Marine One - Marine Helicopter Squadron One -Presidential Transport (2020)-Revised

 

Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1)
HMX-1 Insignia
Type of Activity	Presidential Transport
Location
Location	Worldwide
Date of Activity	Dec 1947-Present
Coordinates	38°53'51.2"N 77°02'20.9"W

On July 12, 1957, Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the first president to ride in the newest advance in aviation technology: the helicopter.

Organized 1 December 1947, at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia, Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) was established as an experimental unit tasked with testing and evaluating military helicopters when rotary wing flight was still in its infancy.

Although experimental military helicopters had been tested since 1947, it was not until 10 years later that a president considered using the new machine for short, official trips to and from the White House.

Major Barrett departs the White House with President Eisenhower
on July 12, 1957 for Camp David.

During his second term, Eisenhower used a Bell UH-13J Sioux to fly to the Presidential retreat at Camp David and to his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

September of 1957 marked the beginning of an additional mission which made the Squadron unique. While vacationing in Newport , Rhode Island, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was required to return to the Capital on short notice. He flew the first portion of that trip, from Newport to Naval Air Station Quonset Point, aboard an HMX-1 UH-34, thus marking the first time that an American President had flown in a Marine helicopter. With that first flight, President Eisenhower realized the usefulness of the helicopter and continued to fly with HMX-1 for the remainder of his term. Eisenhower suggested the idea to the Secret Service, which approved of the new mode of transportation, seeing it as safer and more efficient than the traditional limousine motorcade. The HMX-1 Nighthawks squadron put into the president’s service was initially administered jointly by the Army and the Marine Corps.  

                                           

Army H-34C of the Executive Flight Detachment and Marine HUS-1 of HMX-1 

Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev’s 1959 visit to the United States was off to a rocky start before President Dwight D. Eisenhower offered an impromptu tour of Washington, D.C., in one of his new whirly-birds. The premier was so impressed that he made a point of ordering his own helicopters to use back home.

                                               

 Soviet Premier Khrushchev waiting departure with President Eisenhower, summer, 1958

According to the White House Military Office, presidents since Eisenhower have used the Sikorsky VH-3D, otherwise known as a Sea King, for travel both in the continental United States and abroad. Most presidential helicopter flights depart and arrive from the White House’s south lawn.

During its presidential service, the helicopter was known either as Marine One or Army One, depending on whether Marine or Army pilots were operating the craft. The helicopter, with seats for sixteen, has a seat reserved for the president and the first lady, and single, smaller seats for the two Secret Service agents who always flew with the presidential party. Wherever the helicopter carrying a US President flies, it is met on the ground by at least one soldier in full dress uniform.

Army One was the callsign of any United States Army aircraft carrying the President of the United States. From 1957 until 1976, this was usually an Army helicopter transporting the President. Prior to 1976, responsibility for helicopter transportation of the President was divided between the Army and the U.S. Marine Corps until the Marine Corps was given the sole responsibility of transporting the President by helicopter. In 1976 President Jimmy Carter, as a cost cutting move, disbanded the Army’s Executive Flight Detachment and the Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron One took over all helicopter operations.

Since 1976 the official presidential helicopter has always been called Marine One, just as the official presidential airplane is always referred to as Air Force One. Marine One and a second decoy helicopter now accompany Air Force One on all presidential trips.

Having established a record of safety and reliability, HMX-1 today continues to provide helicopter transportation for the President and Vice President of the United States as well as for Cabinet members and foreign dignitaries as authorized by the Director of the White House Military Office.

                                   

Marine One Sikorsky VH-3D landing on the south lawn

The Squadron also supports the President on overseas visits and has operated in over fifteen foreign countries. "Marine One," the President's helicopter, has landed at such distant and exotic places as England's Windsor Castle, Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, Bolivar Square in Bogota, Colombia, and even in the Demilitarized Zone of South Korea.

Because HMX-1 continues to function as an experimental Squadron as it did in 1947, many of the same pilots who fly the President also test and evaluate the latest Marine Corps helicopter systems and develop tactics and doctrine for their use.

