Free Republic

Federal officials at the General Services Administration are set to hawk an extraordinary item this week: a plane that once served as Air Force One. The plane flew every president from Ford to George W., VPs and VIPs -- and it can be yours for as little as $50,000.

President Obama on Sunday defended his trip to Burma, insisting that the visit Monday is “not an endorsement” of the nation’s long-repressive leadership but rather an acknowledgment that the country is making progress toward reform. “I don’t think anybody is under any illusion that Burma has arrived, that they’re where they need to be,” Obama said at a joint news conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to begin his three-country Asia trip. President Obama arrived in Thailand on Sunday on his first foreign trip since winning a second term. His visit is designed to expand the U.S. economic and...

Air Force One Aborts Landing, Second Try Successful By CNN September 26, 2012 President Barack Obama exits Air Force One in Ohio Wednesday after an initial landing attempt was aborted. (CNN) -- Air Force One, flying President Barack Obama to a campaign event, aborted an initial landing attempt in Ohio on Wednesday due to weather conditions. The jumbo jet experienced turbulence on approach to Toledo and was within sight of the runway when the pilot pulled the plane up and circled the airport, according to reporters on board. "Air Force One, missed approach," the pilot announced to air traffic controllers,...

It was reported on Sunday that Obama was so broken up after touring the devastation caused by the Colorado wildfires that he promptly hopped aboard Air Force One and made an 18-minute conference call to his big donors asking for cash that was described as “pleading” and “a tad worried.” Daily Beast columnist Lloyd Grove, who obtained the audio tape from an Obama donor, went on to refer to the call as “rambling[s]”… from “a dog-tired idealist.” Almost a year ago today, Obama was in hot water for videotaping a campaign commercial in the White House Map Room begging for...

Here's a headline you likely never expected to see at the perilously liberal Huffington Post: "Obama Begs Donors: Send More $$$." The sub-headline below the picture was just as shocking: "Phones Donors From Air Force One... Call Caught On Tape... Issues Warning: GOP Will 'Run Congress And The White House.'" The link directed readers to a Daily Beast article titled, "President Obama Asks Campaign Donors to Send Him More Money." Author Lloyd Grove teased, "President Obama sounded weary and maybe a tad worried late Friday during a rambling conference call with campaign donors whom he repeatedly begged to send money—and...

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi hitched a ride aboard Air Force One on Monday, zipping up to New York City to perform at a gala fundraiser for President Barack Obama — one of three campaign events to scoop up cash for the Democrat's reelection.

President Barack Obama on Thursday firmly rejected any criticism that his worldwide travel on Air Force One or his family's vacations have left him out of touch with Americans' struggles, saying flying aboard the famed official plane is "not my choice." "The fact of the matter is, I think if you look at my track record, I'm raising a family here. When we travel, we got to travel through Secret Service, and Air Force One, that's not my choice. I think most folks understand how hard I work and how hard this administration is working on behalf of the American...

Two Air Force Ones?

The U.S. Air Force is pulling nine cargo aircraft from military operations to support President Barrack Obama’s stepped-up visits to campaign events. The five medium-capacity C-130s and four heavyweight C-17s will be used to ferry security vehicles, armored limousines and communications gear into cities ahead of Obama’s campaign appearances. In the months before November, the president is expected to fly into multiple cities per week, and speak at multiple sites per day. On Mar. 8, for example, the president will fly to Richmond, and then drive over to a Rolls-Royce aircraft-parts factory. That evening, he’ll fly down to Houston, Texas....

What is with that goofy walk up and down the stair?

he average American could buy a house for the amount of money it takes to run Air Force One every hour. The U.S. military has provided an updated estimate on that cost, first published by a taxpayer watchdog group and confirmed by FoxNews.com, and the number is staggering -- $181,757 per hour. That's the price tag for shuttling around President Obama, who, as it turns out, has spent more days abroad in his first two years than any other president. Estimates over the years based on government reports and independent number-crunching have always reflected a steep cost for presidential travel,...

An Airbus A310 formerly used by the German Chancellor has started a new life as an airliner…in Iran. Just days after the publication of a report detailing Iran’s nuclear ambitions and subsequent calls from nations around the world—including Germany—for stricter trade sanctions, the former Luftwaffe Airbus A310-304 designated “Theodor Heuss” (10-22) was flown from Kiev to Tehran for use by Mahan Air, Spiegel has confirmed. Several months earlier, in May, the German government announced it was selling the 22-year-old aircraft, as it had been made redundant by a former Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 specially refurbished for Chancellor Angela Merkel and her...

Nearly 48 years after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, fresh audio evidence from that fateful day has surfaced. The evidence comes in the form of the original reel-to-reel Air Force One radio recording, containing conversations between officials on the plane, the White House situation room, and others. The original tape was long thought to be lost or destroyed. The tape contains never-before-heard conversations between the presidential aircraft and the White House and immediately after the assassination of President Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. It was held privately for years by President Kennedy’s military aide at the time, Chester...

Barack Obama is rarely at the White House. He prefers to attempt to govern the USA from his flying fortress, Air Force One. Today he is in Cannes, France to meet with the political glittery of the G 20. He feels at home in Europe. His popularity is higher in Europe. They like his plan for socialized medicine in Europe. They like his bank bailouts in Europe. This is all understandable, since his expressed desire is to make American "more like Europe." What he likes about the dysfunctional allies we have in Europe is hard to understand. They have had...

A group of several dozen “Occupy Las Vegas” protesters camping on Clark County land located under the final approach to Runway 19 at McCarran International Airport today narrowly missed being injured when a 50 lb. slab of “blue ice” reportedly landed within feet of their tents. According to witnesses, the slab fell to earth seconds after Air Force One passed overhead while landing.

Reuters correspondent Bohan confirms the Presidents of all 3 Unions flew free on AF1 on the taxpayer dime with Obama to his detroit speech. He doesnt even hide his backers now. I'm just disgusted that he gets to use our money this way. Its obvious he has done a deal with unions and this jobs plan is going to be so pro-union its unbelievable.

Responding to dozens of requests from the public, the Defense Department has released 146 more photos from the infamous Air Force One flyover that struck fear in thousands of unsuspecting New Yorkers in April. The photos are posted right on the Pentagon's Website, defense officials said today. The Pentagon also released a heavily redacted flight manifest. The April 27 photo-op caused quite a fright in Lower Manhattan and New Jersey, as many people who had lived through the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks thought the city was again under siege. Workers poured out of office buildings as the planes buzzed the...

Proposed House cuts to the Executive Office of the President's (EOP) budget will hurt administration efforts to cut the deficit, the White House argues. The Obama administration made the argument in comments on H.R. 2434, the 2012 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act. That bill could be on the House floor as early as next week, and would decrease funding for the EOP from $705 million to $640 million. "The level of resources provided in the bill would significantly impact the EOP's role in assisting the president in carrying out his constitutional duties as head of the executive branch,...

Air Force One is quickly becoming President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign-bus. Next week, one of the two presidential Boeing 747s is scheduled to carry the president down to North Carolina and then to Florida, both of which are must-wins for his campaign. The Florida visit was announced today, and followed yesterday’s announcement by the White House that the President will fly to Durham, N.C., on June 13 to meet with his Jobs and Competitiveness Council at Cree Inc., a company that is developing new-generation lights. Today’s announcement revealed the aircraft will next fly to Miami International Airport and depart the...