The United States Air Force Special Air Mission provides air transportation for the president of the United States (POTUS), vice president of the United States (VPOTUS), first lady of the United States (FLOTUS), presidential cabinet, U.S. congressional delegations (CODELs), and other high-ranking American and foreign dignitaries.
The Special Air Mission is under the cognizance of the Air Mobility Command (AMC) and executed by the 89th Airlift Wing (89 AW) based at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland.
Mission The 89th Airlift Wing provides the U.S. government's flight service with seventeen aircraft dedicated to the SAM and fifteen helicopters supporting federal emergency requirements. They use civilian airports almost exclusively.
SAM mission areas may be divided into the following categories: Presidential mission: A mission directed by the White House to transport the president of the United States or members of the first family. Special Air Mission: A mission operated by the 89th Airlift Wing by direction of the USAF vice chief of staff (CVAM). Primary passengers are the vice president, cabinet secretaries, and senior officials of the executive branch, as well as congressional delegations and foreign senior political leaders. Helicopter Special Mission: The mission of the 1st Helicopter Squadron (1 HS) is to provide emergency helicopter transportation for officials of Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the militarysServices and the civil departments of the federal government to relocation sites during a national crisis.
Special Air Mission After a presidential inauguration resulting in a change in office, the outgoing president is provided transport on a VC-25 aircraft to their home destination. The aircraft for this flight does not use the Air Force One call sign because it is not carrying the president in office. For presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush the flight was known as Special Air Mission 28000, where the number represents the aircraft's tail number.Felsenthal, Carol. "When Bill Clinton Left the White House". Chicago Daily Observer, 22 January 2009. Retrieved: 26 June 2009."Bush flies to Texas to begin post-presidential life." The New York Times, 20 January 2009. Retrieved: 9 September 2011. For President Barack Obama, the Special Air Mission flight used the call sign SAM 44, as Obama was the 44th President."SAM 44 (Air Force 1) w former Pres Obama circling over CA then diverted" Live ATC, Recorded 20 January 2017. Retrieved: 24 January 2017"JBA sends off former President Obama" Joint Base Andrews Public Affairs, 21 January 2017. Retrieved: 5 December 2018 George H. W. Bush's coffin was transported on a flight using the call sign Special Air Mission 41, as he was the forty-first president."Trump to Attend Bush Funeral, but Won’t Deliver Eulogy." New York Times, 3 December 2018. Retrieved: 3 December 2018. President Donald Trump took his last flight to Mar-a-Lago before President Joe Biden's inauguration, thus still under the call sign Air Force One."Trump bids farewell to Washington, hints of comeback" Associated Press, 20 January 2021. Retrieved: 22 July 2024.
Special Assignment Air Mission Special Assignment Airlift Mission (SAAM) are aircraft operated by units other than by the 89th Airlift Wing to satisfy a requirement needing special pickup or delivery at locations other than those established within the approved channel structure; or to satisfy a requirement needing special consideration because of the number of passengers, weight, or size of the cargo, urgency, or sensitivity of movement, or other special factors.
These missions are designated:
PHOENIX BANNER – SAAM supporting the president of the United States (POTUS); primary aircraft employs call sign of "Air Force One" when POTUS is aboard. PHOENIX SILVER – SAAM supporting the vice president of the United States (VPOTUS); primary aircraft employs call sign of "Air Force Two" when VPOTUS is aboard. PHOENIX COPPER – SAAM supporting the United States Secret Service (USSS) when not supporting the president or vice president, i.e., SAAM for the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS), etc.
Standby force definitions are expanded as follows when constituted in support of PHOENIX BANNER or PHOENIX SILVER missions:
BRAVO Standby. Aircraft and aircrew capable of departing 3+00 hours after notification for C-130 and C-17 and 3+45 hours for C-5. ALFA Standby. Aircraft and aircrew capable of departing 1+00-hour after notification for C-130, and C-17 and 1+45 hours for C-5.
To support short-notice PHOENIX BANNER and PHOENIX SILVER missions, AMC maintains aircraft and augmented aircrews on standby at various locations. Specific missions may require standby C-5, C-17, or C-130 aircraft. When the cargo load requires a C-5 (i.e., airlift of U.S. Marine Corps helicopters in the "Marine One" role operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron ONE (HMX-1)), a C-5 will be used to back up the mission. Aircraft selected to fly these missions must meet the highest standards of reliability and must not have an uncorrected history of repeat or recurring malfunctions. Missions are extensively coordinated and any delay has serious effect on mission support. PHOENIX BANNER, PHOENIX SILVER, and PHOENIX COPPER missions are of high level interest and must get special attention in accordance with established CLOSE WATCH procedures. Any problems that affect the mission will be immediately brought to the attention of the 618th Air and Space Operations Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) for AMC controlled assets or the theater Air Mobility Operations Control Center (AMOCC) in a theater Air and Space Operations Center (AOC) for theater controlled assets.