The critical nature of these missions requires that only highly qualified and experienced pilots fly HMX-1 aircraft. For assignment to HMX-1, all officers are carefully screened both for aeronautical ability and for superior military performance. Each officer must also have completed a significant amount of training within the Squadron as a copilot prior to becoming a White House Helicopter Aircraft Commander. Crew chiefs and other maintenance personnel are also selected for assignment to HMX-1 based on exceptional performance and integrity while assigned to squadrons of the Fleet Marine Force.

The helicopters that these exceptional Marines fly are the finest and most meticulously maintained in the world. The foremost of these is the Sikorsky VH-3D (Shown Above), a unique aircraft outfitted and configured for Presidential use. Its sophisticated onboard communications system allows the President and his staff access to all essential government agencies, and with a cruise speed of 115 knots (119 MPH) and range of 450 nautical miles, it is a versatile and reliable means of transportation for the Commander in Chief. It can carry14 passengers but is limited to 10 for Presidential flights. The nature of the Squadron's multifaceted mission requires that it operate several types of helicopters in addition to the VH-3D.

                                             

UH -1 N" Huey

The VH-lN is the Executive version of the UH -1 N" Huey." Its comfortable interior and special communications package make it a viable helicopter for the President's use, and because it is easily transportable, it is an ideal aircraft for use overseas. To enable members of the press to accompany the President when he travels by helicopter, HMX-1 operates two types of transport aircraft.

The larger and more commonly used of the two is the CH-53D Sea Stallion. It is a fast, long-range helicopter capable of carrying 34 press, White House staff members, or other passengers.

                                                  

CH-53D Sea Stallion

The CH-46E Sea Knight is an extremely versatile aircraft also used to carry up to 20 press or White­ House staff. The rear ramps of the CH-53 and CH-46 allow for expeditious entry and exit of the press corps and their equipment.

 A retired, de-militarized, and restored VH-3D Marine One was officially inducted into the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, College Station, Texas on 12 June 2024. Bureau number 159358 (BUNO 358) served United States presidents beginning with the Ford administration. The library and museum, located within the Texas A&M University campus unveiled the VH-3D inside the new pavilion that now houses the retired Marine One on what would have been President George H. W. Bush's 100th birthday.

Retired Marine One Finds Permanent Home at Presidential Library and Museum

                                     

CH-46E Sea Knight

Not every Marine Corps helicopter taking off from the South Lawn holds the president. On July 4, 1986, a CH-46 helicopter transported White House Executive Chef Henry Haller and food for a luncheon to New York City for President Ronald Reagan and French President François Mitterrand to enjoy on the occasion of the Fourth of July and the centennial of the Statue of Liberty. Combined, these aircraft enable the Marines of Marine Helicopter Squadron One to provide only the finest service for the President of the United States.

HMX-1, the unit that mans the president’s Marine One helicopter, will use the aircraft for so-called “greenside” missions. They will support White House travels by shuttling essential equipment, personnel and even VIPs, although the aircraft are unlikely to transport the president himself. He only rides on one of two custom-designed helicopter models — the older Sikorsky VH-3D and the newer VH-60N, a modified Black Hawk.

                                                      

                  Sikorsky VH-60N White Hawk

On August 11, 2013 two MV-22 Ospreys made their presidential debut ferrying Secret Service agents, White House staff, and members of the media from CGAS Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard during the President's vacation. As of 2015, HMX-1 has 12 Sikorsky VH-3D of 1960s' vintage, 8 Sikorsky VH-60N from the 80s/90s era and 12 Bell-Boeing MV-22 Ospreys.

The new HMX-1 V-22 Osprey will replace the medium-lift capability provided by the CH-46 Sea Knight – better known as the PHROG – which has been in service since the early ’60s. In addition to the spit and polished green paint job, the VIP kits include black carpets, the HMX-1 logo emblazoned on the tail ramp, seat covers and walls and ceilings that hide the tangle of wires and hydraulic lines inside the cabin.

