Does US Prez take own car on overseas trips?

November 13, 2006 11:01 PM

Does the US President take his own car on overseas trips and how?

President Bush is visiting Vietnam at the end of this week. As I was passing through Ho Chi Minh airport last night I saw a massive US Air Force C-17 parked up (tail number 55150). A fellow passenger told me that it contained the presidential car and a presidential helicopter. Is this true?

posted by priorpark17 to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

Yes.
posted by holgate at 11:07 PM on November 13, 2006

Yes.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:09 PM on November 13, 2006

Wow. Neat question. I wonder how long this has been the practice.
posted by wfrgms at 11:11 PM on November 13, 2006

Wow. Neat question. I wonder how long this has been the practice.

The 89th Airlift Wing was activated in 1951.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:24 PM on November 13, 2006

At the start of his first term, Eisenhower's cars weren't always pre-flown ahead, but it had become standard practice by the time Kennedy was assassinated.
posted by paulsc at 11:38 PM on November 13, 2006

Does the US President take his own car on overseas trips and how?

I should rephrase my answer: No, the 89th airlift wing takes the presidential limo for him. His cars are left in Crawford, Texas at his ranch.
posted by Pollomacho at 11:49 PM on November 13, 2006

It was C-17. Is there a way to look up the tail number?
posted by priorpark17 at 12:03 AM on November 14, 2006

Oh man, the last time Bush came to town I was running an errand out by the airport and I basically called everyone in my cell phone with a variation of "I just saw the biggest plane I've ever seen in my life! No, you don't understand...it made the other planes look like private jets. AND THEY WERE PULLING A HELICOPTER OUT OF IT!!!" etc.


Don't miss this great part of the CNN article:

On August 9, 1974 for example, shortly after Secretary of State Henry Kissenger read President Nixon's formal letter of resignation, air traffic control in Kansas received the following message: "Kansas city this is former Air Force One, please change our call sign to SAM27000."

The man onboard was no longer president and the aircraft, mid-flight, was therefore no longer "Air Force One."
posted by Ian A.T. at 12:08 AM on November 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

When George Bush Sr. came to Warsaw in '89 (or was it '91?), the entire Pilsudski Square was turned into a parking lot for the 30-40 cars in his entourage.
posted by jedrek at 2:58 AM on November 14, 2006

When I was very young my mom and I went to watch the president board Air Force 1 and leave our state. It wasn't anything big other than just a neat thing to show a kid. Anyway, we're up on this berm with some other folks separated from the tarmac by a chain link fence. An airforce officer must have realized why we were there and came over and offered my mom and I a chance to go on the president's transport plane.

I could have sworn it was a C-131... this was probably early to mid 1980s. From what I can remember it was absolutely huge and standard procedure was to carry 6 stretched limos so they could all travel different routes, etc.. It also carried a bunch of secret service agents and other staff needed by the president who weren't on the advance details. The plane was fridgid and I remember wondering if those folks felt jilted since they weren't on AF1. I've got a photo some place of me in the pilot seat with this goofy helmet on going half way down my neck and a huge grin on my face.

I wouldn't be surprised if they have a few planes for this and prestation assets in a few locations to assist with the logisitics. I don't remember them saying anything like that but then they wouldn't have anyway, and a lot has changed since then too.
posted by jwells at 4:19 AM on November 14, 2006

My father was posted to SE Asia with the Canadian government, and was assisting with the logistics of an APEC (or possibly G8) summit for the Canadian Delegation. He told me that our delegation arrived on a single Airbus A310, but that the US delegation arrived with several huge cargo planes, Air Force One, and at least one passenger type jet flown by the Air Force. The number of people involved was staggering apparantly.

(This was in the early 90's, so I don't recall if it was Bush I or Clinton, but I expect the size of the delegation would be constant regardless of the administration)
posted by smcniven at 4:57 AM on November 14, 2006

I asked this before.
posted by cillit bang at 5:18 AM on November 14, 2006

Don't miss this great part of the CNN article:

To keep the president in constant contact with staff and military chiefs back in Washington the aircraft are fitted with some 383 kilometers (238 miles) of wires, twice the amount found in a standard 747.

Sounds to me like the writer believes Boeing installed a tin can phone.
posted by lowlife at 6:57 AM on November 14, 2006

Bush even takes his own toilet on overseas trips.
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 8:06 AM on November 14, 2006

The credibility of that CNN article is in doubt regarding Nixon's resignation. He didn't delegate any reading to Kissinger; Nixon resigned on live TV (text and MP3 available here). Afterwards, he flew away in a helicopter.
posted by Rash at 9:27 AM on November 14, 2006