Surprising Facts You Didn’t Know About Air Force One

Even after arriving at Joint Base Andrews, the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft was not instantly ready to carry the president. The Air Force said it still had to begin commissioning flights with the Presidential Airlift Group before entering active presidential service.

Those flights act like a final exam in the sky. Crews use them to validate safety systems, secure communications, security procedures, and the mission standards expected from a flying White House. For a plane this sensitive, arrival is only the beginning of approval.