                                                   

HMX-1 V-22 Osprey

The President relies on a fleet of helicopters for transportation that has been in service for decades. The mission of the presidential helicopter fleet is to provide safe, reliable, and timely transportation in support of the President. The Navy plans to acquire 23 new VH-92A, to replace the current Marine Corps fleet of VH-3D and VH-60N aircraft.

                            

This photograph is from a 2018 test landing and takeoff on the South Lawn.

The New White House Helipad

Construction is now underway on a permanent granite helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, marking one of the most significant changes to the presidential grounds in decades. President Donald Trump confirmed the project on Monday, saying the new landing pad is being built specifically to accommodate the Marine Corps’ new VH-92A Patriot presidential helicopters, whose powerful engines and downward-directed exhaust have repeatedly damaged the White House lawn.

Photos taken on July 1, 2026, show crews working around the clock on the circular landing area, replacing a section of lawn that recently served as the site of a temporary UFC arena. Once completed, the granite helipad will provide a permanent landing surface for Marine One while preserving the surrounding landscape from the intense heat generated by the new aircraft

Why a Helipad Is Needed

The Marine Corps completed delivery of 23 next-generation Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot helicopters in August 2024 to replace the aging presidential helicopter fleet. Although the aircraft offer significant improvements in performance, reliability, and maintenance costs, they introduced an unexpected problem at the White House.

Unlike the older VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk helicopters, the VH-92A directs much of its engine exhaust downward near the rear of the aircraft. Each landing scorched and tore up portions of the South Lawn, making routine operations increasingly difficult.

“It isn’t that the grass gets discolored, it gets ripped out.

For several years, Marines attempted to minimize the damage by placing metal landing mats on the lawn. Even then, the aircraft’s exhaust often extended beyond the mat, leaving the surrounding grass badly damaged after each landing. As a result, the new helicopters saw only limited use at the White House while the older aircraft remained in regular service.

Construction of the new helipad on the south lawn of the White House

A Permanent Solution

Rather than continue repairing the lawn after every landing, the administration approved construction of a permanent granite helipad.

“It’s got the seal of the White House on it in carved granite,” Trump said. “It’s really a beautiful thing.”

According to the President, Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, agreed to pay the entire cost of the project because the company recognized the operational challenges created by the new helicopters.

A Long-Needed Improvement

Many White House observers have long questioned why the Executive Mansion never had a permanent presidential helipad. For decades, Presidents and First Ladies have walked across the often wet South Lawn in dress shoes and heels before boarding Marine One.

The White House lawn itself also slopes gently away from the South Portico, making helicopter landings more challenging than on a purpose-built landing surface.

Interestingly, President Richard Nixon’s Florida compound at Key Biscayne featured a dedicated helicopter landing pad constructed adjacent to Biscayne Bay, providing a level and permanent landing area during his frequent visits.

The new White House helipad follows that same principle by creating a safer and more efficient operating environment for presidential helicopter operations

For Marine One, the future of presidential helicopter transport will be the VH-92A, which is based on Sikorsky’s successful S-92A commercial aircraft that has over one million flight hours worldwide. Sikorsky will soon begin building the first six of 23 new VH-92A helicopters for HMX-1. These new medium-lift transportation aircraft will have two powerful turboshaft engines producing 2,520 shp each using a four-blade main rotor. It has the potential to travel 190 mph with a range of 621 miles. Initial delivery of VH-92A presidential helicopters is scheduled to begin in the fiscal year 2020 with production ending in fiscal year 2023.

The first official flight of the VH-92A® Patriot™ was on 08/19/24 when President Joe Biden was transported from O'Hare International to Soldier Field in Chicago for the Democratic Convention,

The U.S. Marine Corps currently operates 10 VH-3D and six VH-60N, and 9 VH-92A helicopters. All models are military certified aircraft modified to perform the mission.

The VH-3Ds were placed in service in 1974 and the VH-60s entered service in the 1980s. Both legacy aircraft have exceeded their original twenty-year service life expectations due to a comprehensive three-year overhaul cycle.

