What rank is the pilot of Air Force One?

Typically, they hold the rank of a Lieutenant-Colonel or Colonel, a position which requires 22 years of service in the USAF, if not more.

Is the pilot of Air Force One military?

Like all active duty USAAF personnel, Air Force One pilots operate under a military chain of command. They form a part of the Presidential Airlift Group (PAG), which operates within the 89th Airlift Wing of the USAAF Air Mobility Command.

What is the highest rank pilot?

The highest-ranking member of a flight crew and the commander of the aircraft is the captain. The captain usually has at least 3,000 hours of flying experience, sits in the left-hand seat, and is responsible for the aircraft, its crew, and all other occupants.

How do they choose the pilot for Air Force One?

Of the 1,000 military personnel who make up the 89th, there are 80 specially chosen pilots and 89 flight attendants. To be selected to fly Air Force One pilots must have a minimum of 2,500 hours of flying time and be experienced flying fighter jets or other military aircraft types.

Can the President pilot Air Force One?

Pilots require at least 2,500 flying hours in fighter jets or other military aircraft to be eligible to fly the presidential aircraft. According to Aircraft Compare, presidential pilots are often high-ranking Colonels or Lieutenant Colonels.

How to Become an Air Force One Pilot

What is the salary of the pilot of Air Force One?

Presidential pilots earn the same base salary as any other pilot with their rank and experience. According to the 2020 military pay charts, a pilot flying Air Force One would make somewhere in the region of $134,124 USD per year.

Can Air Force One shoot missiles?

Among other things, the plane is outfitted with electronic counter measures (ECM) to jam enemy radar. The plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course.

Does Air Force One get escorted by fighter jets?

Kenneth Walsh: No, it is actually very unusual for Air Force One to be escorted by fighter jets. On 9/11 there were fighter escorts almost all day -- especially after the initial hour or two, but it is rare. The reason is that it is considered too hazardous to fly fighter jets through heavily trafficked American skies.

How long can Air Force One stay in the air?

Flugzeuginfo.net notes that the range of a Boeing 747-200 is 12,700km - equating to a maximum of 14 hours of flight at cruising speed. Of course, the VC-25As are modified, and their range will vary slightly from this. Air Force One is rarely pushed to its limits without aerial refueling.

Is captain higher than pilot?

The Pilot in Command must hold the rank of Captain, and typically sits in the left seat. The second in command can be a First Officer or another Captain, and will occupy the right seat.

What are the Air Force ranks in order?

How do you address a pilot captain?

Commercial airline pilots are addressed as Captain, “sir”, or “ma'am”. Even if you see the First officer standing by to bid you farewell, it's not customary to address them as anything but these three. Military pilots are almost exclusively addressed according to their ranks.

Who protects Air Force One?

After that historic flight, FDR founded the Presidential Pilot Office, which is now known as the Presidential Airlift Group. This group is an official part of the White House Military office, and it is responsible for maintaining and operating Air Force One.

What is Air Force One called when the president is not on it?

Planes carrying the vice president are designated as. When VC-25A or the currently under development VC-25B are in the air but not carrying the president, air traffic controllers may refer to them by their tail numbers, Special Air Missions (SAM) 28000 and 29000, or by a call sign of their choosing.

Who is the pilot for Marine One?

Maj. Adam Horne completed his final flight as the pilot of Marine One, which is responsible for transporting the president and other top ranked officials to Air Force One and other missions, in May. He said it was never far from his mind that he had one of the most interesting, yet most responsible jobs on the planet.

How many bedrooms does Air Force One have?

Air Force One has a conference room, dining room, an Oval Office, a bedroom and bathroom for the president, as well as offices for senior staff members. The aircraft has a medical room and a separate operating room to handle medical emergencies.

How many Air Force Ones are there?

Since 1991 two such aircraft have been in service: identical Boeing 747-200B jumbo jets bearing the tail numbers 28000 and 29000 and the Air Force designation VC-25A. Air Force One, a Boeing 747 reserved for use by the president of the United States, flying over Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

How fast can Air Force One climb?

It can travel at a top speed of about 600 mph (965 km/h). That's almost the speed of sound. And during flight, Air Force One can reach a maximum altitude of 45,100 feet (13,750 m).

Does Marine One have a bathroom?

In addition, the green-and-white helicopters have electromagnetic-pulse protection in the event of a nuclear explosion. As a further protective measure, a decoy helicopter flies alongside Marine One. The relatively spacious interior, which can accommodate at least 14 passengers, includes a bathroom.

Does Air Force One have an operating room?

Air Force One includes a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is permanently on board. The plane's two food preparation galleys can feed 100 people at a time.

Can you track Air Force One?

According to FlightAware, the FAA does not make flight data from military aircraft — including Air Force One — available to public websites and will block the ability to track any aircraft after a verified request from the plane's owner.

Can Air Force 1 survive a nuclear bomb?

The aircraft can remain aloft for days and is designed to withstand the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast. It conducts routine training and readiness missions. At least one is kept on 24/7 readiness.

Does Air Force One have guns?

SIG-Sauer P226. The Secret Service Agents on Air Force One are armed mostly with SIG-Sauer P226 pistols. When the terrorists take over the plane, many of them also use these pistols; Ivan Korshunov carries a P226, which he is commonly seen using to threaten and/or execute hostages.

Is Marine One armed?

At Andrews, the helicopter is sometimes used to connect to Air Force One for longer journeys. Marine One is met on the ground by at least one Marine in full dress uniform (most often two, with one acting as an armed guard).