Saw Not Air Force One, the Other Day

"PyramidHat" (pyramidhat) 08/19/2017 at 23:50 • Filed to: None

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Right, then...

So a building that I work in is in the flight path of Moffett Field. I’m walking in and I hear a large jet, which is odd: Normally they either have choppers or C-130's doing touch-and-go’s, or it’s Sergei Brin’s Gulfstream, or something. But this was big. I look up and it’s a large twin-engine jet - co worker said it was a 777, but I can’t plane spot that well - with United States of America livery...just like AF1, but it wasn’t a 747 (despite not being a good plane spotter, I know what a 747 looks like). So, any read on what it could be? AF2? But wouldn’t that be announced on the news and the roads closed and such?

CB > PyramidHat 08/19/2017 at 23:55

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Air Force One is whatever plane the president is on, not the physical plane itself.

PyramidHat > CB 08/19/2017 at 23:58

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Fair point that. Typically, when people refer to AF1, they’re referring to the 747.

Matsayz > PyramidHat 08/20/2017 at 00:10

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There are multiple 777's with U.S, livery. Could’ve been one in rotation or Secretary of State or some other diplomat. Not sure what’s at Moffet Field, could it have been receiving some maintenance?

facw > PyramidHat 08/20/2017 at 00:14

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I don’t think we have any 777's. Best guess would be the C-32 (757) which is used for the VP and other VIP transport:

The 767 is also used in the KC-46 which is still being developed, but that would have a much blander paint scheme:

The C-40 (737) is also available in the AF1 style livery, but it seems too small to be confused with a 777:

Chariotoflove > PyramidHat 08/20/2017 at 00:25

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If you find out, tell us.

f86sabre > facw 08/20/2017 at 00:49

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I think you nailed it with the 757.

f86sabre > Matsayz 08/20/2017 at 00:51

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The USAF doesn’t operated the 777.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > PyramidHat 09/04/2017 at 12:18

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I am a school teacher and the NASA 747 with the shuttle on its back flew directly over and I ran out of my classroom to look up and see it. Alas, I had no camera to capture the event.

Oppo Ttyymmnn is a big expert on aircraft, and he would have a meaningful comment to post here, I am certain. But I know that Uncle Sam has at least one or two 757s — longer and skinnier than a 777 would be, and also two engines — with the government livery on them, used by the State Department.

The fact that you recognized that what you heard was out of place and ran outside to look makes makes you imminently qualified as a plane spotter. Good catch and a rare bird. +1

ttyymmnn > CB 09/04/2017 at 12:39

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The be entirely pedantic, Air Force One is any Air Force aircraft the POTUS is on. So you would also have Marine One (the Marine helicopter that ferries the president) and Navy One if it were a Navy plane or even Army One. It’s also my understanding that any civilian aircraft carrying the POTUS becomes Executive One.

ttyymmnn > PyramidHat 09/04/2017 at 12:45

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I think facw got it right. I saw the C-32 with the USA livery many years ago in Abilene when it was bringing VP Cheney for a political event. Not sure what Pence has been up to these days, but it might have been him. Or just a regular shake down or training flight. If Pence had been coming to town, you probably would have heard about it. Unless it was a stop for fuel and he wasn’t leaving the secure airport.

I snagged some shots of the C-32 when it was flying around Austin back in March.

CB > ttyymmnn 09/04/2017 at 13:20

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Ah, okay, got it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 09/04/2017 at 13:42

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My understanding also.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > f86sabre 09/04/2017 at 13:43

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For the record: O.C. nailed it also...

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 09/04/2017 at 13:43

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O.C. got it right also...