The tradition of Marine One continues today, Combined, these aircraft enable  the  Marines of Marine Helicopter Squadron One to provide only the finest service for the President of the United States.

 Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot

                       

Air Force One - Command 89th Military Airlift Wing-Presidential Transport-revised (2020)

                                                

Air Force One AF-1 (1944-2020)
89th Military Airlift Wing Insignia
Type of Activity	Presidential Transport
Location
Location	Worldwide
Date of Activity	1944 to Present
Coordinates	38°53'51.2"N 77°02'20.9"W

The mission of Presidential air transport began in 1944 is to provide air transport for the president of the United States. Today's aircraft are operated and maintained by the Presidential Airlift Group and are assigned to Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing located at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.  The aircraft that would transport the President initially was identified by its tail number but in order to prevent confusion with air traffic controllers the aircraft would eventually become known as Air Force One. The Presidential Airlift Group (PAG) actually fly the aircraft.

Presidential air transport began in 1944 when a VC-54, nicknamed the "Sacred Cow," was put into service for Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Roosevelt’s successor, President Harry S. Truman, used the aircraft extensively during the first 27 months of his administration. On July 26, 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 on board the Sacred Cow. This act established the US Air Force as an independent service, making the Sacred Cow the “birthplace” of the US Air Force.

 VC-54, nicknamed the "Sacred Cow,"

Then came a VC-118, nicknamed the "Independence,” which transported President Harry S. Truman during the period 1947 to 1953. It was nicknamed “Independence” after President Truman’s hometown, Independence, Missouri.       

VC-118, nicknamed the "Independence,”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower traveled aboard a VC-121A and VC-121E, both nicknamed "Columbine II" and "Columbine III", from 1953 to 1961. These two aircraft were named after the official state flower of Colorado in honor of Mrs. Eisenhower’s home state.  

VC-121E, nicknamed "Columbine III"

President Dwight Eisenhower became the first US president to travel by jet when he flew on a new Air Force One plane in 1959. Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom, The jet, known as SAM (Special Air Missions) 96970, was customized to meet the needs of the president and White House staff.

 

SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, a US Air Force jet plane, in 1974.

In 1959, the Boeing 707-153 known as SAM 96970 became the new presidential aircraft, replacing the propeller-powered C-121C Super Constellation used by President Dwight Eisenhower. SAM 96970 was part of the VC-137 series of planes.

While the call sign "Air Force One" was first used in the 50s, President Kennedy's VC-137 was the first aircraft to be popularly known as "Air Force One."                                                                     

VC-137C with the tail number 26000.

In 1962, a VC-137C specifically purchased for use as Air Force One, entered into service with the tail number 26000. It is perhaps the most widely known and most historically significant presidential aircraft. Tail number 27000 replaced 26000 and carved its own history when it was used to fly Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter to Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 19, 1981, to represent the United States at the funeral of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

SAM 27000 is a specially configured Boeing 707-353B 

with the Air Force designation C-137C.

 The Sam 26000 aircraft, shown above along with SAM 27000 are the most Iconic presidential aircraft to date. Both C-137C's were  part of a fleet of aircraft maintained by the Military Airlift Command 89th Military Airlift Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.

When the president is aboard either aircraft, or any other Air Force aircraft, the radio call sign "Air Force One" is used for all communications and air traffic control identification purposes.

Principal differences between the C-137C and the standard Boeing 707 aircraft are the electronic and communications equipment carried by the presidential aircraft, and its interior configuration and furnishings. Passenger cabins are partitioned into several sections: a communications center, the presidential quarters, and a staff/office compartment. There is limited seating for passengers, including members of the news media.                                     

Originally painted red the Kennedys had the aircraft redesigned

 into the iconic blue it is today

 In May 1963, on a trip to Moscow with a U.S. delegation, aircraft SAM 26000 set 14 speed records, including the Washington to Moscow record of 8 hours, 38 minutes, 42 seconds.

