Facts about Air Force One, the flying White House

New Delhi: Air Force One is the US President's special aircraft. Whenever the US president travels overseas or across the country, he takes his high-tech deluxe jumbo jet with him. During the September 11 terror attacks, the president's plane showed that it was much more than an executive jet -- it became a mobile bunker when all ground positions seemed vulnerable to attack. With all of the things that Air Force One carries, it's no wonder the media calls it the "flying White House." "Air Force One" isn't technically a plane: It's simply the radio call name for any U.S. Air Force plane carrying the president of the United States. As soon as the president steps aboard an Air Force plane, that plane is referred to as Air Force One by the crew and all air traffic controllers, in order to avoid confusion with any other planes in the area. If the president rides on an Army aircraft, that aircraft is Army One, and whenever he boards his specialized helicopter, that craft is Marine One. Today, there are actually two planes that regularly fly under this designation -- nearly identical Boeing 747-200B jets. The planes themselves are designated VC-25A, with tail numbers 28000 and 29000. The top speed is between 630 and 700 miles per hour and the ceiling maximum (how high the plane can fly) is 45,100 feet. Each plane carries 53,611 gallons of fuel and weighs 833,000 pounds fully loaded for a long-range mission. With a full tank, the plane can fly half way around the world. Air Force One has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space. Much of it looks more like a hotel or executive office than a jetliner, except for the seatbelts on all the chairs. The lowest level of the plane mostly serves as cargo space. Most of the passenger room is on the middle level, and the upper level is largely dedicated to communications equipment. The president has onboard living quarters, with his own bedroom, bathroom, workout room and office space. Most of the furniture on the plane was hand-crafted by master carpenters. Senior staff members have their own office area, and the rest of the president's staff also has space to work and relax. There is a separate area for reporters traveling with the president, and there is plenty of room for the flight crew to do their work. All in all, Air Force One can comfortably carry 70 passengers and 26 crew members. The 747 can be refuelled in mid-air and is therefore able to stay skyborne without landing for a long time. Air Force One is stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Every time the President travels, a helicopter, Marine One, brings him from the White House to Andrews. Until World War II not very many presidents travelled far away from their home country. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to fly to a conference in Casablanca, Morocco. He went by plane because it was too dangerous to travel by ship. German submarines were constantly attacking Allied boats. Regular travelling became popular towards the end of the 1950s when presidents started using a Boeing 707 to travel abroad. In November, 1963 it took John F. Kennedy to Dallas, Texas. After the assassination of the president the body was taken back on the same plane in which Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as Kennedy's successor. In 1990 the old 707 was replaced by the 747 that is still in use today.