Air Force One: Obama's new 'spiffy ride'

Obama can fly coach with the rest of the execs!

Or if he's so big on the environment, how about a hybrid car or bike?

Altria - so you really think the president of the USA should be travelling long distances by bike? Is he supposed to use a pedalo too when he goes overseas?

Altria: Now, how is it that I knew some people would come on here and akin this to the complaints against the big-three riding in corporate jets?

Let's just say that security is a major issue.

Also unclear is when the new M&Ms will arrive"

I hear President Obama and his wife Michelle once went trick or treating together as the M&Ms. She was plain and he was with nuts. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, I couldn't resist, that just tickled my funny bone!

"Yo! Pimp ma ride!"

"the garrulous Clinton"

He was garrulous all right!

"Long before his son's notorious "Mission Accomplished" speech"

It's looking more and more like the Mission is indeed Accomplished.

"as his ( Obama's ) administration hits the inevitable turbulence"

Har! ( Air Force One... turbulence... )

I hope Air Force One continues to use the 747 for a long time. That jet is a classic.

altria: Oh, and if you were being sarcastic, sorry... my bad.

sarge: "It's looking more and more like the Mission is indeed Accomplished."

Don't try to bend it as though bush meant accomplishing things were on ongoing state in Iraq -- he clearly meant, as he arrogantly rode back seat in an F-14, that the 'mission WAS accomplished'. It can't look more and more like something occurred in the past, at least not as you say it. While bush's English level might actually make some thing, "mission accomplishing" is a valid turn of phrase, it's not. It was 'Mission Failed" when bush said what he said, and we have yet to see if things will improve.

But this is about your new leader Obama and his spiffy new jet, not about your washed out loser of an ex-pres.

sarge: meant to add; the 747 is indeed a classic. May not be too practical in the future as things are now, but hey.

Sage: I don't know why you don't want to give the new fella a chance.

I saw on the box that he is gratefull for the benefits of being in office and don't take things for granted like dumbo Bush, who only got the job because of his father.

Ronald Reagan, at 69 the oldest man to assume the presidency"

And Barack Obama, at 47 the least qualified man to assume the presidency.

Smitty - Whaddya mean the 747 may not be too practical in the future? Well, maybe in the far future, like 30 years from now...

sarge: The 747, as the gas guzzler of the sky that it is now, may not be practical the way it is (hence, as things are now). I'm saying perhaps the same size and shape, but with a little more eco-friendliness to it all. hehe.

"The 747, as the gas guzzler of the sky"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! The 747 has the LOWEST operating cost per seat of any jetliner, Smitty - look it up!

Sage: But i aint going to be full up is it. There is only going to be a handfull of people on it, so that means the operating costs is very high per person innit!!

Answer that and stay fashionable young fella!

No plane is big and bad enough for the Leader of the Free World.

sarge: "The 747 has the LOWEST operating cost per seat of any jetliner, Smitty - look it up!"

The key is PER SEAT. You could have 100 passengers in a plane carrying little besides them, or 4 passengers in a plane carrying nothing but massive amounts of weight. Of course it's going to be less gas for the lighter plane. Regardless, you are correct in a way; I shouldn't have used 'the' but 'a'. They're all going to be seen as gas-guzzlers in the future.

Of course President Obama's 747 is going to be full - full of... friendly reporters!

Of course, Air Force One is not going to have as many people on it as yer average 747, but, hey, that's the advantage of Air Force One! Heck, almost nobody will have their knees jammed up against the seat in front, or be jostling for elbow space on those joke armrests...

Wuzza - Heck, the U.S. president of the 23rd Century is going to fly on the starship Enterprise!

smithinjapan

President Bush did not fly backseat in an F-14 when he made his infamous 'Mission Accomplished' speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. He flew in one of the two back seats of an S-3 Viking. Just keeping you honest...

The 747 has the LOWEST operating cost per seat of any jetliner, Smitty - look it up!

Sarge - you may find the A380 now holds that honour. I can see Obama going for 787 dreamliner in the future, if they ever get it off the ground.

Majime - You may be right about that A380 monstrosity having the lowest operating cost per seat, but that would be with 800 passengers with their knees jammed up against the seats in front of them and jostling for elbow space on those joke armrests...lol!

I just can’t work out how I keep making the mistake of trying to get on to Japan today & some how end up on America today. I keep getting rubbish American domestic news, which might be (might be) of some interest to Americans but means nothing to normal people.

Oh goody Obama’s got a nice airplane.

Good thing our Obama has got a nice plane on the taxpayers dime......God Forbid if the CEO of G.M or Chrysler had one by their shareholders.

God Forbid if the CEO of G.M or Chrysler had one by their shareholders.

Having one is one thing. Using it to fly to DC to beg for taxpayer money is another.

Nothing like a twofer on the taxpayers dime Yabits.

Amazing how the President can use the plane for his personal use: whether it be going to his vacation destination or for his Presidential re-election campaign tour. If lavish expenses for the Head of Government is the hallmark of a superpower. America is undoubtedly one and the sole.

the 747 being used is a 200 series and was delivered in 1990 and is not fuel efficent. the 747-400s that fly today are alot more efficent. the a 380 is the most fuel efficent of the large airplanes

Air force One has a lighter payload and would use less fuel than one with a full load of passengers and fuel. The aircraft has to do a lot of different flights. Flying around the world into sometimes not so friendly airports. The aircraft needs to stay aloft a long time in case of national emergency. It needs to carry communications to allow him to communicate with forces/people around the world securely. It has to be able to carry his staff, secret service and reporters. Have him fly coach, oh that is rich! Corporate execs fly first class if they do not have corporate jets. He is responsible for running a nation of 300 million and has safety issues. He needs to have a 747-200! I think Nixon flew commercial once to California during the first energy pinch and it his plane had to fly to the west coast anyway. No savings in fuel use, propaganda.

Oops, meant to write passengers and cargo. A lot of the payload of any airliner is Cargo.

are you saying the president should stay aloft in a emergency. reminds me of bush flying over new orleans.

The key is PER SEAT. You could have 100 passengers in a plane carrying little besides them, or 4 passengers in a plane carrying nothing but massive amounts of weight.

He'll economize by filling it with lobbyists and fawning media.

aoto, more like staying aloft while nuclear weapons are falling on America and giving orders for the counterattack. We pray this never happens but while it is possible, we need to plan on it being possible.