This was the same  aircraft  in  which President John F. Kennedy flew  to  Dallas, Texas, on Nov. 22, 1963, and in which his body was returned to Washington, D.C., following his assassination.

                                   JFK arrives in Houston on Nov,21 1963  

LBJ becomes President  aboard SAM 26000  

 Lyndon B. Johnson was  sworn into office as the 36th president of the United States on board the aircraft at Love Field  in Dallas the same  day.  This  aircraft  was  also used to return President Johnson's  body  to Texas following a State funeral in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24, 1973.                        

LBJ Visits Vietnam in 1965 unannounced

President Richard M. Nixon used aircraft SAM 26000 extensively during the first four years of his administration.

SAM 26000 at El Toro MCAS while visiting  San Clemente 

My first experience in working with SAM 2600 was while I was assigned to San Clemente in 1970 our detachment worked all of the arrivals and departures at El Toro MCAS,  We plugged in the ramp phone and  the other circuits into the nose of SAM 2600 for the onboard telephones to connect the aircraft to the San Clemente switchboard.  When the President departed, we disconnected all of the phones. 

President arrives in China on The Spirit of 76

His most widely  heralded trips included the around-the-world trip in July 1969, to the Peoples Republic of China in February 1972, which I was a part and to the  Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in May· of that same year.

Aircraft SAM 27000 has established its own history and reputation. This aircraft was accepted by the Air Force on Aug. 4, 1972 and was placed into service after nearly 200 hours of service testing and evaluation. It was first used by President Nixon on Feb. 8, 1973.

 President Gerald R. Ford first used aircraft SAM 27000 on Aug. 19, 1974, when he flew from Andrews Air Force Base to Chicago to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention. He later traveled overseas on a 7-day State visit to the Far East and visited Tokyo and Osaka, Japan,  Seoul, Korea, and Vladivostok, Russia.

President Ford arrives in Chicago Note: The state-of-the-art Ramp Phone 

Also, in May 1975, he made his first trip to Europe, visiting Belgium, Spain, Austria, and Italy. In July and August 1975, President Ford returned to Europe to visit the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Finland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. He flew to France in November 1975; and to the Peoples Republic of China, Indonesia, and the Philippines in December 1975.

President Ford enroute to Europe 1975

President Jimmy Carter made his first trip aboard aircraft SAM 27000 on March 16, 1977, when he visited three states, including New York where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly. His first overseas trip was made to England and Switzerland in May 1977.

 President and Mrs Carter deplane from SAM 27000

 In December 1977 and January 1978, President Carter flew to Poland, Iran, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, and Belgium. He flew to Venezuela, Brazil, Nigeria and Liberia in March 1978; Panama in June 1978; the Federal Republic of Germany in July 1978; Israel in March 1979; Austria, Japan, and Korea in June 1979; and Italy, Yugoslavia, Spain, and Portugal in June 1980. 

Presidents Carter and Ford enroute to Egypt 1981

 On Feb. 19, 1981, President Ronald W. Reagan first flew in aircraft SAM 27000 for a  brief trip to Santa Barbara, Calif. He returned to Andrews Air Force Base, Md., on Feb. 22, 1981. In March 1981, President Reagan flew to Canada

President Reagan enroute to Reykjavík, Iceland to meet with 

Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev 

Ronald Reagan was SAM 27000's most frequent flyer, flying longer and farther than all the other presidents who flew on it, traveling more than 675,000 miles aboard it. Reagan used Air Force One to travel to all parts of the world to pursue his ambitious diplomatic goals, taking three trips to Asia, six to Europe, and twelve trips to foreign places in the Western Hemisphere. Reagan flew to three of his four summit meetings with Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev aboard SAM 27000: Geneva, Reykjavík, and Moscow (one was held in Washington, D.C.).

President Reagan visits the Communications Center

The Reagans' last flight aboard the plane was on January 20, 1989, when the now-former President and First Lady flew back to California. 

SAM 27000 at the Reagan Library 

The Presidential Aircraft SAM 27000 with the Air Force designation C-137C. was officially retired in  2001 and has been on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library since 2005.

