[custom_adv] As a frequent flyer, the president of the United States deserves relief from typical travel nuisances like baggage fees and shoe removal in security lines. Access to the Air Force One plane, however, is the ultimate travel perk, based on facts we know about this flying fortress of freedom. [custom_adv] The president's life is far from normal, from ordering at a restaurant to remaining under the watchful eye of the Secret Service, but the way the commander-in-chief travels is especially removed from the rest of the public's experiences. [custom_adv] Air Force One, which is the name given to any aircraft the president flies on, received its official call sign after a near-collision with a commercial airliner in December 1953. [custom_adv] Over the years, the US government has steadily added more and more features to Air Force One's interior, outfitting it with everything from a specially designed staircase to an in-flight medic. To say this plane is loaded is an understatement. [custom_adv] Air Force One is a flying nuclear shelter. The plane has such heavily reinforced armor that it's actually capable of withstanding a nuclear blast. [custom_adv] The idea of designating specific military aircraft to transport the President arose in 1943, when officials of the United States Army Air Forces, the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force, became concerned over the reliance on commercial airlines to transport the president. [custom_adv] A C-54 Skymaster was then converted for presidential use; this aircraft, dubbed the Sacred Cow, carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference in February 1945 and was subsequently used for another two years by President Harry S. Truman. [custom_adv] Although ‘Air Force One’ can describe any Air Force aircraft carrying the President, it is now standard practice to use the term to refer to specific planes equipped to transport the Commander-in-Chief. [custom_adv] The President of the United States must be ready to travel anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice. Fortunately, modern Presidents have access to a variety of transportation options — including flying aboard Air Force One. [custom_adv] Technically, Air Force One is used to describe any Air Force aircraft carrying the President — but since the middle of the 20th century, it has been standard practice to refer to specific planes that are equipped to transport the Commander-in-Chief. [custom_adv] Today, this name refers to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000. The Air Force designation for the aircraft is VC-25A.
