Nat Geo Special Examines New Air Force One

With the current pair of Boeing 747s known as Air Force One now passing three decades in service, their replacements are already undergoing the extensive modification needed for them to assume the role of the airborne transport for the President of the United States. To document the process National Geographic has produced a film that will debut on the Nat Geo Channel on Monday, February 15th, and AIN was able to review an advance copy of the program.

Titled The New Air Force One: Flying Fortress, the hour-long program details the evolution and some of the history of the aircraft that have carried the call sign Air Force One, and weaves this narrative around an actual mission flown by the former administration. As the narrator repeatedly informs the audience, National Geographic’s camera crews were given unprecedented access aboard the aircraft and were able to interview the crew and staff assigned to it as they describe their jobs and the limitations they face operating and maintaining the 30-year-old jets. A crew chief explains how vital parts needed to maintain the two aircraft in "like-new” condition are becoming difficult to obtain as some vendors are no longer supporting the 747-200 fleet, of which few remain in service.