 The Cockpit of SAM 27000 USAF VC-137C            

Communications Operator using Kleinschmidt terminal

Present day presidential air transport fleet consists of two specially configured Boeing 747-200 B's -- tail numbers 28000 and 29000 -- with the Air Force designation VC-25. When the president is aboard either aircraft, or any Air Force aircraft, the radio call sign is "Air Force One."

Principal differences between the VC-25 and the standard Boeing 747, other than the number of passengers carried, are the electronic and communications equipment, self-contained baggage loader, front and aft air-stairs, and the capability for in-flight refueling.

VC-25A -- tail number 28000 interior layout

Accommodations for the president include an executive suite consisting of a stateroom (with dressing room, lavatory and shower) and the president's office. A conference/dining room is also available for the president, his family, and staff. Other separate accommodations are provided for guests, senior staff, Secret Service and security personnel and the news media.

Two galleys provide up to 100 meals at one sitting. Six passenger lavatories, including disabled access facilities, are provided as well as a rest area and mini galley for the aircrew. The VC-25 also has a compartment outfitted with medical equipment and supplies for minor medical emergencies. 

The first VC-25A -- tail number 28000 -- flew as "Air Force One" on Sept. 6, 1990, when it transported President George Bush to Kansas, Florida and back to Washington, D.C. A second VC-25A, tail number 29000 transported Presidents Clinton, Carter, and Bush to Israel for the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Tail number 29000 also carved its name in history on September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush traveled to Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, where he received news that two planes had flown into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.  President Bush was rushed back to the airport where he flew to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. While enroute from Florida to Louisiana, the pilots were told there was a plane approaching.  Fearing the unknown plane was hijacked, Air Force One altered its course; but ultimately, decided to continue on to Barksdale. (The second plane turned out to be harmless.) The President went from Barksdale Air Force Base to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska; however, he insisted on returning home to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Many of the important decisions made that day were made on board Air Force One. The aircrew safely returned the President and staff members back to Washington, D.C. despite increased threats. President Bush is pictured below visiting Ground Zero on September 14, 2001

President Bush is reviewing the damage at Ground Zero on September 14, 2001

                              President Bush on SAM 2800 visits the World Trade Center South Tower in New York City

On Thanksgiving Day 2003, President George W Bush was scheduled to celebrate the holiday quietly on his ranch in Crawford, Texas instead the President and his National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, secretly flew on Air Force One (SAM 28000) from Texas to Andrews Air Force Base, where they picked up aides, military and Secret Service personnel, a few reporters, and changed to a twin version of Air Force One (Sam 29000).

SAM 29000 arriving at Baghdad International Airport 

President Bush serving Turkey dinner to the Troops

President Bush spent two and a half hours in Iraq visiting with the troops and other dignitaries. Take-off from Baghdad International Airport was just as dangerous. Everyone on the plane was told to keep the lights out and maintain telephone silence. Once Air Force One had climbed to a safe altitude, reporters on board were free to file reports about the trip.

President Obama in the cockpit of SAM 2800 

President's office on Air Force One 

SAM 28000 and SAM 29000 continued to transport President Obama his family and staff throughout his term in office.  President Obama made a total of 445 times that he has flown aboard the familiar, eye-catching blue and white U.S. government airplane with the presidential insignia emblazoned on the side. 

The 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit was a summit meeting between North Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, held at the Capella hotel, Sentosa, Singapore, on June 12, 2018. It was the first-ever meeting between leaders of North Korea and the United States. President Trump shakes hands with Kim Jong Un  at the President Trump and Kim Jong Un at the DMZ in 2019

Singapore Summit 2018

President Donald Trump met again with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, on June 30, 2019. President Trump made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil when he crossed over the DMZ after sharing a symbolic handshake with Kim.

