Posted: 10/23/2009 1:55:16 PM EDT
| The question came up last night at work about who does the maintenance on AF1. So, my question is this, since the 50's, who'd done the maintenance, and was it ever contracted out to an airline at any time? |
| Considering the AIR FORCE owns and flies the aircraft which are known as "AIR FORCE ONE" when the President is on board, I think it's safe to say that the AIR FORCE maintains said aircraft. More specifically, it appears that the USAF 89th Airlift Wing operates the "Special Air Mission" aircraft used for VIP transportation. |
|
The VC-25A's otherwise known as Boeing 747-200's are maintained by Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing stationed out of Andrews Air Force Base.
I know that's how its been since Regan, I don't know before that. Edit for new info: Air Force One is managed by Tinker Air Force Base personnel from the Contractor Logistics Support Management Directorate. Tinker has managed Air Force One since the airplanes were originally delivered back in 1990. The directorate manages Air Force One's day-to-day issues like supply and logistics support, while at the same time ensuring the aircraft are maintained to Federal Aviation Administration regulatory standards. This support also includes engineering and technical support, production management, modification management, budget management and contracting. Programmed Depot Maintenance [PDM] is also managed by this directorate, but the work is contracted out to Boeing's Wichita, Kan., facility. PDM is performed on one of the two Air Force One aircraft every year. To comply with a recent FAA mandate, one aircraft was updated with a new Fuel Quantity Indicating System. Heavy maintenance, completed on that aircraft in December 2000, included installation of the Global Positioning System and Flight Management Computer System. These systems were added as part of increasing FAA mandates to help make the aircraft more efficient. The second Air Force One aircraft was compliant with the FAA mandate when it rolled out of PDM later in 2001. In the wake of the TWA Flight 800 explosion, the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board issued an Airworthiness Directive requiring anyone who maintains a 747 install a new FQIS with safety provisions that resulted from the TWA 800 investigation. |
|
I helped change a tire on Air Force One in 1984 at NAS Point Mugu.
President Reagan had gone to his ranch for "the weekend", one of the main mounts had a cut in it. At the time the USAF mechs were changing the tire (0200) their nitrogen cart went tits up, they came across the runway to borrow ours. We went with them, the secret service cleared us, we helped out. Got to take a quick peek on board the plane, the Secret Service guys were ok, the Navy ASF guys didn't like it. |