The big business jet, which Maduro reportedly used as his version of “Air Force One,” was flown by American officials from the Dominican Republic to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“This morning, the Justice Department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the United States for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a DOJ news release on Monday. 

DOJ said the plane was bought from an unnamed South Florida company. It is registered as T7-ESPRT, which is under the registry of the tiny landlocked country of San Marino, which is an independent state surrounded entirely by Italy in the northeastern area of the country. Registration data was not available from the San Marino authority. 

San Marino allows anyone from a “non-blacklisted country” to register an aircraft as long as they have a resident agent in the tiny country.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post U.S. Seizes Venezuelan ‘Air Force One’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Replacing a VC-25A

In 2015 the Air Force announced plans to replace the pair of Boeing 747-200Bs that have served the president of the United States since 1990 with two Boeing 747-8s. The Air Force designation for the 747-200B is VC-25A, with the “V” denoting a VIP/executive configuration and the “C” standing for cargo.

Government officials noted the cost of maintaining the systems on the aging airplanes, coupled with less efficient and environmentally friendly GE-CF6 engines, made their replacement necessary. The newer aircraft, VC-25Bs, feature more fuel-efficient engines and modern systems.

The price of the modified jet is in the billions and paid for by U.S. taxpayers. The cost has been a point of contention since December 2016 when then-President-elect Donald Trump took to social media to decry the expense at “more than $4 billion” and ended with the phrase “Cancel order!” This led to then-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg meeting with the incoming administration, and according to CNN, “promising to work to limit the cost of the new planes,” which it noted was actually $5 billion.

Normally, cost overruns are passed on to the U.S. taxpayers. But in 2018, Boeing, fearing a cancellation of the order, agreed to a fixed cost of $3.9 billion.

• READ MORE: Going with Glass: The Mother of All Panel Upgrades

The incoming administration wanted the aircraft to be ready by 2021, three years sooner than the planned delivery date. Boeing officials pointed out the aircraft, which, at the time, were in California undergoing the necessary modifications to serve as Air Force One and would require at least three years of flight testing before they could be delivered. In addition, it wanted a livery change, removing the robin’s-egg blue that has been on the aircraft since the John. F. Kennedy administration and replacing it with a dark blue and red stripe on the fuselage.

The COVID-19 pandemic shutting down factories and crippling global supply chains created further delays, which also added to the cost. In October 2023, CNN reported cost overruns on both aircraft had reached $1 million each.

In April 2023, current Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun was quoted by multiple sources saying the aerospace giant should not have signed the contract with the Air Force to produce the jets for $3.9 billion, calling the negotiation for the jets “a very unique set of risks Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken.”

In May 2023, the Air Force announced it was rejecting the color scheme because it would require additional engineering, as the dark blue paint would absorb more heat and could damage electrical components on board, and would have required additional testing for the FAA, again adding to the cost of the aircraft. In response, President Joe Biden ordered a return to the light blue that did not require additional testing.

As of press time, the aircraft were reportedly in California undergoing the test program. The Air Force, citing security concerns, would not give FLYING more details but did state that “flight testing is required to verify the aircraft meets airworthiness and mission-related requirements, and the Air Force and FAA use standard processes and protocols for testing this commercial-derivative aircraft.”

As far as alterations to the design go, the Air Force notes “the program has a defined set of requirements. While changes are possible, the goal is to minimize requirements changes.”

We’d Tell You, but…

Boeing points out the jets used by the president undergo a variety of Special Air Mission (SAM) modifications that include the ability to refuel in midair and an advanced telecommunications suite capable of air-to-air, air-to-ground, and satellite communications, not to mention a “super secret if we told you we’d have to kill you” security system.

• READ MORE: All Flight Jackets Tell a Story

The SAM aircraft are designed to be a self-sufficient “flying Oval Office,” complete with 4,000 square feet of interior floor space, quarters for the president and first spouse, conference and dining room, two galleys that can provide 100 meals at one sitting, office areas for senior

staff, including one that can convert into a medical facility if needed, and work and rest areas for the president’s staff, pilots and crew, and media representatives. In addition, unlike other 747s, Air Force One sports a self-contained baggage loader and front and aft stairs.

And those are just the details that aren’t classified.

Comparing the 747-200 and 747-8

• According to Boeing, the 747-8 emits 16 tons less carbon dioxide emissions than the 747-200.

• The 747-8 boasts a range of 7,730 nm miles, a gain of 995 miles.

• The cruise speed of the 747-8 is 0.855 Mach, making it the fastest commercial jet in the world.

