page_title: Air transports of heads of state and government
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Air transports of heads of state and government / History
caption_attribution_description: Original caption: ""The Sacred Cow", the most historic aircraft then in commission, made its final flight at 11:10 A.M., Tuesday, October 17th, before going into retirement and enshrinement. Major General Brooke Allen, Commander of Headquarters Command, who was the first American bomber air pilot to go into combat in World War II, landed the Air Force C-54 that flew both President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President Harry S. Truman during World War II, at Andrews Air Force Base after making an eight mile flight from Bolling. "The Sacred Cow", nicknamed by Fleet Admiral William Leahy, flew more than 1,500,000 miles, equivalent to 70 times around the world, was turned over to the National Air Museum. The military ceremony transferring "The Sacred Cow" that has logged 12,135 hours and 25 minutes took place at Andrews Air Force Base, 11 A.M., Monday, December 4, 1961. General Allen, the pilot of the "Cow"'s last flight, was able to take off the first B-17 bomber when the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941, from Hickam Air Force Base."
context_page_description: Air transports for heads of state and government are, in many countries, provided by the air force in specially equipped airliners or business jets. One such aircraft in particular has become part of popular culture: Air Force One, used by the President of the United States and operated by the United States Air Force. Other well known official aircraft include the Russian presidential aircraft, the British Royal Air Force VIP aircraft, the French "Cotam 001" operated by the ETEC 65, the Royal Canadian Air Force VIP aircraft, the German Konrad Adenauer, the Royal Australian Airforce VIP aircraft, the Japanese Air Force One, the South Korean Code One, Air India One, and the Brazilian Air Force One.
  Another well known means of transportation for world leaders is by helicopter. Helicopters are seen as not only cheaper and more cost effective but also more convenient than a motorcade. These include the US President's Marine One, the South Korean Presidential Helicopter, Queen Elizabeth II's Helicopter, and the Brazilian Presidential Helicopter.
context_section_description: On 15 July 1910, the then Tsar of Bulgaria Ferdinand I became the first head of state to fly in an aircraft during a visit to Belgium.
  In 1919, during Paris Peace Conference, senior British politicians including Prime Minister David Lloyd George and Leader of the House of Commons Bonar Law used several Airco DH.4 planes for the cross-Channel trips. Originally designed as bombers, modified planes featured an enclosed compartment for two passengers (cockpit was left open) and a separate luggage compartment. Dubbed Lloyd George's airplane, it was probably one of the first aircraft to be widely used by a political leader.
  The British Monarch became the first head of state or government to receive official and dedicated air transport when two Westland Wapitis were delivered to No. 24 Squadron RAF at RAF Northolt for the express purpose of the transportation of the Royal Family in 1928. Between 1929 and 1935, Edward, Prince of Wales, purchased 13 aircraft. Although the RAF maintained at least one of these aircraft for a time, the Prince of Wales eventually became solely responsible for them. When the prince ascended to the throne in 1936 as Edward VIII, The King's Flight was formed as the world's first head of state aircraft unit. This unit initially used the King's own de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide; however, this was replaced in May 1937 by an Airspeed AS.6J Envoy III.
  In the United States, prior to World War II, overseas and cross-country presidential travel was rare. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an aircraft while in office. During World War II, Roosevelt traveled on the Dixie Clipper, a Pan Am-crewed Boeing 314 flying boat, to the 1943 Casablanca Conference in Morocco. The flight covered 5,500 miles in three legs. The first dedicated aircraft proposed for presidential use was a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express VIP transport aircraft. This aircraft, tail number 41-24159, was re-modified in 1943 for use as a presidential VIP transport, the Guess Where II, intended to carry President Franklin D. Roosevelt on international trips. The Secret Service subsequently reconfigured a Douglas C-54 Skymaster for duty as a presidential transport. This VC-54C aircraft, nicknamed the Sacred Cow, included a sleeping area, radio telephone, and retractable elevator to lift Roosevelt in his wheelchair. As modified, the VC-54C was used by President Roosevelt only once, on his trip to and from the Yalta Conference in February 1945.
  In the postwar period, governments around the world have instituted similar provisions for the official aerial transportation of their heads of state and government.
caption: President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Douglas C-54 Skymaster aircraft, nicknamed the Sacred Cow.
exif: {}