I did a tour of an old air force one plane. Take a look inside.

Updated

2025-04-18T13: 22: 01Z

Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon used an Air Force plane known as Sam 970.
The first presidential plane powered by a jet included an office and a safe for nuclear codes.
The retired plane, used from 1959 to 1996, was exhibited at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

President Dwight Eisenhower became the first American president to travel in jet when he flew on a new Air Force One plane in 1959.

The jet, known as SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, was personalized to meet the needs of the White House president and staff. He included a presidential cabin, a conference room, seats for press members and a safe for nuclear codes.

Retired in 1996, Sam 970 now lives at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I visited the museum in July to visit the old Air Force One and see how the presidents have traveled.

Take a look inside.

Four American presidents flew aboard the Air Force One plane known as Sam 970.

SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, an American Air Force jet plane in 1974.

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In 1959, the personalized Boeing 707-153 known as SAM 970 became the new presidential plane, replacing the C-121C super constellation powered by the propeller used by President Dwight Eisenhower. Sam 970 was part of the VC-137 aircraft series.

Sam 970 was used by Eisenhower as well as the presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.

In 1962, a more recent VC-137C plane replaced him as the main presidential plane, but he always transported vice-presidents and other VIPs. The SAM 970 was part of the presidential fleet until 1996.

The retired plane is exhibited at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Air Force One at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

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Admission to the museum costs $ 26 per adult. Tickets can be purchased on the Flight Museum website.

The exhibition presented figures from Nixon and Prime Minister Zhou Enlai from China shaking her hand, recreating the moment when the two leaders met.

Mannequins of President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Zhou Enlai of China before Air Force One. — Models of President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Zhou Enlai de China.

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Nixon took Air Force One to visit China in 1972, becoming the first American president to visit continental China while he was with functions.

The cockpit included seats for a pilot, a co -pilot, a flight engineer and a guest or auxiliary crew member.

The Air Force One cockpit.

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The maximum plane speed was 590 miles per hour. The top speed of the Air Force One, the VC-25A, is 630 miles per hour.

The communication station included radio and ultra -modern communication equipment.

The communication station on an Air Force One plane. — The communication station.

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From the plane, the president could reach the white house situation room and the national military command center and send secret communications.

In front of the communication station, the case containing codes to initiate a nuclear shot has been kept locked in a safe.

Inside an Old Air Force One Plane. — Inside the Air Force One.

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Known as “nuclear football”, each president from Eisenhower is accompanied by the case at all times.

SAFE also organized military communication center codes.

In the front kitchen, crew members have prepared food and drinks for the president and other crew members.

The front kitchen on an Air Force One plane. — The kitchen before.

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The two galleys on Air Force One included ovens, refrigerators and open burner cords. Distributors of drinks also served coffee, water and other drinks.

A telephone in the crew compartment came with a warning against the discussion of classified information.

A phone on an old Air Force One plane. — A phone on Air Force One.

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A plate next to the phone indicates “be careful. This phone has no security provision. Sensitive or classified equipment should not be discussed.”

A narrow corridor led to the meeting areas of the Air Force One.

A corridor on Air Force One.

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The presidents met the staff, received information sessions and took telephone calls during his trips on Air Force One, which earned him the nickname of “Flying Oval Office”.

The flight crew added false temperature controls to the presidential cabin to appease Johnson, who often complained about the cabin temperature.

A conference room on Air Force One. — The presidential cabin on Air Force One.

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Whenever Johnson has adjusted the false temperature dial, he alerted the captain, who could then decide to change the temperature of the cabin or leave him in the same way, said a guide to the flight museum.

Johnson had a dog door installed in the cabin to accommodate his Beagles for pets Agités.

A door for dogs on an Air Force One plane. — A door for dogs.

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Johnson’s Beagles often screaming if they were left in the conference room for too long, according to the flight museum.

The cabin hall included his own private bathroom.

A toilet on Air Force One. — A toilet.

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The private bathroom was much more spacious than the toilets used by the driving team and the press members.

The presidential conference room included more space for larger meetings.

The seat stand included safety belts in the event of rough air.

The members of the Staff of the White House and the members of the cabinet who joined the president during travel were seated in the lounge area.

The Libre of Staff in an old Air Force One plane. — The staff lounge area.

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The spacious sets of four seats included tables between them.

A separate secretary station provided more staff workspace.

The secretary of an Air Force One plane. — The secretary station.

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The workstation was equipped with a lamp and a typewriter.

The members of the press sits further on the plane.

Asles of seats on an old Air Force One plane. — Alleys of seats on Air Force One.

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The staff lounge area was most similar to regular economic cabin seats.

The rear kitchen at the rear of the plane served food and drinks to upper frames and the press.

A kitchen on Air Force One.

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Like the front kitchen, the rear kitchen was furnished with kitchen appliances and drinking distributors.

The tail of the plane was decorated with an American flag.

Air Force One, also known as Sam 970.

Talia Lakritz / Business Insider

The first lady Jackie Kennedy chose the color, white and metallic color palette of the Air Force One.

During his first mandate, President Donald Trump offered new colors of the Air Force One in Red, White and Navy Blue for the new long -term Boeing plane of Boeing. The Air Force rejected its design, because the darkest colors would have cost more and caused overheating problems. The plane was supposed to be ready in 2024, but its completion calendar was pushed until 2027.

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