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AF1

taxi1 said:
I hope he takes it and uses it. Just put a StarLink antenna on the roof, run a 1MW bluetooth server on the floor connected to all onboard devices, and install an air-to-air TACAN set to here-I-am mode. Maybe trail a Trump 2028 banner.
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Hey, what’s this little black shiny thing in the base of all the lamps on board? Looks like some kind of dolls-eye or lens. Also, why is outgoing data channel 3 always on and transmitting? None of our guys seem to know how to access it.

Eh, never mind. It must be good since our Qatari friends gave it to us gratis, right? We’re clean on OPSEC, go ahead with the updated nuclear launch codes…
 
BDR529 said:
I thought they already had two -8 airframes in progress to replace the current AF1 rigs. IIRC they're like already 2-3 years into that massive overhaul project with a few more yet to go?
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They procured the two 747-800 airframes in 2017 -- 8 years ago -- and currently project the first will be operational in 2027 and the second in 2029. That's 10 to 12 years to do the job. And I wouldn't even put your money that they'll be done on time.
 
Griz882 said:
Yeah, that’s rather soft legal soil. Set aside the monetary aspect, how will the aircraft be hardened for POTUS use? I don’t know much about the internal workings of AF1, but I’ll bet there are a few secret squirrel items in there...
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Brett327 said:
If this even comes to pass, all of the required modifications will be done at US government expense, just in time for inauguration day in 2029.
Yeah seems totally reasonable to convert this airplane sometime in the next 24-36 months...
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JTS11 said:
I'm totally ignorant of this shit, but it's prob hard to take a basic 747-8 and rewire it and have it bristling with all the comm/defensive shit, right? My uninformed opinion would be it would not occur in his term, but like you said, best case scenario is a few months-to a year?
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TacticalTater said:
I don't know for an AF1 level, but I have worked on several 747 VVIP configurations and going from a shell to fully configured; typical timelines was 24 to 36 month and that was just to make boardrooms, bedrooms, offices. With SNC doing the work I would say easily x2 on that estimate for military use.
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In order to convert the airframe in question into a fully capable and compliant VC-25 'Air Force One' it would likely take just as long, likely longer, than it is taking for the two VC-25B airframes Boeing is working on right now (two 747-8's that were sold originally to a Russian airline then parked in the desert after they didn't take delivery). From what little info that has trickled out it looks like the plan is to get this one converted by the end of the year. What would that mean? It would almost certainly be the most basic of conversions to make it an 'Air Force One', and likely much less capable than the current VC-25A's that the President uses now.

I am not familiar with the details of what was/is needed to make an Air Force One but from what anyone can find out by enough searching online and what I know about other airframes modified for military use, there are numerous upgrades from comms to survivability along with extensive defense equipment and mods to ensure completely independent ops. The very long laundry list of requirements is the main reason it is taking so long to get the new VC-25B's done. There were a lot of hard lessons learned about communications, command and control shortcomings on 9/11 that led to years of upgrades on the current VC-25A's that likely cost tens if not hundreds of millions of $ to get done. Money that was appropriated by Congress BTW.

So if this bird sitting in San Antonio right now is to become an Air Force One in the next few months it will likely be done without going through the regular appropriations, procurement, upgrade or certification process that any military aircraft goes through, much less a 'VC' bird. As for it being 'fake news', denial ain't just a river in Africa and notably it is also not something the Administration has issued on this matter.
 
Has any of his staff or advisors ever told him that this shit is inappropriate?

1st term:

2nd term:

I guess like the 747-8 gift from Qatar, does anyone care? It's gross, and whoever let all these spectacles happen should be fired.

Thoughts?
 
JTS11 said:
Has any of his staff or advisors ever told him that this shit is inappropriate?
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This actually reminds me of when some on this forum were lamenting how low Obama bowed to a certain foreign leader in 2009.

Back then, I noted that Obama wasn't the first president to do this, and so the outrage expressed in the thread was a bit off base. I can't really find a precedent of past presidents saluting foreign military officials, but there are so many outrageous things this POTUS has done that violating some supposed White House protocol just barely registers for me.
 
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Mos said:
This actually reminds me of when some on this forum were lamenting how low Obama bowed to a certain foreign leader in 2009.

Back then, I noted that Obama wasn't the first president to do this, and so the outrage expressed in the thread was a bit off base. I can't really find a precedent of past presidents saluting foreign military officials, but there are so many outrageous things this POTUS has done that violating some supposed White House protocol just barely registers for me.
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Fair enough...now I need @sevenhelmet to weigh in though, bc you put my post under his header. 😄
 
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