History
Lineage Established as Special Airlift Mission on 10 March 1948 Redesignated as Special Air Mission on 12 July 1991
Assignments Bolling Field Command, 10 March 1948 – 1 June 1948 Military Air Transport Service (MATS), 1 June 1948 – 1 January 1966 Military Airlift Command (MAC), 1 January 1966 – 1 June 1992 Air Mobility Command (AMC), 1 June 1992–present
Stations Bolling Air Force Base, District of Columbia, 10 March 1948 – 10 July 1961 Operations originated from Washington National Airport Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, 10 July 1961–present
Components Wings 1100th Special Air Missions Wing, 1 July 1951 – 10 July 1961 1254th Air Transport Wing, 10 July 1961 – 8 January 1966 89th Military Airlift Wing, Special Mission, 8 January 1966 Redesignated: 89th Military Airlift Group on 30 September 1977 Redesignated: 89th Military Airlift Wing on 15 December 1980 Redesignated: 89th Airlift Wing on 12 July 1991
Groups 89th Operations Group, 12 July 1991–present Presidential Airlift Group, 1 April 2001–present 16th Special Air Missions Group Redesignated: 1100th Special Air Missions Group Redesignated: 2310th Air Transport Group, 10 March 1948 – 29 November 1952
Squadrons 1st Helicopter Squadron: 1 July 1976–present 1st Airlift Squadron: 12 September 1977–present 99th Airlift Squadron: 8 January 1966–12 September 1977; 1 October 1988–present Presidential Airlift Squadron, 1 April 2001–present 1st Special Air Missions Squadron Redesignated: 1111th Special Air Mission Squadron Redesignated: 1299th Air Transport Squadron, 10 March 1948–10 July 1961 98th Military Airlift Squadron: 8 January 1966 – 1 September 1977 457th Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1993 – 1 April 1995 1400th Military Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1975 – 15 March 1978 1401st Military Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1975 – 15 March 1978 1402d Military Airlift Squadron: 1 April 1975 – 15 March 1978
Aircraft
C-118 Liftmaster (1966–1972) VC-118 The Independence (1966–1974) C-121 Constellation (1966–1968) VC-121 (1966) C-131 Samaritan (1966) VC-131 (1966–1979) C-135 Stratolifter (1966–1968, 1975–1992) VC-137 Stratoliner (1966–2001) C-140 (1966–1972) VC-140 (1966–1987) VC-6 (1966–1985) U-4 (1966–1969)
VC-135 (1968–1992) VC-9 (1975–2005) T-39 Sabreliner (1975–1978) UH-1 Iroquois (1976–present) CH-3 Jolly Green Giant (1976–1988) C-12 Huron (1976–1993) C-20 (1983–present) VC-25A (1991–present) C-21 (1993–1997) C-32A (1998–present) C-37 (1998–present) C-40 Clipper (2002–present)
The distinctive "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" livery present on Special Air Mission aircraft was designed by Raymond Loewy.
Operations The Special Air Mission originated with the World War II United States Army Air Forces' 10th Ferrying Squadron (AAFFC) in 1941. It was redesigned as the 21st Transport Transition Training Detachment of Air Transport Command (ATC) in 1942, and later redesignated as the 26th Transport Group. From September to December 1943, the 26th TG conducted the C-87 "Fireball" run, a weekly priority spare parts delivery flight between Fairfield, Ohio and Agra, India. It was lastly redesignated as the 503d Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU) in 1944. The last unit was part of the ATC North Atlantic Division. In 1946, it is known that the 503d AAFBU was involved in the transport of personnel to Bikini Atoll as part of the Atomic Bomb Testing mission.
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt flew to the Casablanca Conference in 1943 on board a commercial Boeing 314 Clipper Ship, he became the first U.S. president to fly while in office. Concerned about relying upon commercial airlines to transport the president, the USAAF leaders ordered the conversion of a military aircraft to accommodate the special needs of the Commander in Chief. In 1942, a modified B-24 Liberator (designated C-87A) was prepared for the use of President Roosevelt, however it was never used by him. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, however used the aircraft extensively in her travels around the United States and overseas to visit servicemen overseas.
After experiencing difficulties with the C-87, the USAAF arranged with Douglas Aircraft to construct a new transport aircraft specifically for presidential use. Nicknamed the "Sacred Cow", this modified C-54 Skymaster (VC-54C), which included a vertical lift in the lower fuselage for the President and his wheelchair, became the first military aircraft to transport a U.S. president when President Roosevelt took it to the Soviet Union for the Yalta Conference in February 1945. President Roosevelt used the Sacred Cow only once before his death in April 1945; however, the Sacred Cow remained in presidential service during the first 27 months of the Truman Administration. On 26 July 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 while on board the Sacred Cow. This act established the U.S. Air Force as an independent service, making the Sacred Cow the "birthplace" of the USAF.
Following the increased development of commercial air travel after World War II, Americans once again took to the air. Commercial airlines, made anemic under prohibitive wartime flying regulations and rationing of airplane fuel, were restored to vigor after the war with many World War II military aircraft being sold cheap to anyone with an idea to open an airway in the sky.
The result was too many civilian aircraft and not enough airfields to support them. This meant many government civilians couldn't get to where they needed to go on time. The Special Air Mission was created to ensure military airplanes were available to transport government employees between military bases. SAM Aircraft also had priority to land at civilian airfields, although this practice became less common as years went on.