, alongside his wife Barbara.
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On December 3, 2018, Bush's former spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted, "Air Force One has arrived in Houston for what will technically be called 'Special Air Mission 41' tomorrow and Wednesday. A beautiful day in Texas -- 'ceiling and visibility unlimited,' Mr. President" ahead of the mission. Above, the sun rises as Air Force One waits for the honor guard to bring Bush aboard.
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It's Not A Cheap Airplane
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In order to keep the airplane off the ground, staffed, and in working condition, it costs approximately $206,000 an hour to operate Air Force One. Compare that to the $20,000 an hour it costs for a regular commercial airline.
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Within his first month in office during his first term, President Donald Trump's traveling costs were upwards of $10 million. However, it's important to keep in mind that presidential travel includes bringing hundreds of people on duty along with dozens of other aircraft that are in use at the same time.
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Homeland Security Was Born On Air Force One
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The Department of Homeland Security was established on board Air Force One in 2002 by President George W. Bush. It is a cabinet department of the United States federal government which is involved in anti-terrorism, border security, immigration, cyber-security, disaster prevention, and management.
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It was established thousands of feet above Germany following the attacks of September 11th. The creation of this department has forever changed the way that…

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