Obama's Last USAF 747 Flight

[aterpster]

RNP AR would have prevented this diversion. KPSP has two great RNP AR approaches. The only other approach is a 1950s VOR approach into a narrow valley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yZDTV4UCVwc

[Airbubba]

Are any B-742's RNP capable? I remember years ago an AWACS driver said there was state of the art navigation back in the cabin but only dials and needles in the cockpit.

Commerce Secretary Ron Brown's crash at Dubrovnik in 1996 revealed how primitive Air Force VIP transport instrumentation was back then. They were trying to shoot an NDB approach with two beacons and only one ADF receiver installed.

As a post-accident review observed:

The plane that carried Mr. Brown to his death could not have flown commercially in the United States because it would not have met civilian safety standards. The Air force has resisted meeting those standards. So the planes that fly Cabinet secretaries, lawmakers and the President's family to far-flung airports lack safety innovations pioneered by civilian manufacturers and the military itself. Dubrovnik's poorly equipped airport may be typical of the third world, but in many ways so was the 22-year-old plane.

The pilots were navigating with a compass and a radio receiver. Air Force generals called that equipment "primitive" and "rudimentary." A member of the unit that flies V.I.P.'s compared it to working with a typewriter in the computer age. The pilots of IFOR 21 had limited experience with the outmoded navigational system used to guide planes to the Dubrovnik airport.

DEADLY FLIGHT -- A special report.;In Crash That Killed Brown, Signs of Safety Shortcomings - The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/28/world/deadly-flight-special-report-crash-that-killed-brown-signs-safety-shortcomings.html)

SAM 28000 and sister ship 29000 are getting a little long in the tooth but even if the order is finalized today it will be years before a replacement arrives.

I found it interesting that there was a ramp freeze for former President Obama. Is this still normal once a President leaves office?

[JammedStab]

Too bad he couldn't make it in. It would have been nice to see video of a 747 circling in actual marginal weather.

[peekay4]

SAM 28000 and sister ship 29000 are getting a little long in the tooth but even if the order is finalized today it will be years before a replacement arrives.
Both are getting major avionics upgrades starting this fiscal year (after many years of planning / R&D) since the replacements aren't expected until 2024.

By the way, each full turn in that holding pattern cost taxpayers about $15,000 USD in operating costs. :}

[TowerDog]

By the way, each full turn in that holding pattern cost taxpayers about $15,000 USD in operating costs.

$15k for 5 minuttes?
That would be $180,000 per hour.
Sounds a bit excessive, where did you get this numbers from?

[what next]

That would be $180,000 per hour.

If you sum up the total cost of these state aircraft (not only in the US!), every-everything included (purchase, constant upgrades, planning, operations, crews, training, security, ground support, ....), and divide that by the number of hours flown, the actual cost must even be higher than that figure.

[peekay4]

@TowerDog

National Taxpayers Union - Presidential Travel & Costs to Taxpayers (http://www.ntu.org/foundation/detail/presidential-travel-costs-to-taxpayers-april-snapshot)

In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by Judicial Watch, the Air Force reported that the FY 2016 cost per flight hour for the AF1 is $180,118.

[racedo]

Probably not his last USAF 747 flight..................... I can see Presidential courtesy being extended when one or both of the current 90 year old ex Presidents passes away.

[Airbubba]

Anyway, the Obamas rode to the Virgin Islands yesterday on Richard Branson's Falcon 900EX, M-VGAL.

This article includes a selfie by some interior designer and his husband riding on 'Air Force One' while it 'circled' at Palm Springs, sounds like an entourage was aboard SAM 44:

Barack and Michelle Obama arrive in British Virgin Islands | Daily Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4150442/Barack-Michelle-Obama-arrive-British-Virgin-Islands.html)

[aterpster]

Airbubba:

Anyway, the Obamas rode to the Virgin Islands yesterday on Richard Branson's Falcon 900EX, M-VGAL.

That airframe is OEM qualified for RNP AR. But, then the operator has to jump through all the qualification hoops. Being a Branson operation, I suspect that has been done.

So, when the Obama's return to KPSP the RNP AR approaches will likely be available. And, unlike SAM44, KTRM would be a viable alternate.

[peekay4]

This article includes a selfie by some interior designer and his husband riding on 'Air Force One' while it 'circled' at Palm Springs, sounds like an entourage was aboard SAM 44

He is (was) the White House interior designer. And that husband of his is none other than The Honorable James Costos, US Ambassador to Spain. Obama's trip to Palm Springs was to visit their home.

[India Four Two]

aterpster,

Thanks for posting that fascinating link. I was surprised that they were making a VOR approach and even more surprised to hear they were planning a circling approach. Why would they take that risk? The wind was quite light.

The communications were much more casual than I expected. I had assumed they would be by-the-book.

Finally, I wonder how the ground transportation was organized. Did the vehicles at Palm Springs make a high-speed dash over the 50 miles to March or were there standby vehicles at March?

[peekay4]

The approach is VOR-B, so technically it's all circling.

They may have requested the circle to 13R so they can continue the approach all the way to the MAP, vs. having to make a decision well short of the MAP for a straight in 31L landing.

[Airbubba]

He is (was) the White House interior designer. And that husband of his is none other than The Honorable James Costos, US Ambassador to Spain. Obama's trip to Palm Springs was to visit their home.

Thanks, I think you mean he is the former U.S. Ambassador to Spain. ;)

The communications were much more casual than I expected. I had assumed they would be by-the-book.

Finally, I wonder how the ground transportation was organized. Did the vehicles at Palm Springs make a high-speed dash over the 50 miles to March or were there standby vehicles at March?

Sounds like pretty normal U.S. domestic comms to me. Unfortunately some of these folks sound just as casual when they go overseas, it causes confusion in my opinion.

