Air Force One Sam 96970, SAM 26000 and SAM 27000 (1962-2001)-Revised

Air Force One 26000 and 27000 (1962-2001)
SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, a US Air Force jet plane, in 1974.
Type Of Activity	Presidential Transport
Location
Location	Worldwide
Date of Activity	Oct 1962 to  June 2001
Coordinates	33°40′34″N 117°43′52″W

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.

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.

In 1962, a newer VC-137C plane replaced it as the primary presidential aircraft, but it still transported vice presidents and other VIPs. The SAM 96970 remained part of the presidential fleet until 1996.

The new primary presidential aircraft number SAM 26000, was a specially configured Boeing 707-353B with the Air Force designation C-137C.

The SAM 96970, SAM 26000 along with SAM 27000 are the most Iconic presidential aircraft to date. All the C-137C's were  part of a fleet of aircraft maintained by the Military Airlift Command's 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.

Background

Aircraft SAM 26000 is the most famous and widely known Air Force aircraft. It joined the presidential fleet on Oct. 12, 1962.

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.

President Kennedy and the First Lady arrive at a rally in Houston

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.

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 while attending the Manila Summit Conference

In 1967, Don Cammel was departing Camp David for Andrews AFB to await departure of AF-1 to the LBJ Ranch. He was a month shy of 21 years old, and really didn't understand the magnitude of flying on AF-1 as a passenger with the President on board. He blinked when Lady Bird was asking if anyone played Bridge, so he ended up became her partner in the back Suite for a Bridge game enroute to the Ranch (landed at Randolph AFB). He still remembers that first trip TDY like it was yesterday. During the Bridge game, He was so focused on the cards, he never saw the President walk past their table multiple times. 

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

Air Force One 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,  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.

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

President Nixon dubbed SAM 2600 the Spirit of 76 a short time before leaving for Beijing

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. 

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

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 on one of his overseas trips on SAM 27000 in 1975

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 Jimmy Carter made his first trip aboard aircraft SAM 27000 on March 16, 1977

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

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 stops by the Communications Center aboard SAM 27000

President Reagan aboard SAM 27000

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.).

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. 

President Richard Nixon first used the Presidential Aircraft SAM 27000 in 1972, when he made his historic trip to China and famously his final trip to his San Clemente, California home following his resignation in 1974.

President Ronald Reagan sent predecessor President Jimmy Carter to West Germany to greet the 52 American hostages freed from Iran in 1981.

Reagan used Air Force One more than any other president, registering over 660,000 miles aboard the plane.

President George H.W. Bush was the last to use the SAM 27000 model as a primary means of transportation, and President George W. Bush was the last to use it as Air Force One when he and First Lady Laura Bush flew to TSTC Waco Airport in 2001.

The Presidential Aircraft SAM 26000 with the Air Force designation C-137C. was officially retired in  1998 and is on display at Wright-Patterson AFB, near Dayton OH while SAM 27000 has been on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Semi Valley CA since 2005

The cockpit of Sam 2700 included seats for a pilot, copilot, flight engineer, and guest or auxiliary crew member.

The Cockpit of SAM 27000 USAF VC-137C

The plane's maximum speed was 590 miles per hour. The top speed of the current Air Force One, the VC -25A, is 630 miles per hour.

The communication station featured state-of-the-art radio and communication equipment.  

Communications Operator using Kleinschmidt terminal

From the plane, the president could reach the White House Situation Room and the National Military Command Center and send secret communications.

Across from the communication station, the briefcase containing codes to initiate a nuclear strike was kept locked in a safe.

Known as the " nuclear football ," every president since Eisenhower has been accompanied by the briefcase at all times. The safe also held military communication center codes.

In the forward galley, crew members prepared food and drinks for the president and other crew members or White House Staff. The two galleys on Air Force One included ovens, refrigerators, and open-burner stovetops. Drink dispensers also served coffee, water, and other beverages.

The forward galley

 

The aft galley served food and drinks to senior staff and the press. Like the forward galley, the aft galley was furnished with kitchen appliances and drink dispensers.

The Aft galley      

A narrow hallway led to Air Force One's meeting areas, where Presidents met with their staff, received briefings, and took phone calls while traveling on Air Force One, earning it the nickname of the "flying Oval Office."

A hallway on Air Force One

The presidential conference room featured more space for larger meetings. The seating booth featured seat belts in case of rough air. White House staffers and cabinet members who joined the president on trips sat in the staff seating area.

The staff seating area looked the most like regular economy cabin seats while members of the press sat further back on the plane. The staff seating area looked the most similar to regular economy cabin seats.