 President Trump made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. president to step onto North Korean soil  

President Donald Trump's visit to see the fireworks at Mount Rushmore on July 3, 2020 was his second visit to South Dakota since becoming president in 2016. Trump is the 16th president to visit South Dakota.                                            

Air Force One making a fly by at Mt. Rushmore

The VC-25A continues the unique mission of presidential travel, upholding the proud tradition and distinction of being known as "Air Force One." 

Presidential Communications on Air Force One

For obvious security reasons, exact technical details on Presidential communications are difficult to come by in the public domain. We do know that the U.S. Air Force upgraded some of the phone systems on board its VIP aircraft fleet in the early 2010s, replacing the well-known white and beige twin phone handset system that dated from the 1980s. The white phones were used for unsecure lines, while beige handsets could be used for secure calls.

The President has also been pictured making use of Cisco VoIP (voice over internet protocol) office-style phones on board both VC-25 and C-32 aircraft. These phones were implemented throughout the White House and associated Presidential locations, including aircraft, in the 2000s in a technical refresh, but were used alongside the existing white and beige phones rather than in place of them.

The new phones installed in this upgrade were an L-3 Communications product branded Airborne Executive Phone (AEP), and these phones have been shown continuing in use with the Obama administration. The handsets can be connected to both secured and unsecured lines, with a built in LED and display showing color indicators denoting which type of call is currently in progress – red for secured, green for unsecured

 Old white (non-secure) and beige (secure) phones aboard Air Force One 2009 along with a
Cisco VoIP phone       

The secure link used by the AEP is also provided by L-3, via the Global Secure Information Management System (GSIMS). The GSIMS is essentially a bunch of modules that integrate various inputs (analog radio, digital radio, internet data access) into a single IP-based system that's managed from a workstation (pictured above). Exact details on how the GSIMS keeps data secure is (obviously) hard to come by. We can take an educated guess, though: There'll be another GSIMS (or similar compatible system) at the receiving end, and between them they will provide Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) through lots of encryption.

.

  L-3 GSIMS operators console

Finally, you might be wondering why a non-secure mode exists at all. Surely the President and his staff want to always be secure, but for a secure line to exist both callers need to be using a secure phone. If you tried to call a non-secure phone from a secure phone, all you'd hear is encrypted gobbledygook.

On February 26, 2009, President Obama was photographed conducting an interview while using an Airborne Executive Phone (AEP) handset aboard Air Force One. The AEP system, installed as part of a communications upgrade to the presidential aircraft fleet in the early 2010s, features handsets that can access both secure and unsecure lines.

New AEP phone on Air Force One. Note the red LED on the handset

An integrated LED and display indicate the type of line in use—red for secured calls and green for unsecured calls—ensuring clear communication protocols for sensitive conversations.

The retrofitted Boeing 747-8 became the next Air Force One and has now entered service. The aircraft made its inaugural flight on Wednesday, July 1, with a trip to North Dakota for the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, part of the nation's 250th anniversary events. Converted in just ten months from a Boeing 747-8i originally gifted by the Emir of Qatar, this interim Air Force One platform features President Trump's preferred red, white, and blue livery replacing the 60-year-old Kennedy-era baby blue scheme and boasts advanced communication setups including Starlink, alongside high-end protective defense mechanisms.

The New Air Force One

June 19 2026- The next chapter for Air Force One has begun. The US Air Force announced that its new VC-25B "Bridge" aircraft has arrived at Joint Base Andrews, home of the Presidential Airlift Group, and started its commissioning flights, the final step before it can carry the President.

SAM (Special Air Missions)  99-0003, a US Air Force VC25

The plane that originated as a Boeing 747-8i jumbo jet gifted by Qatar will be available to transport the president beginning in July 2026, following a 10-month sprint by L3Harris to deliver the plane last week, a company executive reported that President Donald Trump accepted the controversial Qatari gift during a delivery ceremony on Friday June 19 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Md., following months of criticism from lawmakers that the plane could open up security vulnerabilities and ethical concerns.

President Trump said the new plane will lead a flyover of military aircraft on July 4 as part of Independence Day festivities in Washington. “The workmanship of this plane is — when you see it, you won’t believe it,” he said at the delivery ceremony. “The quality of woods, the quality of the materials, the quality of the engines — these engines are the finest and the best in the world. Nothing like it.”

