Air Force One
by Robert Dorr

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Book Reviews of Air Force One

Book Review: Air Force One, Robert F. Dorr
Summary: 4 Stars

The worlds best known aircraft, "Air Force One", the Boeing 747 that the American President is seen entering or leaving almost daily on the worlds newschannels is not really the aircraft, but rather its radio call sign.

Respected aviation author Robert F. Dorr, with a background in the U.S. Air Force, gives the Presidents' (!) aerial transports both the tecnical and historic treatment. Back in 1956 Eisenhower's Lockheed Constellation "Columbine II" was victim of a potentially dangerous confusion of callsigns on the airways. (Not unheard of even today). That episode earned the various aircraft their special callsign. If the President flies with the other armed services it is changed to f.ex. "Marine One", the almost as famous Sikorsky Sea King helicopter from The U.S. Marine Corps flying directly to and from the White House lawn.
Many rare photos has been dug up. Both of the Presidents' aircraft and the many, often shady, aircraft and helicopters that waited in the wings in case of nuclear Armageddon. The famous "football" with the nuclear codes is also treated.
A lesser part is some fascinating glimpses of the actual "passenger" of "Air Force One". Dorr has interviewed former and present crewmembers and they are of course more reticent about the present chief executive. And the still living predecessors.
President Johnson has the record for travelling in most different types of "Air Force One". He enjoyed taking important congressmen to his ranch in Texas before crucial votings. A one-off small twin engine Beech was bought especially for internal Texan flights and was known as "Lady Bird's airplane" (by Johnson himself!). Carter in cardigan. He ordered the V for VIP removed from the VC-137 designation and the paintscheme toned down as being too ostentatious! Nixon looking out of the window with his briefcase in front of him. Nice initials on it: "RMN". But it is also wearing a very plain label - "the president". To avoid any mix-ups of the luggage?
On the front page Reagan enters "his" Boeing 707. "Rawhide" (his Secret Service codename) apparently took to precidency as a fish to water. This aircraft will be displayed in California after serving seven presidents since 1972. We follow the last flight in 2001, Reagan tragically unable to attend due to Alzheimer's.
As far as security allows there is a thorough guided tour of the present special Jumbo. Also a chilling acount of the role played by "Air Force One" on September 11'th 2001 ("Pearl Harbour II").
I bought the book for my aviation library. The tecnical content is mindboggling. In a national emergency "Air Force One" could be kept aloft for five or six days f. ex. I also got an insight into the personalities of many American presidents. As different as the rest of the worlds population. Which really is quite reassuring!

Palle J. Christensen, S?bakken 14, DK8800 Viborg, Denmark.

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