Air Force One 747 at YBBN ?
 

I flew out of Brisbane on Thursday, and saw what looked like the Air Force One 747 parked towards the south of the airport. Was just wondering if anyone knows what its doing there ? I thought it would be in sydney for a quick getaway ?

cheers

Air Force 2
 

It is sitting there powered up for a 2 min getaway, crew in place, 24/7. Doubt the engines are running but definately powered up ready to start. Just a backup, guess it makes sense to have some redundancy not at the same airport.

Saw an article on the tele about it yesterday and it was pretty cool. No one allowed within 100m of it and ready to go anywhere at any time. Inflight refuelling and it also acts as a back up communications centre to Air Force One if it's comms gets screwed with. They made it sound like the 2 74's fly around in the vicinity of each other whereever the POTUS goes.

The other one is parked at Richmond RAAF Base, in plain view for anyone driving between Windsor to Richmond to see.
Maybe the guys from Chaser should've tried this,
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eP0iSJQLfJ4
Regards,
BH.

The primary is parked up the slot at the Mascot Jetbase.......hidden from all roads !

triple redundancy.......

With an entourage of 670 bodies you need a few airframes.

Edited to add - 1 man, US President, George W Bush will visit Sydney, Australia, for 5 days. He will travel in Air Force One which will be one of 3 747 Jumbo jets his entourage will fly in. A further 5 transport aircraft will accompany the Jumbos, carrying 2 helicopters (including Marine One, his official chopper), more than 20 motor vehicles including 1 ambulance 2 Presidential limousines, and 18 secret service and other vehicles.

I'll never complain about the missus packing heavy again on a trip.

I guess it needs to be explained once more.

"Air Force One" and "Air Force Two" are not aircraft, they are radio callsigns. They can be used by any aircraft in the USAF fleet carrying the President or Vice President respectively.

The two VC-25's which use these callsigns are known as SAM 28000 and SAM 29000 when not carrying the appropriate VIP.

Where both of them are away on the same trip one will be Air Force One only when the President of the USA is on board, if he's not on board it will be SAM28000 or SAM29000. The one not carrying the President will always be SAM2x000.

So...Air Force 2 is not sitting there all powered up, SAM 2x000 is.

I think I read somewhere that an E4B is parked at Brisbane. A 747 platform but I think used by the Secretary for Defence?

Is it true that thr RNZAF VIP 757 is called Shepherd 1??? Or did I just make that up?

Yes thats right Buster and the entire aircraft is decked out with 100% deep pile wool carpet and all the seats have sheepskin covers.

They even have a sheep dip down the back..it's called a spa tub and it has ramps for easy access.

The crew wear gum boots and the chief F/A name is Barbaraaaaaa.

Leg of lamb is always on the menu.....

The NZ's PM has a secret service detail of 6 kelpies.......:E

One VC-25a at Mascot, and one at Richmond.

The 747 in Brisbane is an E4b National Emergency Aiborne Command Post (Kneecap). It's the original so-called 'doomsday plane'.

Anyone got any pics yet?

What makes you so sure he wasn't on board?

Maybe he was taking Little Johnny for a spin around the block.

AF 1 & 2 ( or things that look like it) are at Richmond as i type. Same with i think the Canadian a310. saw it this morning.

Probably because Sydney Airport fees are too high? :}

Unless Dick Cheney is in Australia, Air Force 2 is nowhere near Richmond.

USAF fact sheet on VC-25

Boeingmad,

Maybe they used that c/s at YSSY simply for clarity? That is, a) it's easier/quicker to say 'Air Force One' than 'Reach 29000'; b) it's seen/known by millions as AF1, so to others on the field, they'll see a blue 747 and identify it as 'AF1' rather than 'Reach 29000'. Sounds like it might've been positioning up to RIC?

I'd suggest the USAF 747 at YBNE would be a E-4 Kneecap. It's be white with a navy cheat-line, and a hump behind the hump (:confused:), rather than with the sky-blue and gold colours of the VC-25s.

Prolly lots of C-17s, C-5s and KC-10s parked around the traps as well, supporting the POTUS drop-in.

What did Putin fly in on?

Actually, Shepherd 1 is the callsign for aircraft on which tte pope is aboard.

WilliamOK. What did Putin fly in on?

Ruslan An 124

Looked like an Il-96 on the news.....but it's been a while since I was up to speed on my Ruski airliners.

Just to go on a slight tangient. I remember seeing photos of the Russian Presidential Il-96 a while back. I managed to dig up a link for those who are interested. http://www.englishrussia.com/?p=613


A320

Sorry Peter, just copying a nickname one of the crew gave it.
 

Air Force II was the name affectionately use by one of the crew members, was just trying to help someone out with some info.

In fact you need to be corrected, and aircraft is not named by any of its call sign’s, they are simply call signs, but as a back up, to which is a roll it is currently sitting in, it is an apt description. And in fact if it was called out for the reason it is sitting there for, who knows what call sign it would go under, probably “Air force I” because it was on a dedicated presidential role.

PS if you need further tutoring PM me and we'll have a glass of milk together, I am sure you are more polite when your sitting next to me.

If the spare aircraft is needed to step in for the assigned aircraft it will be referred to as SAM (Not REACH as that's an Air Mobility Command callsign) 28000 or SAM 29000 until such time as the President steps aboard.

Back in 1974 when Nixon resigned he was being flown home on Air Force One for the last time and shortly after the appointed time when his letter of resignation was read by Henry Kissenger the crew of Air Force One made the following request of ATC.

"Kansas city this is former Air Force One, please change our call sign to SAM27000."

The man onboard was no longer president and the aircraft, mid-flight, was therefore no longer deemed "Air Force One."

So you see they do take the use of the call sign quite seriously.

This quote from one of the many web sites reporting the incident:

There are rumours that the US Govt forced Ecko into the story to save them the embarrassment, but in any case, and just like a good percentage of the Chaser stuff, this video is also likely a fake.

Helen only uses the kelpies because of the equine influenza. She blends in better with horses than dogs.

Putin uses a IL96 which I have heard is in Sydney. A whole heap of back-up aircraft came along too, mostly IL62s and a IL76 freighter which are all parked at another airport.

Sultan of Brunei: 747-400...

Pres Hu Jintao 747-400...

How about Pres Yudyono of Indonesia? What did he bring? I know that back in the 90s Suharto favoured the DC10 until Garuda smacked one in at Fukuoka, then went to MD11, as if the airframe, not the pilot was somehow at fault.

Garuda A330

As for Brisbane... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pPIoI_i7drI

The video is obviously a fake.

First glance at the plane in the video is enough to see that it is not a VC-25.

The clue......lack of various antennae along the top

If you read the disclaimer on his website it tells you that it was staged.

Just to clarify....
The presidential B747-200 at Brisbane IS the E-4 Kneecap airplane.
Just as an aside..do all of these airplanes have EWSP (and maybe DIRCM) fitted?
Anyone know...?
Cheers...FD...:)

Heard from a refueller in brissy that the plane parked there has the number 4 engine running 24/7 and needs topping up with fuel daily. Also a number of crew are living on the a/c.