How Is the President Protected? | America's Book of Secrets (S1, E6) | Full Episode | History

Transcript

NARRATOR: They are the most advanced and heavily protected vehicles ever built, operated by technicians prepared for the worst. JOSEPH J. FUNK: We were taught how to crash through a blocking vehicle. What happens is the vehicle in front of you is hit with a RPG? NARRATOR: But behind the bulletproof glass and armor plating are secrets, secrets so fr... Read More

Key Insights

• Air Force One is a radio call sign for whichever Air Force aircraft is carrying the president, not the permanent name of one specific airplane. The designation was introduced after President Dwight D. Eisenhower's aircraft nearly collided with a commercial airliner in 1953.
• Air Force One is a militarized Boeing 747 with roughly 4,000 square feet distributed across three levels. Reported facilities include a private presidential office, a conference room, an extensive communications center, seating for 70 passengers, and space for 26 crew members.
• Presidential flights are official military missions supported by runway inspections, surveillance of nearby skies and terrain, and examination of everything loaded aboard. Airport controllers also clear surrounding airspace and largely freeze airport operations for 15 minutes before and after presidential takeoffs or landings.
• Food security is maintained through random shopping trips by Air Force One flight attendants, reducing opportunities for outsiders to compromise supplies. Food is almost never purchased in foreign markets because its background and handling cannot be verified with the same confidence.
• Medical care aboard Air Force One includes a full-time doctor and a dedicated compartment equipped with patient racks, monitoring capacity, oxygen, a defibrillator, chest-tube supplies, an operating table, and an operating light. The facility supports treatment while the aircraft remains airborne.
• A second identical presidential aircraft provides redundancy and helps prevent the president from becoming stranded. Crews can exchange the aircraft during a trip and reproduce the placement of passengers' belongings so precisely that most people aboard cannot detect the switch without checking the tail number.
• Air Force One's reported defenses include in-flight refueling, infrared missile countermeasures, radar jamming, chaff deployment, and an electromagnetic skin intended to resist impulses associated with a nuclear attack. Many specific security provisions remain classified and are not publicly described.
• Secrecy and deception are central protections during high-risk travel. President Bill Clinton's Islamabad visit used a decoy movement, while President George W. Bush's 2003 Baghdad trip was kept secret and concluded with a steep spiral descent into the war zone.

Questions & Answers

Q: How is Air Force One protected from attacks?

Ground crews inspect runways, security teams scan nearby skies and terrain, and flight crews examine every item loaded aboard. Reported defenses include infrared missile countermeasures, radar jamming, chaff, in-flight refueling, and an electromagnetic skin designed to resist impulses from a nuclear attack. Many security provisions remain classified.

Q: What does Air Force One actually mean?

Air Force One is the designation for the Air Force aircraft carrying the president, not the permanent name of one plane. It began in 1953 after President Dwight D. Eisenhower's aircraft nearly collided with a commercial airliner, prompting the Air Force to create an unmistakable identifier.

Q: What facilities are aboard Air Force One?

Reports indicate that Air Force One has roughly 4,000 square feet across three levels, with seating for 70 passengers and space for 26 crew members. Its facilities include a private presidential office, a large conference room, an extensive communications center, and an onboard medical compartment.

Q: How is the president's food protected aboard Air Force One?

Air Force One flight attendants buy the food served aboard the aircraft through random trips to grocery stores around Washington, DC. This unpredictable sourcing makes infiltration more difficult. They almost never buy from foreign markets because the food's background cannot be verified with the same confidence.

Q: What medical care is available aboard Air Force One?

Air Force One carries a full-time doctor and has a dedicated medical compartment. Its reported equipment includes two fold-out patient racks, monitoring capacity, oxygen, a defibrillator, chest-tube equipment, a fold-out operating table, and an operating light. A doctor described suturing a Secret Service agent aboard the aircraft.

Q: Why are two identical Air Force One aircraft used?

The second identical aircraft provides redundancy so the president does not become stranded. Crews can swap the aircraft during a trip and place passengers' belongings in precisely the same locations. According to the transcript, most passengers notice no difference unless they check the tail number.

Q: How is Air Force One secured at civilian airports?

Security is heightened at non-military airports, with aircraft access strictly controlled and surrounding airspace cleared for arrivals and departures. Airport operations are largely frozen for 15 minutes before and after Air Force One takes off or lands. These measures reduce the risks of tampering and collisions.

Q: How does Air Force One function as a presidential command center?

Air Force One includes an extensive communications center with robust, encrypted communications. This keeps the president in contact with national security advisers, the vice president, the Joint Chiefs, and members of Congress. The aircraft allows the president to work and exercise military command while airborne.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Air Force One is a militarized Boeing 747 configured as a secure transportation, communications, and command platform. Its reported 4,000 square feet across three levels includes presidential offices, a conference room, communications facilities, and medical equipment. The aircraft can carry approximately 70 passengers and 26 crew members.

• Every presidential flight is treated as an official military mission involving runway inspections, threat monitoring, cargo screening, controlled aircraft access, and careful food sourcing. Airports restrict nearby traffic around arrivals and departures, while Secret Service personnel and flight crews respond rapidly to threats, suspicious aircraft, and possible onboard explosives.

• Protection extends beyond ordinary precautions through duplicate aircraft, secret itineraries, decoy movements, evasive flying, in-flight refueling, missile countermeasures, radar jamming, and reported anti-nuclear defenses. The captain retains responsibility for aircraft decisions during threats, using the plane's capabilities to keep the president airborne, connected, and able to command during emergencies.