• The maximum takeoff weight for the 747-8 is 987,000 pounds, a gain of 154,000 pounds.

• The wingspan of the 747-8 is 224 feet, 5 inches, a gain of 28 feet, 7 inches.

• The length of the 747-8 is 250 feet, 2 inches, making it a full 19 feet longer than its predecessor.

Presidents and Airplanes

Presidential aviation dates to 1910 when President Theodore Roosevelt took a flight in a Wright brothers biplane. He enjoyed the experience, calling it “the bulliest experience he ever had.”

The first sitting president to use an airplane as a mode of conveyance was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who in 1943 traveled to a World War II conference in Morocco aboard a Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat.

FDR also made use of a specially modified Douglas C-54 Skymaster, named Sacred Cow, that was equipped with a special lift to accommodate the disabled president and his wheelchair. This established a rule that the president flies on a dedicated presidential airplane.

At the end of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s second term, the Air Force opted to move from

propeller-driven aircraft to jets and ordered three Boeing 707s (VC-137As) designated SAM 970, 971, 972. At first, the jets had an orange nose. President John. F Kennedy commissioned the change in livery, resulting in the light blue and white paint job with the presidential seal that the aircraft have carried since.

The call sign Air Force One was adopted after a 1953 incident when a commercially operated Eastern Airlines flight, 8610, crossed paths with “Columbine II,” a Lockheed VC-121-ALO Constellation, designated Air Force 8610, that was carrying Eisenhower.

Today, any airplane that carries the president of the United States is designated as Air Force One.

Can We Track Air Force One on FlightAware?

FlightAware uses a combination of sources to track flights, including radar data, transponder signals, and position reports from air traffic control. Air Force One, like other aircraft, emits a unique transponder code that helps FlightAware identify and track its position.

It is worth noting that while FlightAware provides a wealth of information, there may be limitations on tracking Air Force One because of security concerns. The exact location of the aircraft may not be displayed in real time, as certain flights may be subject to temporary restrictions or blackouts.

This feature first appeared in the January-February 2024/Issue 945 of FLYING’s print edition.

The post Air Force One: The Next Generation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The visit came just days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale violent invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Biden’s journey marked the first such presidential visit to the country in 15 years, Zelenskyy said Monday. “And this is really the most important visit of the whole history of Ukraine-U.S. relationship,” he said.

The trip was historic and unprecedented for many reasons, including that Biden reportedly traveled into the war-torn country not by the presidential Boeing VC-25B Air Force One, but by train, according to reports. 

Lots of visible airborne support up adjacent to Ukraine during Biden’s visit to Kyiv, including multiple tankers/transports from various NATO partners, an RAF Rivet Joint, and USAF AWACS. pic.twitter.com/004aqB3pRV

— Iowa Airspace (@AirspaceIowa) February 20, 2023

“Unlike previous visits from Presidents to warzones, like Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. obviously does not have a military presence on the ground in Ukraine, which made a visit from a sitting President all the more challenging,” Kate Bedingfield, White House director of communications, said Monday.

Despite the logistical challenges, Biden “wanted to stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with Zelenskyy in the days before the anniversary as a reminder “that Kyiv still stands,” she said.

Logistics of Getting Into a War Zone

Biden’s trip has been in the works for months, and consisted of a small-scale traveling part, according to Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer. Those traveling with the president included a handful of close aides, a small medical team, a photographer, and his security detail. 

At least one print pool journalist was also traveling with Biden, according to officials.

According to the BBC, Biden departed the U.S. on Air Force One around 4:15 EST February 19, more than a day before a previously scheduled visit to Warsaw. “Biden then spent 10 hours on a train to get to Kyiv,” BBC reported.

Hours before his departure to Kyiv, the administration notified Russia that Biden would be traveling, “for deconfliction purposes,” Sullivan said. 

White House officials, however, were tight-lipped Monday about details of the train journey into the war zone.

“[G]iven that we’re allowing the trip to play out and finish out, we are holding back on some of those…mode of transportation details and other specific logistical details until the trip is fully complete,” Bedingfield said.

• READ MORE: Russia Loses ICAO Council Seat

“When Putin launched his invasion nearly one year ago, he thought Ukraine was weak and the West was divided,” Biden said in a statement Monday. “He thought he could outlast us. But he was dead wrong.”

The post Biden Makes Unprecedented Surprise Trip To Ukraine appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

What’s wrong with red, white, and blue? Reports by CNBC and Politico quote an unnamed Biden administration official who said the “Trump paint scheme” for the next generation of Boeing VC-25B presidential jets “is not being considered because it could drive additional engineering, time, and cost.” VC-25Bs are a military variant of Boeing’s 747-8 airliners.