SAM 44 stayed in holding for quite a while. All the brass at the Pentagon were coming back from the inauguration parade and getting ready for the balls, maybe they had to find someone to make a decision on where to go. March AFB is a reserve base but a KC-10 did land while SAM 44 was in holding so the base was open.

I had the same question about the ground ops. President-elect Trump had to divert from landing at Fayetteville, North Carolina to Raleigh-Durham due to weather on December 6 and the Secret Service had to scramble to get ground vehicles to RDU. He was in N757AF, callsign TYSON ONE and the Fayetteville ILS was NOTAM'ed out of service.

[peekay4]

Thanks, I think you mean he is the former U.S. Ambassador to Spain. ;)

Nope, still the current one -- Trump hasn't replaced him, yet. :p

SAM 44 stayed in holding for quite a while. All the brass at the Pentagon were coming back from the inauguration parade and getting ready for the balls, maybe they had to find someone to make a decision on where to go. March AFB is a reserve base but a KC-10 did land while SAM 44 was in holding so the base was open.

Due to Murphy's Law, there was a power outage at the base so they were still in recovery mode, which probably contributed to the delay. Pretty exciting day for the base commander. :}

[Airbubba]

Nope, still the current one -- Trump hasn't replaced him, yet. :p

Your are right that he hasn't been replaced but he resigned, in accordance with long standing political appointee custom, effective January 20, 2017. :=

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Costos

[peekay4]

Hmm, you're right. Surprising; The requirement for resignations with no extensions is not in accordance with long standing political custom:

NYT | In Break With Precedent, Obama Envoys Are Denied Extensions Past Inauguration Day (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/05/us/politics/trump-ambassadors.html?_r=0)

[Spooky 2]

I suspect that the crew knew well in advance that their alternate would have been March AFB and there would have been some preliminary preps taken for that possibility. If you think back at the US positioning staff all over the world in the event of an unscheduled re-entry of one of the Apollo space ships, your in the right mind set regarding mission planning in the 89th. NOTHING is left to chance.


As far as being RNP approach capable I would have thought it possible as well. There was an AF1 pilot who frequently posted on several websites with questions about RNP/AR issues and progress in that field. Obviously his identity was not known to others. Unfortunately he passed away recently from cancer. A tragic loss for all.

[Spooky 2]

AF One has a hybrid glass cockpit. Think of early 737-300's and your in the ball park.

[tdracer]

The stuff in front of the pilots on AF1 is basically the same as on a 747-300 (which isn't far removed from the 747-200).
There is a fourth flight deck position - behind and slightly to the left of the left seat pilot - that has a glass display somewhat similar to a PFD. However landing in marginal conditions, based on what the guy behind you is seeing, would be rather sporty...
The two AF1 747s are relatively young hours/cycles wise, but getting up there in calendar years (IIFC delivered in 1990 and 1991).

[Spooky 2]

I doubt that either of these 747's have more than 10,000 hours on them.

[Airbubba]

AF1 recently had one of its periodic 'near miss' incidents at PBI:

Investigators Probing Plane That Got Too Close to Air Force One, Sources Say
by Alan Levin

‎February‎ ‎8‎, ‎2017‎ ‎11‎:‎25‎ ‎AM‎ ‎EST ‎February‎ ‎8‎, ‎2017‎ ‎11‎:‎48‎ ‎AM‎ ‎EST

U.S. aviation investigators are probing an incident in which a private plane and President Donald Trump’s aircraft flew closer than was permitted, three people familiar with the event said.

The two aircraft got to about 2 nautical miles from each other over Florida on Feb. 3. Planes under the supervision of air-traffic controllers are supposed to stay at least 3 nautical miles from each other near airports and as far as 5 nautical miles apart at higher altitudes.

The people, who asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to talk about the case, said that there was no risk of collision as the planes were flying on parallel courses.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-08/investigators-said-to-probe-plane-too-close-to-air-force-one

This is sort of a perennial news story, for example:

Second 'Near-Miss' Involving Air Force One

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Jan. 30, 1998) -- While a reported "near miss" Wednesday involving Air Force One and a Delta airliner remains under investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed another plane may have come even closer to the president's plane than the original one in question.

The FAA reports the Delta plane and Air Force One never came closer than the minimum separation standard of 3.0 nautical miles horizontally or 1,000 feet vertically. However, radar information from National Airport indicates that 14 seconds before the original "near miss" under investigation, a U.S. Airways flight appears to have violated the minimum separation standard.

Preliminary radar analysis indicates that in turning Air Force One to the southwest to provide separation from the Delta aircraft at approximately 9:16 a.m. ET, the proper separation was not maintained with the U.S. Airways aircraft which had been told to begin a circling maneuver in preparation for approach to National Airport. The two aircraft were separated at their closest point by 900 feet vertically and 2.36 nautical miles horizontally.

Second 'Near-Miss' Involving Air Force One - 01-30-98 (http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/30/faa/)

At about 2:13 in this PSP ATC video posted earlier, SAM 44 seems to miss a turn in holding. The controller tells SAM 44 to make it a tight turn if possible to the south:

https://youtu.be/yZDTV4UCVwc?t=133

A less edited version of the discussion occurs at 9:12 in this clip, the controller gives Hawker N8888H a heading of 310 and later apologizes at 10:05 saying SAM 44 came north instead of making the turn to hold southeast at Thermal:

http://archive-server.liveatc.net/kpsp/KPSP2-Jan-20-2017-2330Z.mp3

Are these AF1 guys still holding with an HSI, a heading bug and round dials in 2017? :confused:

[Dorf]

What's their equipment suffix?

[Spooky 2]

We could tell you but then we would have kill you:) I believe UAL does most if not all of their flight planning.