After more than three decades of service, the White House staff has bid farewell to the Boeing 747-200 planes that have been used as Air Force One since 1990. The planes, which have been heavily modified and flown as VC-25As, have been a part of many historic moments, including the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who first flew on the aircraft in 1990.
A New Era for Air Force One
The farewell comes as the first of three new planes, modified as VC-25Bs, is set to be delivered soon. The new planes will feature a new paint job, with a color scheme proposed during Trump’s first term in office, which was initially reversed by the Biden administration but has since been reinstated. The new planes will be red, white, gold, and dark blue.
The current VC-25A fleet has been ridiculed by Trump, who has long advocated for new planes. The new planes will provide a much-needed upgrade to the existing fleet, which has been in service for over 35 years. The Air Force has begun modifying the donated Qatari jet, which will serve as a bridge between the old planes and the new ones.
The vintage aircraft have a storied history, visiting countries around the world, including Iraq, Cuba, China, and Australia. They have also been used to transport former presidents, including George W. Bush, who was flown to an Air Force base in Nebraska on September 11, 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
