Unlike today’s Air Force One, a modified Boeing 747, the Constellation could not hold the president’s entire staff plus a gaggle of reporters. The cabin of Columbine II had a scant 16 seats.

Long before today’s high-tech jets, a Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation marked the beginning of what we now know as Air Force One. But it wasn’t just about transport—an unexpected incident ...

Air Force One isn't a specific plane, ... Columbine II, a Lockheed C-121 Constellation, taking off from Davis–Monthan Air Force Base en route to receive restoration work in October 1990.

The call sign Air Force One was adopted after a 1953 incident when a commercially operated Eastern Airlines flight, 8610, crossed paths with “Columbine II,” a Lockheed VC-121-ALO Constellation ...

Air Force One has evolved significantly over the years, ... This was then replaced by another Constellation named Columbine III, a larger and more powerful airplane.

Air Force One is one of the most secure aircraft on Earth, ... While the Lockheed VC-121 Constellation used at the time had office space and a small communications center, ...

Stewart at times flew the plane just above the waves in an effort to get maximum visibility in spite of the rain. Binoculars ...

Stoltzfus and his associates have spent weeks in Arizona inspecting the Lockheed Constellation’s four ... Kennedy was the first president to use a customized Boeing VC-137C as Air Force One.

Air Force One is most closely associated with an airframe equipped to protect the president and his ability to govern from anywhere. ... a Lockheed Super Constellation named Columbine III.

Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon used an Air Force One plane known as SAM 970. The retired jet is now a museum exhibit.