Air Force One, Then and Now

I read an article recently about how the first Air Force One plane is currently rusting and decaying in an airfield out in Arizona. I thought it'd be interesting to compare the original and current Air Force One planes. The original Air Force One plane was first used by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It was a Lockheed VC-121E/A Constellation that was built in California in 1948. The plane was retired in 1968. The current Air Force One is a VC-25 jet, which is a military version of the Boeing 747-200B. This jet entered service in 1990.

The current Air Force One plane can carry 70 passengers with 26 crew members. The original Air Force One plane could carry 44 passengers with 5 crew members. The original wasn't named Air Force one either, it was named Columbine by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, which is the state flower of her adopted home state of Colorado. At the time, Air Force One was just the call sign for the air traffic controllers and not the name of the actual plane.

Times have certainly changed for Air Force One. The original plane was used for transporting the president and was probably used for meetings with the president and his staff. It had nice amenities, such as tiled floors, first class luxuries, and more one would expect. It could be assumed that it was used for work and relaxation besides traveling. The current Air Force One is nicknamed "The Flying White House", because it is said that the president can conduct his activities as if he were in the White House. It has everything: first class food, high-speed internet, video conferencing, incredible comfort, and incredible security and defenses. An example of the defenses on the current Air Force One is it has infrared-missile and radar-jamming technology, and a lot of other top-secret aerial defenses and electronic countermeasures that we have no idea about. The original Air Force One had none of these special defenses and technologies. So yes, with the technological changes over the years, it's like comparing apples and oranges from the original plane compared to today's, but it will still always be Air Force One, which carries an aura of awe and respect.