White House staffers and cabinet members who joined the president on trips sat in the staff seating area.

The WH Staff and cabinet seating area

A separate secretary station provided more workspace for staff. The workstation was outfitted with a lamp and typewriter.

                                                                              A typical secretary station

The Presidential stateroom on Air Force One

    The Presidential stateroom room

The stateroom room included its own private bathroom. The private bathroom was much more spacious than the lavatories used by the flight crew and members of the press.

Stateroom private lavatory

An aft  lavatory for the flight crew and members of the press

Retired in 1996, SAM 96970 now on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. SAM 970 was a VC-137 series used by Eisenhower as well as Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon as their primary aircraft.

The Presidential Aircraft SAM 26000 with the Air Force designation C-137C. was officially retired in  1998 and is on display at Wright-Patterson AFB, near Dayton OH. Served Presidents  Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton. 

SAM 27000 a modified C-137C served Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. 

SAM 27000 has been on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Semi Valley CA since 2005.

                                                     Specifications of SAM 27000

 Primary function: Presidential Transportation

Prime contractor: The  Boeing Company

Thrust: 18,000 lb. each engine

Power plant/manufacturer: Four Pratt & Whitney JT3D-3B turbofan engines

Dimensions: wingspan 145 ft 9 in, length 152 ft 11 in, height 42 ft 5 in

Speed: 540 mph

Ceiling: 42,000 feet

Range: 7,140 miles

Load: up to 50 passengers

Crew: 18

Maximum takeoff weight: 336,000 lb.

Status: operational

The Camp David Communications Detachment (Cannonball)-revised

 

Experiences at Cannonball
Our House near LeMasters PA (2009)
Type Of Activity	Experiences while at Cannonball
Location
Location	Mercersburg Pa
Date of Activity	Mar 1967 to Jun 1970
Coordinates	+39.648333N  -77.466667 W

17 March 1967 to Cannonball a Remote Communications Facility

I spent many days and nights at Cannonball in the mid 60's. Two Microwave repairmen stationed at Camp David went TDY for a week at a time to Cannonball a microwave repeater tower which was located on a 2600 ft peak (Cross Mountain) near Mercersburg Pa. On Monday morning they would leave Camp David with enough groceries for a week’s stay in a concrete silo. There were no windows in the nine-floor structure so unless you went down to the entrance and went outdoors you had no idea of what the weather was like outside. There were two people permanently assigned to the facility (Terry Fields and Al Jensen) and when they went home in the evening, they were left without transportation at night, so keeping yourself occupied was a real challenge. Nobody knew what went on during nights and weekend when the guys were left alone and to this day almost nobody has incremented themselves.

I remember a Radio Tech at Det 3 that volunteered to go up there a couple times so he could go hunting "after hours"? He always had venison in his freezer. l knew many people did hunt during deer season! We wore bright colored clothing and made lots of noise when we went outside!! A hunt club presently owns the property including the access road.

 In March of 1967 I was permanently assigned to a microwave relay site named Cannonball.  It was ironic because, it was located on Cross Mountain, near Mercersburg Pennsylvania.  Joanne and I initially rented an old farmhouse in LeMasters, Pa. we lived their approximately six months and then moved down the road about mile. Nothing could have prepared my wife, Joanne for the isolation she would have to experience when I was given this assignment.  The town we lived near, LeMasters had a population of 26 people, the downtown consisted of a bank, general store and a grain elevator and our next-door neighbors were Mennonite.  Every Sunday there would be quite a bit of horse and buggy traffic as they went to church. Joanne was a city girl, born and raised in Chicago and never went more than 100 miles in any direction before we were married, she did not drive because she never needed transportation and you talk about living in the boonies. LeMasters had a population of 26 people, and we were four of those people.

LeMasters Pa (1967)

There was a pistol range at the back of Camp David; we qualified with 38 cal. pistols at that range. When I took over at Cannonball I became the Site Crypto Custodian, which meant that I had to qualify with the 38. Over the years we had loads of fun with the air transport crews and sky marshals all because we were carrying concealed weapons against air travel regulations. With every other flight being hijacked to Cuba, I can understand why they were so touchy.

7 Sep 67 to Lemoyne PA to AT&T 1A1 Key Telephone Training

The telephone system utilized at Cannonball tower was a 1A1 Key System since I knew nothing about the 1A1, and I was responsible for the installation and repair of new and existing equipment I attended training at the AT&T Training Center in Lemoyne PA. 

