RAF pilot is to become first non-American to fly Air Force One

[hunterboy]

So as far as getting the opportunity to fly AF one, an RAF Officer holding dual citizenship would probably be in a good position I would have thought ?

[Fortissimo]

Has anyone stopped to wonder whether this Sunday Express piece (rapidly copied by the DM!) is accurate? I would have expected comment from MOD or the RAF but do not see one in the article, and a journalist claiming a "senior source" does not mean the source is actually senior.

Does anyone recall another recent example of a wg cdr exchange flying appointment? The exchange system is balanced by rank and role; as the name implies, it is a 2-way exchange, so presumably we will see a USAF LTC coming to fly here. And all exchange posts are established on the basis that there is some technical or operational knowledge and experience to be gained that will benefit both parties (forces). It all seems a little odd given the consistent 'America first' pronouncements over the last 4 years when this scheme was apparently being developed.

If it is true, it's good news, and I hope the selected officer enjoys his or her time at Andrews.

[falcon900]

Allowing for the essential pinch (bucketful?) of salt necessarily associated with any Express article, surely any such development would require that the RAF officer did not have dual nationality and did get to take the controls?
Since we can safely assume that the US and the USAF in particular are unlikely to run out of 747 rated pilots anytime soon, the sole purpose of the exercise would be to show to the world what great buddies we are, and how deep the relationship between our armed forces actually runs.
The mood music following last week's events would suggest that such a public display of affection may need to be postponed......

[Peter Fanelli]

Originally Posted by tdracer

I suppose it would been too much to ask for them to have shown a picture of a VC-25 747. The 757 is rarely (if ever) used as Air Force One...

I guess you haven't been paying much attention to the aircraft in the background of many of the Trump rallies over the last few months.

[TwoStep]

I am told the story is entirely made up, hence no official comment from the RAF.

[atr-drivr]

Originally Posted by tdracer

I suppose it would been too much to ask for them to have shown a picture of a VC-25 747. The 757 is rarely (if ever) used as Air Force One...

Actually used quite a bit.

[possel]

Originally Posted by Fortissimo

...Does anyone recall another recent example of a wg cdr exchange flying appointment? The exchange system is balanced by rank and role; as the name implies, it is a 2-way exchange, so presumably we will see a USAF LTC coming to fly here...

I know I left the RAF ages ago but in my time there were several US exchange posts where they gave us a Lt and we gave them a Sqn Ldr. No equality at all...

[Warmtoast]

We shouldn't forget that President Eisenhower on a visit to the UK in August 1959 was flown to and from Aberdeen in a 216 Sqn Comet, pilot S/Ldr P. E. Pullen.
Details here: Memories of RAF Benson
Post #6

[sandiego89]

Originally Posted by Peter Fanelli

I guess you haven't been paying much attention to the aircraft in the background of many of the Trump rallies over the last few months.

No kidding- the 757 (C-32) has been getting lots of use as AF-1, especially for the multi-city campaign stops on a single day. The runway and apron space considerations for some of the airport rallies likely come into play, and I believe the campaign has to pay some fees for strictly campaign events.

One unique airport driven use was for President Obama visiting Midway island for the Marine Monument dedication. Sure there was a good Gooney bird walk down that day.....

[Rt Hon Jim Hacker MP]

I'm a lucky civi sod. I've flown airliners for about 30 years. My most precious back seaters were always my family. They got the same treatment as everyone else. No more, no less.

[cavuman1]

An Excellent Example of British/American Cooperation

Though he never occupied left seat in Air Force 1, at one time the fate of the Free World rested upon Group Captain Lionel Mandrake's broad shoulders!

- Ed

[West Coast]

Originally Posted by cavuman1

Though he never occupied left seat in Air Force 1, at one time the fate of the Free World rested upon Group Captain Lionel Mandrake's broad shoulders!

- Ed

And his moustache.

[Mechta]

Biden was said to be joking when he said this. If he wasn't, he may prefer not to have an RAF pilot flying him:

Joe Biden: "I'm Irish"

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by tdracer

I suppose it would been too much to ask for them to have shown a picture of a VC-25 747. The 757 is rarely (if ever) used as Air Force One...

I think somebody misinformed you about the 757 being rarely used for AF1.

The AF1 757s are C-32As with Pratt motors. The planes used as AF1 are 09-0015, 09-0016 and 09-0017.

