Hi Fellows

 

Just wanted to share.

The Pentagon has chosen Boeing's 747-8 to replace the two aging planes that serve as the President's Air Force One fleet.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/28/politics/boeing-air-force-one-fleet/index.html

 

 

Bill

Well, it was hardly going to be an Airbus :smile:

Why do they need 8 to replace 2?  B)

 

I wonder if they will be 3D-printed like the money to pay for them? Just wondering. 

What a surprise, 747-8. 

Why do they need 8 to replace 2?  B)

 

I wonder if they will be 3D-printed like the money to pay for them? Just wondering. 

 

Obama wore out the older one. 

Pentagon doesn't like ETOPS then......

Obama wore out the older one. 

Naw, Bush wore it out looooong before Obama was president.

I think I read somewhere that they will order 3 748s. Can't find the story though. 

In Britain we have austerity so our Government's just chosen our Prime Ministerial fleet replacement ;-

 

Two old Piper Tomahawks, and a Cessna 150.

 

 

Dave Cameron at the controls of his new C150 earlier today.

Picture courtesy of Fox News - so it's definitely true.

 

In Britain we have austerity so our Government's just chosen our Prime Ministerial fleet replacement ;-

 

Two old Piper Tomahawks, and a Cessna 150.

 

 

Dave Cameron at the controls of his new C150 earlier today.

Picture courtesy of Fox News - so it's definitely true.

 

Now that's funny!

The Air Force currently has three of the -4's so it would make sense that they would order three of the -8's.

Are they going to keep the C-32's (757) flying or are they replacing them as well

I doubt the C-32's will be retiring anytime soon.  I was stationed in Northern Japan when they were shaking the cobwebs off of em back around 1998 before going into service with VIP's.  All kinds of Space-A seats available to and from the states for a couple of weeks I remember.

 

I did have the pleasure of flying on the C-32's twice during my military career for duty.  We weren't Air Force One, but rather second fiddle as Air Force Two on both flights (hard to guess who else was onboard ).  Boy you talk about first class, I was treated like a king!!

3 of them modified for the POTUS will cost around $1.5 Billion but on the bright side they do save a salary of the Flight Engineer.

Why do they need 8 to replace 2?  B)

They aren't, they are only buying two 747-800 aircraft. The -800 is much larger capacity than the ancient -200 version.

 

The reason for replacement is simply one of age. The current 747-200 aircraft will be 30 years old by the time the replacements are ready in 2017, and according to the Pentagon, parts are getting hard to come by.

 

Have the folks replying in this thread actually read the linked article? From some of the comments, apparently not!

 

Nota bene: emphasis below is mine

 

The two Boeing 747-200 planes that the President currently uses will reach the end of their 30-year service life in 2017, and according to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Air Force has set aside $1.65 billion between 2015 and 2019 for two replacement jets.