• READ MORE: Future ‘Doomsday Plane’ Fleet Could Include Used 747s

U.S. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email to FLYING that “darker colors among other factors on the underside of the VC-25B aircraft might contribute to temperatures exceeding the current qualification limits of a small number of components.”

Trump proposed the new Air Force One colors in 2019, telling Fox News, “the baby blue doesn’t fit with us.” 

The classic white and two-tone blue livery dates back six decades to the Kennedy administration. 

Boeing is currently retrofitting two Boeing 747-8s as VC-25Bs that would serve as Air Force One when the president is on board. Delivery of those aircraft reportedly will be delayed by two or three years, the result of several factors. 

The White House did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment. 

Learn why Trump’s Boeing 757 is “like a bag of cheetos” https://t.co/liXAMLBP0n pic.twitter.com/kSh0rc8x6L

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) April 24, 2016

Coincidentally, Trump’s private Boeing 757 also sported a red, white, and blue livery. 

The post Report: Biden Won’t Use Trump’s AF-1 Colors appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Engineers have unveiled a full-scale concept mockup of a hypersonic jet, which could be developed in the future to serve as Air Force One.

The airplane—dubbed Quarterhorse—is being developed by Atlanta-based startup Hermeus, which revealed the mockup Thursday during an exclusive event at an undisclosed location attended by company executives, investors, and the U.S. Air Force.

The Air Force is supporting the Quarterhorse project with a jointly funded, $60 million contract to develop an unprecedented hypersonic jet that could serve multiple roles, including military executive transport. Flying at Mach 5—more than 3,000 mph—would shrink flight time from New York to Paris from a typical seven hours to just 90 minutes.

Funding for Quarterhorse is coming from various venture capital sources as well as the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, which manages aircraft used by the President of the United States. Air Force aircraft carrying the president are code named Air Force One while they’re on board.

The project is part of a new push by the Air Force and Space Force to connect with high-technology startups via the Strategic Financing (StratFI) program. The contract with Hermeus is the first project under StratFI.

Hermeus’ Design

Quarterhorse’s design includes repurposed General Electric J85 turbofan jet engines that would be combined with proprietary ramjet technology now being developed by Hermeus.

The GE J85 design dates back to the 1950s, when it was first used to power Northrop’s T-38 Talon trainer and F-5 Freedom Fighter fighter jet. It boasts an 8-to-1 thrust-to-weight ratio, and, according to GE, the Air Force and NASA expect to keep the J85 in operational service until at least 2040.

The Quarterhorse mockup unveiled Thursday is not meant to fly, but to simply be used as a full-scale model to help engineers further develop the platform. Nonetheless, Hermeus outfitted the mockup with a jet engine and ignited it during the event, filling the air with a deafening roar.

“When an aerospace company typically unveils a new aircraft it’s nothing more than Styrofoam and fiberglass,” said Skyler Shuford, founder and COO, during the event. “But at Hermeus, we drive to [develop] integrated products. And we really, really like to make fire.” He also said the aircraft was designed and manufactured in four months.

It’s All About The Engine

Success for the program hinges on Hermeus’ turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engine.

Hermeus has been testing its subscale TBCC engine at its sea level static facility in Atlanta. During testing, the turbojet starts at low power and transitions to maximum thrust. That’s followed by the firing of the engine’s ramburner, which reaches maximum thrust before transitioning back to the turbojet-only operating mode. A ramjet uses only its own high-speed forward motion to compress air for combustion.

The three-year military contract comes with benchmark goals, such as:

• Flight testing a reusable hypersonic propulsion system
• Developing, building, and testing three Quarterhorse concept jets
• Creating a payload integration guide for future Quarterhorse flight testing
• Providing wargaming inputs for use in Air Force strategic analysis tools

Last March, Hermeus announced it had signed an agreement with NASA to evaluate technological maturity and exchange subject matter expertise to be applied directly to Hermeus’ engine design.

By the end of the flight-test campaign, Quarterhorse will be the fastest reusable aircraft in the world and the first of its kind to fly a TBCC engine, according to Hermeus.

Ultimately, the aircraft could be developed for use as a hypersonic military surveillance platform as well as for passenger transportation, Hermeus said.

Hermeus plans to develop the new aircraft by using an “iterative, hardware-rich” approach. The startup said the first working Quarterhorse prototype could start flight tests as soon as next year.

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