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by hunterboy

So as far as getting the opportunity to fly AF one, an RAF Officer holding dual citizenship would probably be in a good position I would have thought ?

AF1 aircrew are required to have a Category Two YANKEE WHITE security clearance. I presume this administrative nickname will soon have to be changed to something more politically correct in the woke Black Lives Matter era.

Some excerpts from DoD Instruction 5210.87 for the sea lawyers here:

The investigative request shall be processed as follows:

E3.3.1. The administrative nickname “YANKEE WHITE” must be stamped or printed in the Remarks section of the DD Form 1879, “Request for Personnel Security Investigation,” for all Presidential support requests that are manually submitted. For those electronic submissions of the DD Form 1879, “YANKEE WHITE” will be typed in item 1 and the form will then be stamped by the Defense Security Service (DSS) upon completion of the investigation. All requests for investigation must indicate whether or not the individual is being processed for a security clearance by any other Department or Agency of the Federal Government.

E3.3.2. Scope of investigation required:

E3.3.2.1. Personnel assigned to Category One or Category Two (enclosure 2) duties must have a favorably completed single scope background investigation (SSBI) within 36 months preceding selection for Presidential support duties. If an individual marries subsequent to the completion of the SSBI, a National Agency Check (NAC) on the spouse must be conducted. Category One nominees shall be required to sign a tax information waiver form. The Executive Secretary shall process the tax form through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

PRESIDENTIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM STANDARDS

E4.1.1. In addition to the adjudication standards contained in DoD 5200.2-R (reference (c)), individuals under consideration for Presidential support duties are also subject to the standards listed below to ensure that the assignment or retention is clearly consistent with optimum Presidential security and support. The determination must be a common sense judgment based on all available information.

E4.1.5. Minimum Requirements for Nomination

E4.1.5.1. U.S. citizenship.
E4.1.5.2. High degree of maturity, discretion, and trustworthiness.
E4.1.5.3. Unquestionable loyalty to the United States.
E4.1.5.4. Satisfactory past and present duty performance.

E4.1.7. Discretionary Criteria

E4.1.7.3. Immediate family are citizens of another country. Immediate family under this Instruction includes spouse, offspring, living parents, brothers, sisters, or other relatives or persons to whom the individual is closely linked by affection or obligation. It must be determined that family members are not subject to physical, mental, or other forms of duress by a foreign power and who do not advocate or practice acts of force or violence to prevent others from exercising their rights under the constitution or laws of the United States or any State or subdivision thereof.

https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/D...di/521087p.pdf

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by TwoStep

I am told the story is entirely made up, hence no official comment from the RAF.

Not impossible I suppose but the AF1 crew do have some SIOP and Continuity of Government duties that are rarely shared with foreign nationals in my experience. One of the three C-32As listed above is often SAM 18, the mysterious CoG third plane on AF1 trips.

Years ago I flew on a U.S. military crew led by an exchange officer who was an RAF Squadron Leader. He was required to leave the flight deck whenever procedures involving nuke weapons were practiced even though he held a NATO COSMIC TOP SECRET ATOMAL clearance.

[Waypoint Short]

Originally Posted by Airbubba

I presume this administrative nickname will soon have to be changed to something more politically correct in the woke Black Lives Matter era.

I doubt it will be changed. What could be changed, however, is your irrelevant and flippant comments/attitude towards someone's problems.

[Deltasierra010]

Is it really credible that an RAF pilot who would not be type rated for a 747, let alone experienced, be allowed to even be 1st officer on Airforce One, whereas seconded as a pilot of a C17 is believable.

[chevvron]

Originally Posted by Mechta

Biden was said to be joking when he said this. If he wasn't, he may prefer not to have an RAF pilot flying him:

Joe Biden: "I'm Irish"

As I said before, it'll all change after Jan 20th next year.

[BVRAAM]

Originally Posted by Deltasierra010

Is it really credible that an RAF pilot who would not be type rated for a 747, let alone experienced, be allowed to even be 1st officer on Airforce One, whereas seconded as a pilot of a C17 is believable.

There are not many 747's knocking about in the USAF inventory. In fact, there are 6 - 2x VC-25's and 4x E-4, so I wonder just how experienced the Presidential aircrew are before flying the President?

An E-4 follows the President wherever he goes, its landing location is always classified until it arrives on the tarmac and kept away from the VC-25/C-32. It proved its worth in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.