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See also: Transportation of the president of the United States
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

This is a list of official vehicles of the president of the United States, past and present.

State vehicles

Main article: Presidential state car (United States)

Yachts

Aircraft

Although "Air Force One" is commonly used to refer to the president's primary aircraft, the designation is, strictly speaking, a call sign used to identify any U.S. Air Force aircraft the president is aboard, rather than the name of a particular aircraft. (See below.)

Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an aircraft while in office. In January 1943 he flew in a Pan American Airways Boeing 314 flying boat, named Dixie Clipper, to Casablanca to meet with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. It was soon realized that the president would need a dedicated aircraft and a C-54 transport was converted serve as the presidential aircraft and named Sacred Cow. Roosevelt made only one trip in the Sacred Cow. That was to the Yalta Conference in February 1945 to meet with Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to make plans for the reconstruction of Europe after the impending Allied victory.

Aircraft used as the primary presidential aircraft:

  • Sacred Cow, VC-54C used by presidents Roosevelt and Truman from 1945 to 1947.
  • Independence, VC-118 (46-0505) used by presidents Truman and Eisenhower from July 1947 to May 1953. Used as a VIP transport from 1953 until retired in 1965.
  • Columbine II, VC-121A (48-0610) used by Presidents Truman and Eisenhower from November 1952 to November 1954. First presidential aircraft to use the call sign "Air Force One". Retired in 1959.
  • Columbine III, VC-121E (53-7885) used by President Eisenhower from 1954 to 1961. Retired in 1966.
  • SAM 970, VC-137A/B (58-6970) used by presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy from 1959 to 1962. One of three VIP aircraft in service from 1959 to 1996 to transport senior government officials.
  • VC-118A (53-3240) used by presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961 to 1969 for short range trips and to access smaller airports.
  • SAM 26000, VC-137C (62-6000) used by presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon from 1962 to 1972. Retired in 1998.
  • SAM 27000 (Spirit of '76), VC-137C (72-7000) used by presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H. W. Bush from 1972 to 1990. Retired in 2001.
  • SAM 28000, VC-25A (82-8000) used by presidents George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden from 1990 to the present. Its sister aircraft, SAM 29000 (82-9000), serves as the primary backup presidential aircraft.

(The dates shown above are the dates when the aircraft was used as the primary presidential aircraft. Most were retained in service for several years after the dates shown.)

Other presidential aircraft

In addition to the above, a number of other aircraft have been used by presidents for trips of short duration. Below is a listing of aircraft types assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing for use by, or in support of, the president or other senior government officials.

Currently in service

  • C-20C – A military variant of the Gulfstream III, upgraded and with secure communications, often utilized as backup aircraft accompanying the VC-25A aircraft when it is operating as Air Force One [5]
  • C-32 – Four C-32As, a military variant of the ( Boeing 757-200), were acquired in 2002 (98-0001, 98-0002, 99-0003 and 99-0004), three more in 2010 (09-0015, 09-0016, 09-0017) and an additional one in 2019 (19-0018).
  • C-40B – Two C-40Bs (01-0040 and 01-0041), a military variant of the Boeing 737-700C have been in service since 2002.
  • C-37A – Three C-37As (one delivered in 2005 and two in 2006 with tail numbers 99-0404, 01-0027 and 01-0028), a military variant of the Gulfstream V, are currently in service.
  • C-37B - Three C-37Bs (18-1942, 18-1947 and 20-1941) are currently in service.

Formerly in service

  • VC-118A (53-3240) – A military variant of the Douglas DC-6, in service from 1947 to 1965. Used to access airfields with shorter runways.
  • U-4B – Two Aero Commander U-4Bs (55-4647 and 55-4648) were in presidential service from 1956 to 1960. Retired in 1977.
  • VC-137A/B – Three VC-137A/Bs (58-6970, 58-6971 and 58-6972), a military variant of the Boeing 707, were in service from 1959 to 1996. These were the first jet aircraft used to transport the president of the United States and also provided transportation to very senior government officials (i.e. first ladies, vice presidents and secretaries of state) during their service.
  • VC-137C – Four VC-137Cs, a military variant of the Boeing 707, were acquired in 1962 (62-6000), 1972 (72-7000), 1985 (85-6973) and 1987 (85-6974) respectively and served to the early 2000s. The two acquired in 1962 (62-6000) and 1972 (72-7000) served respectively as the primary presidential aircraft until the acquisition of two VC-25As in 1990.
  • VC-140B – Six VC-140Bs (61-2488, 61-2489, 61-2490, 61-2491, 61-2492 and 61-2493), a military variant of the Lockheed JetStar, were in service from the early 1960s to the 1980s.
  • VC-6A - One VC-6A (66-7943), a Beechcraft King Air B90, was used to transport President Johnson between Bergstrom Air Force Base and his family ranch near Johnson City, Texas from 1964 to 1969.
  • Boeing VC-135B - Five VC-135 aircraft (62-4125, 62-4126, 62-4127, 62-4129 and 62-4130), converted from KC-135 tankers, were in service with the 89th MAW from 1968 to 1992. All were converted to other configurations.
  • VC-9C – Three VC-9Cs (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683), a military variant of the McDonnell Douglas C-9, were in service from the 1976 to 2011.


The president and other senior executives have also frequently made use of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane outfitted with "comfort pallets" to provide basic amenities while travelling into war zones undercover with normal non-prioritzed call signs so not to draw attention to the fact that a high value target is in the area. [6] [7] [8] C-17's also typically proceed presidential travel by bringing the presidential limousine, Marine One, and other United States Secret Service vehicles and equipment to an area for a visit. [9]

Call signs

The following air traffic control call signs designate aircraft transporting the president:

Rail cars

  • United States (1865), constructed in 1863 and 1864. Abraham Lincoln never used the "elaborately appointed" car. [10] After his assassination, his body was transported to Springfield, Illinois in it.
  • Ferdinand Magellan (1943–1958, 1984), used by presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. President Reagan used it for his whistlestop tour across Ohio in 1984.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Joan Wenner. "Presidential Yachts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 1, 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  2. ^ "John F. Kennedy Fast Facts: Honey Fitz (Boat)". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "John F. Kennedy Fast Facts: Manitou (Boat)". John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  4. ^ "History". manitouyacht.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 14, 2011.
  5. ^ Graff, Garrett (2 May 2017). "The President's Secret Air Force". Politico. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. ^ Martinez, Luis (April 26, 2006). "Rumsfeld's Travels: Taking the 'Silver Bullet' to Iraq". ABC News. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. ^ Rogoway, Tyler (September 29, 2017). "Mattis Used The USAF's Flying Airstream Trailer "Silver Bullet" Pod On Afghanistan Trip". The Drive. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  8. ^ Tirpak, John A. (July 21, 2008). "About Those Luxury Pallets". Air Force Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  9. ^ Rodgers, Lucy (2 December 2019). "Donald Trump's UK visit: What's he bringing with him?". BBC. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. ^ Weber, Tom; Kaiser, Emily (July 6, 2015). "How Lincoln's funeral train car perished in Minnesota". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
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