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I'm sort of surprised that there aren't always fighters 'lingering' around AF1 at all times, to be honest. Unless they would somehow interfere with some of the countermeasures that the plane employed, of course.
AF1 is never alone. That's all I have to say about that.😉
I get the feeling you could tell us more, but then you’d have to kill us?
Notice how some of us don’t have much to say other than things like what plow just threw down…?
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?????
Not sure what you mean.
They use drones and also a secret recon aircraft.
It's been many moons since I worked on AF1 but I'd imagine it's still very well protected.
As far as this "gift" of a 747 to be the new AF1...that whole deal is farcical. The "airframe" is the cheapest part of the whole deal. The cost to gut that thing down to a tube and install all the crap that goes into an AF1 will be far more than the new ones already being built.
You have to remember, the big brains at DARPA are constantly coming up with crazy shit that simply MUST be installed...which is where 90% of those cost "overruns" come from.
When AF1 is in the air…it’s the center-piece of a secure operation that has soooooo many levels of protection…allllllll around it and extended beyond comprehension.
About the Qatari 747…
It’s a special build 747 from their BBJ program, hence the BBJ livery, and it has many of the “security features” required for the VC25 fleet. We all do realize it been built to provide secure and very luxurious accommodations for the Royal Family of Qatar…right?
But, no worries. I don’t want to interrupt another “CNNABCCBSNBCMSNBC” clusterfuck of the minions. 🤣
Come on, Manny, you’re reaching. Unless Trump completely waives security protocols there is no way, and I mean no way, the DoD accepts that jet as-is. Nothing to do with the media, everything to do with national security and protecting highly valued assets. No aircraft in US history will undergo greater scrutiny, and for good reason. Well, maybe that MiG that landed in Japan is a close second.
Fascinating that you worked on AF1. That’s so cool!
I was stationed at Offutt AFB. SAC headquarters...I couldn't believe how much crap is in those planes. I "specialized" in the Trailing Wire Antenna system. 5 miles of Antenna on a spool.
There can’t be a huge group that can claim they worked on AF1!🇺🇸
I loved working on Boeing stuff...it just makes sense. The only thing I hated is the hydraulic fluid...they use Skydrol in AF1. It has a higher flash point but that shit is nasty. It strips paint and turns rubber (think tires) to goo.
Holy crap! That stuff sounds intense😳
After I retired, I turned down jobs based on whether the aircraft used Skydrol or not. It is hideous stuff.
Some extraordinary people on thus site hidden by an avatar and screen name.
No one said,"As is"...WTF? Is someone gettin' high in here? 😳
The point: it's already a long way into a VC25 build...especially when compared to the Boeing LACK OF PROGRESS on the current order for TWO VC25s! 🤪
"it's already a long way into a VC25 build"
You never know what the Qataries have added, all the electronics and wiring would need to be replaced, L3Harris would be starting from scratch, it would take years to convert.
Pit Row
Wow!
I’m amazed at some of the people on this forum. Respect.
Exactly. Security parameters mandate a complete rebuild. Bad scenario: covert intel-gathering equipment. Worst scenario: on-command failure of critical flight control systems.
How much trust do we have in the Qataris? Answer is: not much. DoD will assume the worst.
I dont wanna get into this tit-for-tat going on here about the freebie airplane, but there is NO WAY Id take that plane from a foreign country and use it for any mission critical assignments. No fricking way. I don care how many A&Ps climb all though it.
Nope.
Obviously, the first thing to check is the Fetzer valve.
It might be useful for spare parts, for the 2 planes Boeing is building.
I agree, Skydrol is the worst! Got a tiny drop in my eye working on a KC-10 and it brought me to my knees. Just horrible stuff.
Yep, static display in his presidential library.
Just like Reagan's.
The more I think about it..the more I understand Trump wanting this plane. I'm sure it's a blinged out sumbitch being a "Royal" transport.
It don't need anything but air in the tires and gas. Rock on dude.
Any airframe will have to be “Zero’d out”…totally gone thru. This one just happens to be perfect rolling stock for a VC build and a lot do the infrastructure for L3’s systems are already in place.
The security issues remain no matter where the airframe comes from. All the while…raising an eyebrow due to where this bird came form is merely common sense.
In the end, I can see this aircraft going into a supporting roll or secondary aircraft (they use a/c for flying the rear of the “entourage” and even those a/c are gettin’ old.
Hell, they need to replace the entire E4 fleet and there are a few other uses for the 47 airframe in the U.S. services..including monitoring space ops and other comm’s.
As was discussed from the onset…they’ll find a use…and this is really about just how bad Boeing sucks as of late.
🤣
Imagine the blingiest aircraft ever. Now multiply that by 10. There’s the jet!
Trump should park it til he leaves the WH. Those DoD boys will attack it like that sedan in “The French Connection”!
I don't think Boeing is alone in putting bean counting talking heads in charge of an engineering business. It worked until they ran out reputation and realized everyone sitting around the big table didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground.
I have worked for Raytheon, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman and they've all done it. They start to believe that their big Ole paycheck means they know what they're doing. All it means is that they were better back stabbers than their peers. Rinse and repeat.
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