                  President Trump tours the New Air Force One

L3Harris was tasked to modify the Qatari jet by the July 4 deadline, resulting in a team of about 400 employees working 24/7 to deliver the plane in 10 months, Jason Lambert, president of L3Harris’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance division, said in an interview on Monday evening.

Normally, the process would take several years. “Making sure we had the personnel in place to do the work in advance of going under contract for this, and leaning in wherever we could to be able to support this mission set, and jointly deliver this in conjunction with the Air Force, is something that, frankly, in a timeline like this, I don’t think it’s ever been done,” he said.

The Air Force said the delivery will “relieve pressure” on the two legacy VC-25A aircraft SAM 928000 and 929000 that currently alternate serving as Air Force One. The aging duo are facing long maintenance cycles, and their planned successors — two new VC-25Bs — have suffered technical setbacks and workforce challenges that already pushed the replacement date from 2024 to mid-2028.The present VC-25Bs have been in service since 1990 serving four Presidents.

Typically, presidential transport aircraft are decked out with a suite of electronic warfare and defensive equipment, with the plane’s electronics hardened to withstand a nuclear electromagnetic pulse. The shortened modification timeline for the Qatari gift plane required L3Harris personnel to scale back the typical upgrade package. While most of those improvements are classified, Lambert confirmed that L3Harris provided a secure communications system with connectivity to classified and unclassified networks, as well as performed modifications to the interior of the aircraft.L3Harris worked constantly with the Air Force to ensure the modifications would “optimize the schedule” while also “make sure that we’re delivering with the configuration and systems required to be able to service the president’s mission,” Lambert said.

President Trump finishes his inspection of the new AF-1

For example, the interiors were reworked with the US presidential seal as well as new wood and leather furnishings, but larger changes — such as moving the bulkheads or fixed structures inside the aircraft — were eschewed to have the plane ready by the president’s deadline. Requirements were largely frozen after being signed off by the president, with an example being the aircraft’s new red, white, and blue livery — a change from the iconic baby blue color scheme used from the Kennedy administration onward. “The president had to sign off on the paint scheme, including the flag that’s on the tail of the aircraft,” Lambert said. “Once those requirements were set, they were set and didn’t change it, so we could actually go do that work.” Lambert declined to comment on what modifications meant to enhance the aircraft’s survivability were included or excluded to meet the delivery timeline, but said he has “the utmost confidence that the aircraft is ready to perform the mission as Air Force One.

”He added that the foreign-gifted aircraft was thoroughly inspected by security professionals to ensure no listening devices or compromising electronics were slipped inside before it arrived in the US. “The aircraft underwent a very rigorous process, really in advance of us even working on it, performed by our electronic warfare experts in conjunction with the US government’s leaders in cybersecurity to fully inspect and ensure that everything within that aircraft was safe for the mission,” he said. “And with full assurance, we can say that that activity was performed not just in advance of our work, but throughout as well.”

Post-delivery, the aircraft will move into its initial commissioning flights, during which the White House will validate that the aircraft can hit its mission objective targets and finalize protocols associated with transporting the president, the Air Force stated. “The safety and security of the commander in chief is our highest priority,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said in a news release. “From the beginning, we meticulously evaluated every requirement to accelerate delivery while maintaining the high standards expected of the presidential mission.

This effort proves that the U.S. Air Force can move fast without sacrificing quality, security, or reliability.” Training for pilots and maintainers began in October, first using a leased Atlas Air 747-8F and then using a 747-8i purchased from Lufthansa, the service said. L3Harris also delivered a 3D mockup of the interior of the plane, allowing White House personnel to familiarize themselves with the layout of the aircraft ahead of its first flight.

The first flight of the Qatar-gifted Boeing 747 is likely to attract global attention—not only as a milestone in presidential aviation but also because of the continuing debate surrounding its acceptance, future ownership, and role as a temporary Air Force One replacement.