YOUR AIRCRAFT FIELD GUIDE
SAM 26000 FLYING THE PRESIDENT
A jet built for presidential travel.
Discover how one airplane became part of American history.
- MAXIMUM SPEED
- 600 mph
- RANGE
- 6,000 mi
- PASSENGERS
- 40
Nearly 10 miles each minute
Built for long journeys
Plus a crew of 7 or 8
IS “AIR FORCE ONE”
THE AIRPLANE'S NAME?
You have probably heard this aircraft called Air Force One.
But look closely: its actual military call sign was SAM 26000 — spoken as “SAM Two-Six-Thousand.”
So when did it become Air Force One?
BUILT FOR
A PRESIDENT
SAM 26000 began with the design of a Boeing 707-320B airliner, but it was highly modified for presidential transportation.
Delivered to the U.S. Air Force on October 10, 1962, it became the first jet aircraft built specifically for use by the President of the United States.
Four turbofan engines powered it to a maximum speed of about 600 mph, with a range of about 6,000 miles and a ceiling of 41,000 feet.
LOOK AT
THE PAINT
Presidential travel was about more than getting from one place to another. The airplane also had to represent the United States wherever it landed.
Look back at the photograph, then tap each detail you can find.
THE WORDS What is written along the fuselage?
Tall lettering stretched across the fuselage so the aircraft's identity could be recognized immediately.
THE COLORS What colors stand out?
At President Kennedy's request, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and industrial designer Raymond Loewy developed the distinctive blue-and-white paint scheme.
THE TAIL What symbol appears high above the aircraft?
A large American flag was placed on the tail. Together, the colors, lettering, and flag created a look associated with presidential aircraft for decades afterward.
A FRONT-ROW SEAT
TO HISTORY
SAM 26000 carried presidents across the United States and around the world during some of the most important moments of the Cold War.
Pick a destination below to open part of its flight history.
1963 BERLIN WEST GERMANY OPEN STAMP →
PRESIDENT KENNEDY
In June 1963, SAM 26000 carried President John F. Kennedy to West Berlin.
During that visit he delivered the speech remembered for the words “Ich bin ein Berliner.”
1963 DALLAS TEXAS OPEN STAMP →
A SOMBER FLIGHT HOME
President Kennedy flew aboard SAM 26000 to Dallas on November 22, 1963.
After Kennedy was assassinated, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson took the presidential oath of office aboard the aircraft.
SAM 26000 then carried President Johnson and Kennedy's body back to Washington, D.C.
1972 CHINA BEIJING OPEN STAMP →
PRESIDENT NIXON
In February 1972, SAM 26000 carried President Richard Nixon on his historic trip to the People's Republic of China.
It was the first visit to China by a sitting American president.
Three months later, the aircraft also carried Nixon on a major visit to the Soviet Union.
THE AIRCRAFT
BECAME PART OF HISTORY
An airplane normally carries people between places. On this day, SAM 26000 also became the setting for a constitutional transfer of presidential power.
It remains one of the aircraft's most historically significant moments.
NOT AN ORDINARY
AIRLINE CABIN
Presidential flying required space for more than passengers. The president traveled with advisers, military personnel, staff, and others who needed to continue working while in the air.
EIGHT
PRESIDENTS
During its 36-year flying career, SAM 26000 carried eight sitting U.S. presidents.
In December 1972, a newer VC-137C became the primary presidential aircraft and SAM 26000 became the backup. It continued carrying presidents, vice presidents, and other senior officials for years afterward.
Sources & photo credits
Research checked September 8, 2026. Facts and historical descriptions in this guide are based primarily on official U.S. Air Force and National Museum of the U.S. Air Force records.
- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000 — delivery date, presidential call sign, paint scheme, historic journeys, presidents carried, retirement, and technical specifications.
- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: SAM 26000 Logbook — November 22, 1963 flight records and Johnson's succession.
- U.S. Air Force: VC-25 / Air Force One — presidential airlift history and the Air Force One call sign.
The four photographs used above are each explicitly labeled IMAGE IS PUBLIC DOMAIN in their individual National Museum of the U.S. Air Force photo records.
- Exterior: U.S. Air Force, VIRIN 041230-F-1234P-025.
- In flight: U.S. Air Force, VIRIN 071106-F-1234S-022.
- Johnson oath of office: U.S. Air Force, VIRIN 060901-F-1234S-002.
- Johnson aboard SAM 26000: U.S. Air Force, VIRIN 060901-F-1234S-001.
Use of U.S. Air Force or Department of Defense imagery does not imply endorsement.
“Did you know eight U.S. presidents flew aboard the SAM 26000? (Presidents kennedy, Jonson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George W. Bush and Clinton)”
