What's the ICAO/IATA code for Air Force 1?

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

Is it AIO1, or RCH1?AIO, according to Wikipedia, is Air Chief. (Callsign) RCH is Reach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_codes-All

[Great Ozzie 101]

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[alandc10 13]

LOL,,,,,,,,,,I now need to change my underwear........Alan

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

Here... let me give you a link for the answer to that:www.iwanttobeinterrogatedbythesecretserviceforaday.com

Hahaha. Funny joke. -_-Anybody know?

[greggerm 312]

Presidential flights do not have an official ICAO/IATA callsign. It's much like the mission callsigns of current military aviation training and active-duty flights. Air Force One is a mission callsign like "Ghostrider" in the Top Gun movies as opposed to an airline or fixed operator callsign such as "United" or "Speedbird" (British Airways), or "Southwest".The "Reach" series of callsigns are used by AMC for their heavy-lift cargo airplanes, and are likely documented as they will fly an awful lot of civilian style flights in support of various causes. When Obama flew in to my area last fall, his support C-17's were indeed callsigned with the "Reach" prefix. AMC flies frequent missions to civilian and joint-use airports, and as such is probably graced with a more official ICAO/IATA callsign. Just as you won't find military training or active duty flight callsigns documented on the ICAO/IATA lists, you won't find Air Force 1. (or Marine 1, or Navy 1, etc.)-Greg(I'm not military authority - this just seems like the logical explanation for it.... aside from the obvious nature of the government not wanting to document too much when it comes to the flight operations of the President of the United States, of course!)

[Captain_Barfbag 31]

A few years back, a commercial pilot reported (here, I think) that he'd seen a powder-blue 747 on a trans-atlantic run. He inquired if it was AF 1. The response was, "Negative. We are a Gulfstream IV." They don't like to advertise.

[Guest bstolle]

At least a few years ago they used Air Force 1 as a call sign.

[greggerm 312]

A few years back, a commercial pilot reported (here, I think) that he'd seen a powder-blue 747 on a trans-atlantic run. He inquired if it was AF 1. The response was, "Negative. We are a Gulfstream IV." They don't like to advertise.

That was during Pres. Bush's November 2003 Thanksgiving Trip to Baghdad. Quite the fascinating lengths they needed to go through in order to assure his safety on the trip - must have been quite an exhilarating trip! The subterfuge was needed in this particular case in 2003 where pure secrecy was paramount. Thankfully the other pilot got the message and played along (*or genuinely believed that he didn't just see AF1). (Here's more video and more video about it...)When Obama flew in to my local airport last fall, they indeed were using the callsign Air Force One. It was quite a thrill to listen in on my scanner and hear AF1 get called in range, then cleared on the approach and finally to land... and thanks to the winds of the day, she approached over my house. One of the very few perks of living very VERY close to a decent sized airport.

Air Force One, October 2010 (From my backyard!)

SAM 29000 with the President on-board will indeed be callsigned with Air Force One... it just isn't an ICAO/IATA documented callsign... it's a purely military one.-Greg

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

I understand the CALLSIGN is Air Force 1, but that's not what I'm asking.Is it AF1? That would be the IATA because ICAO airline codes are 3 letters.

[KevinMM 22]

I believe the callsign is Air Force 1 when the president is onboard. At the end of the Haarison Ford movie "Air Force One" after the C-130 picks him up the pilot radios the change of callsign!

[greggerm 312]

Is it AF1? That would be the IATA because ICAO airline codes are 3 letters.

I think I see your question a bit better. Although your question isn't centered around air traffic controllers, there is a parallel which could be used to better draw out your question.Unlike American Airlines (AA), or Southwest (NW), I don't know that Air Force One would actually have such a coding for itself. The IATA/IACO airline codes are for groups of airlines or planes being flown by a single entity - not just one particular airplane. Air traffic controllers might label it AF1 in their scopes, but I don't believe there are any designated codes for it. Chances are if there were, it would show up on the list you linked to before.I don't know how civilian radar operators label military operational flights... if they use AFxxx for Air Force flights, it would stand to reason they would label her AF0001 under the IATA guidelines, much like American Airlines flight 2112 would be AA2112-Greg

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

I think I see your question a bit better. Although your question isn't centered around air traffic controllers, there is a parallel which could be used to better draw out your question.Unlike American Airlines (AA), or Southwest (NW), I don't know that Air Force One would actually have such a coding for itself. The IATA/IACO airline codes are for groups of airlines or planes being flown by a single entity - not just one particular airplane. Air traffic controllers might label it AF1 in their scopes, but I don't believe there are any designated codes for it. Chances are if there were, it would show up on the list you linked to before.I don't know how civilian radar operators label military operational flights... if they use AFxxx for Air Force flights, it would stand to reason they would label her AF0001 under the IATA guidelines, much like American Airlines flight 2112 would be AA2112-Greg

Well I was talking ICAO. Any ideas? American is AAL, so the example you used would be AAL2112.Thanks

[KevinAu 441]

Well I was talking ICAO. Any ideas? American is AAL, so the example you used would be AAL2112.Thanks

The question seems a bit oxymoronic. The Air Force is military, it is not an airline. ICAO stands for International Civil Aviation Organisation. IATA stands for International Air Transport Organisation. The USAF is not civil. And its primary purpose is not air transport. Military aircraft do not need an ICAO code because they can just file their tail numbers when filing a civil flightplan, just like any cessna or bizjet will. The reason that the RCH code exists is to facilitate Air Mobility Command's transport flights, which do operate like an airline. And the RCH code is applied not only to military C-17s, C-5s, etc., but also to civilian aircraft operating on Transporation Command assigned transport flights as well. So, you will often find World or Kalitta, etc., aircraft going by the REACH callsign instead of WORLD or CONNIE.

[Mean Aerodynamic Chord 269]

The question seems a bit oxymoronic. The Air Force is military, it is not an airline. ICAO stands for International Civil Aviation Organisation. IATA stands for International Air Transport Organisation. The USAF is not civil. And its primary purpose is not air transport. Military aircraft do not need an ICAO code because they can just file their tail numbers when filing a civil flightplan, just like any cessna or bizjet will. The reason that the RCH code exists is to facilitate Air Mobility Command's transport flights, which do operate like an airline. And the RCH code is applied not only to military C-17s, C-5s, etc., but also to civilian aircraft operating on Transporation Command assigned transport flights as well. So, you will often find World or Kalitta, etc., aircraft going by the REACH callsign instead of WORLD or CONNIE.

Great info, thanks.

[ubersu 78]

Is it AIO1, or RCH1?AIO, according to Wikipedia, is Air Chief. (Callsign) RCH is Reach.http://en.wikipedia....rline_codes-All

All Air Force 1 flights are SAMs (Special Air Missions) and have a mission codename that will change with each flight. Civil ATC is made aware of the call code as appropriate.DJ