The three week course covered the Key Service Unit (KSU), power supply, and various telephone sets used in the system.  This training would turn out to be very valuable as I would re-cable or rewire the system several times before we closed the tower in 1970 and the system was removed.

Typical Six Button Rotary Dial Telephone Set

1A1 KSU Key Service Unit

Chuck Duval a friend of ours married a girl that he met at that secretarial school in Hagerstown, he and his wife Barbra lived in Blue Ridge Summit right next to the US Post Office. This is where we rented an apartment for a couple of months while we were waiting for housing at Camp David to open up.

The old Post Office in Blue Ridge Summit PA

We were living in LeMasters Pa. at this time. Chuck and Barb had a party at their apartment shortly after they were married and of course Dale Anderson and all of the guy's from Camp David attended, well around midnight we decided to leave the wives who were playing cards and go down to get a drink at the Monterey Tea House.  We had to cross in front of the post office in order to get to where our cars were parked, well one thing led to another and the next thing that I knew Chuck had been attached to the flag pole and Dale with some help had raised him to the Top and tied him off.  We all had a good laugh and slowly lowered him to the ground. As we were walking to the cars to leave, two cars of men drove in and blocked our retreat. They all belonged to the Blue Ridge Summit Auxiliary Police Department and told us that someone had reported that we were trying to break in to the Post Office.  After some fast talking and that Chuck lived next door, they told us to keep the noise down and left. No wonder Mr. Horst felt like he was running a loony bin!

Our neighbors knew that I worked for the Government but never asked where.  The people that lived around Mercersburg and Greencastle thought that Cannonball was a water tower.  Our families knew that I was with the White House and did visit us but never knew any details of what went on at Cannonball or Camp David. All they ever knew was that I had something to do with communications and that I traveled a lot with the President and VP.  Our friendships were pretty much with the Seabee’s (Al Jensen and Bud Evans) both assigned to Cannonball and some of the WHCA people that I worked with from Camp David. 

At home in LeMasters PA

Our daughter, Kathie was born in Chambersburg Pa. on Jan 8, 1969, and because of a flu outbreak the hospital would not allow visitors. I was only able to take the kids as far as the parking lot to see Joanne and wave to her at her room window.  We first saw Kathie when we brought her and Joanne home from the hospital!

The Crosses (1968) 

Bob with Kathie (1969)

18 May 69 to Norfolk VA for technical training of an HF Radio System        

I was sent to the Naval Training Center in Norfolk VA for training on the URT-23, which was a single sideband HF radio transceiver. WHCA was in the Process of adding this system to all overseas packages and needed qualified technicians. I was there for ten days and for the first time since I was assigned to WHCA I was required to wear uniforms. WHCA would widely use these whenever long-range communications were required and would be included in the CCT’s standard equipment package!

URT 23-A Overseas Trip Package

In the spring of 1969, we decided to move into an apartment in Greencastle, PA., the house that we were living in had only two bedrooms and with the arrival of Kathie we needed more room.

Antrim Apartments in Greencastle Pa. (1969)

We Learned that Al Jensen our Navy Seabee was being transferred, Bud Evans would replace Al in July of 1969.  Bud and his family would end up renting the apartment directly above ours in Greencastle.

We were in the middle of several major construction projects at the Tower that kept us busy the remainder of the year. First Project was to resurface the access road on Cross Mountain leading to Cannonball. There were also plans to add guard rail in multiple locations along the access road. This was really appreciated by all of whom had to plow snow in the wintertime as there had been several close calls in the past.

We also completed construction on an 80ft tubular tower with a new Log Periodic HF antenna to increase our capabilities as the Remote Transmitter site For Cactus. We also installed a 4 port Multi-coupler that would allow us to use several transmitters to simultaneously use this new antenna.

The final and largest project was the shock mounting of the entire tower! Several things took place, steel reinforced walls were added to the elevator shaft on all floors and the Air Handling (AC) units were all remounted on an angle iron plat form and hung on springs from the ceiling on all floors. The final step we needed to do was to temporally move all our operational equipment, so a platform could be built and suspended by large springs on every floor. Once the new suspended floor was completed, we then reinstalled all the equipment on the platform. All this was completed while the traffic on our microwave routes was uninterrupted.

Agnew Fund raiser in Phoenix AZ

When the shock mount project was complete, I started to travel again, this time supporting the Vice President. When I returned home from a trip with VP Agnew to Phoenix AZ, I found out that we were going to close Cannonball. We knew that we were going to be transferred, but didn’t know where. A couple of months later we were told, San Clemente CA. the Western White House!