While inspecting the inventory of Air Force One after Biden A visit to the West Coast of the US in February found several items missing from its press section. Among them, for example, cushion covers with the presidential seal, glasses or plates with gold rims.
The White House therefore had to warn that taking items from the aircraft is prohibited. He even sent out an email warning that such behavior casts a bad light on the so-called press pool – that is, the group of journalists who travel with the president – and must therefore stop.
Journalists are sometimes given small packages of chocolate M&Ms emblazoned with the seal and signature of the president as souvenirs. “You might be surprised, but they are regular M&Ms, just in a pretty box.” Voice of America White House correspondent Misha Komadovsky told Britain’s BBC.
Taking items with the Air Force One logo, including cutlery and towels, is fine, he said common for years. He himself is said to have already amassed a “low-key” collection from his trips on the presidential plane.
“I did not embarrass anyone by doing this, nor did I commit any offense,” he added, pointing with a smile to a paper cup with the Air Force One logo that he said he “just forgot to throw away.”
Office in the clouds
Air Force One, which the White House calls the president’s office in the clouds, is about 372 m² spread over three floors. The impressive facilities include an expansive presidential suite, a medical station with an operating table, a conference and dining room, two food preparation kitchens that can feed 100 people at a time, and dedicated areas for press, VIPs, security and secretaries.
The aircraft is classified as a military aircraft that is designed to withstand air attack. It is also able to refuel in mid-air, allowing it to fly indefinitely – which is important in an emergency.
Air Force One is also equipped with secure communications equipment that allows the aircraft to function as a mobile command center. The president sits in the front while journalists are seated in the back of the plane.
Readers may know the plane from the cult American film Air Force One with Harrison Ford. On board, for example, President Lyndon Johnson took the presidential oathshortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas.