Why Does This Plane Follow The U.S President EVERYWHERE

492 Shares

Find out why you never hear about the Doomsday plane, which follows Air Force One everywhere it goes…

1. Follow Me

Air Force One is instantly recognizable, for it carries the U.S President across the globe. However, the Doomsday plane is rarely heard of, even though it follows Air Force One everywhere. What is its purpose?

2. Right Behind You

The plane, known as the ‘Doomsday plane’ rather morbidly is in place in case of a nuclear war or national emergency. There are four planes in the fleet, which alternate their time in the air tailing the president.

3. Too Close For Comfort

The specially modified Boeing 747s, which are one of the worlds largest commercial airplanes, are designed specifically to cater to the president and his officials needs in case of an extreme emergency.

4. Plane Truth

The planes are outfitted as complete command centers for the president and his top officials, including the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the event of a nuclear war or national emergency.

5. Special Treatment

The aircraft are unique in their capabilities, making them a one of a kind that cannot be duplicated by any other aircraft that the Air Force use. Their purpose is to act as airborne military command centre.

6. Stand-By For Disaster

In the case of a nuclear attack or national emergency, the top Washington officials would board the ‘Doomsday plane’, which is complete with a briefing room and many military features.

7. In Plane Sight

The plane has the capacity to house 112 people, both flight and mission personnel. Meaning that there is little room for ordinary citizens if all hell does break loose!

8. Flying Below The Radar

The planes have unique equipment that allows them to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world, making them the ideal get away vehicle in the event of a true disaster.

9. Inside And Out

The planes are designed to survive electromagnetic pulses, and even still use traditional analog flight instruments as they are less vulnerable. They really have thought of everything!

10. Flying Low

The plane is able to stay airborne and operational for up to 35.4 hours, and even has an in-flight refuelling. It has even been designed to operate in-flight for a full week! Which will make that stop-over on your next holiday seem a little infuriating!

11. Running Wild

Whilst there are 4 of these incredible planes, one of them is kept running at all times with the engine running for 24 hours a day at the Offutt base in Nebraska, meaning that if an emergency does occur, the plane is ready to meet with the president immediately. Environmentalists, understandably aren’t too happy about this!

12. Over Seas Visits

One of the planes will always follow the president, should he travel abroad to ensure that the plane is always close by to the president should war break out whilst he is overseas.

13. Constant Communication

The planes are fitted with a wire antenna which keeps the president in communication with the nuclear submarine fleet, even if ground-based communications are destroyed. It really is something quite special!

14. Remarkable History

The ‘Doomsday planes’ were first operated in the 1970s during the Cold War. One of the planes was kept constantly on alert at Andrew’s Air Force Base, ready to lift of with the president in just 15 minutes.

15. Flying Forever

In 2006, the purpose of the planes were discussed and their retirement was scheduled for 2009. Instead, the planes have never been retired and still operate business as usual!

16. Cost Of Flying

The fleet has an estimated roll-out cost of around $250 million each. In 2005, the Air Force awarded Boeing with a 5 year contract costing $2 billion, to continue to upgrade the fleet. In addition to this, the planes cost an eye watering $160,000 per hour for the Air Force to operate.

17. Hidden From Sight

The ‘Doomsday plane’ will always land at a different airport to that of Air Force One, for the clear reason that if one is destroyed the other will be intact. This is why you never see it in any pictures of the president disembarking from Air Force One.

18. Out With The Old

As soon as the president steps foot on to the Doomsday plane, it becomes the new Air Force One, meaning that is has priority over all other air traffic.

19. Top Secret

Due to the nature of the plane, the U.S government never mention its existence for the concern that it may become a target for malicious intent.

20. Action Shot

The plane was reportedly last called into action on September 11, 2001, when America was bombarded by hijacked planes. Many saw what they thought to be the plane circling the sky above Washington D.C on that fateful day.

21. Deny All

The government have yet to confirm that the plane was circulating the air around Washington D.C on September 11. The plane was seen in the morning around the time the twin towers were struck, but before the Pentagon was hit.

22. Conspiracy Time

Conspirators have long seen this as evidence that the doomsday plane was in effect a command center for the 9/11 attacks, which they consider an inside job.

23. Where Was It?

There is no mention of the doomsday plane’s deployment that day in the official report of the 9/11 Commission, an omission which has fueled such conspiracies.

24. Secret Is Not So Safe

The more reasonable assumption as to why the planes existence has never been admitted is likely down to the simple fact that the U.S government hides its existence, and nothing more than that.

25. What Could It Be?

The Doomsday plane certainly does look very much like the one spotted circling Washington D.C. on that fateful day. However, could it simply be that the plane was swooping in ready to collect the president and take him away to safety?

26. Up In The Air

The aircraft, which is usually deployed in the event of a nuclear attack was spotted in the skies on November 20, 2016. The sighting sent conspiracy theorists into a frenzy…

27. Flying High

The plane took off from San Diego and headed towards the Pacific Ocean before turning around to circle over Denver in Colorado for an hour. People were concerned about the sighting…

28. Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane?

The £100 million aircraft then landed in Oklahoma several hours later. During its flight, many officials at air force bases claimed the aircraft never checked in with their traffic control towers. Why was it such a secret?!

29. Who? What? Why?

One skywatcher in Colorado tweeted: “Why is such a large MILITARY plane flying over the US & no one seems to know who or what it was doing?”

30. Speculation Flight

Users on Twitter speculated that the plane’s flight could have been a show of strength to Russia or even a response to the election of President-elect Donald Trump.