Charlie Stross
This is ridiculous. Air Force One is the call sign of one of two Air Force VC-25Bs, which are based on the same Boeing 747-8 airframe as this Quatari jet … but with $2.5Bn of changes to each, and the first two aren't finished yet. As it is, this plane isn't fit for purpose without 2-3 years of VERY expensive refits (for security, electronic countermeasures, in-flight refuelling, and military communications). It's basically a huge bizjet.
https://climatejustice.social/@JdeB/114494778577365953
JdeB (@[email protected])

#USpolitics #PlaneCorruption Desperately searching for a #Loophole to fly a #JumboJet through... "Why Trump's plan to use luxury jet as Air Force One is 'highly unusual'" [ ± 1-3 min] by CNN https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2rAMZTnpiEs Quote by CNN: "May 11, 2025 The Trump administration is set to accept a luxury plane from the Qatari royal family which will be retrofitted and used as Air Force One during his second term, two people familiar with the agreement told CNN. Trump and aides toured a model of the plane earlier this year at the airport in Palm Beach." #USriseUp #TimeToResist #FightOligarchy

Climate Justice Social
May 12, 2025 at 6:55pmWeb
Show threadFi 🏳️‍⚧️May 12, 2025

@cstross

Yes, but this one's fancy and has the foreign intelligence agency bugs pre-installed.

Show threadD2May 12, 2025
@munin @cstross you said (that stuff) But I what heard is ‘doesn’t have the defensive anti-missile / chaff / etc capabilities that’d spare the Qatari jet from getting shot down by enemies with vengeance and dank friends”
Show threadFi 🏳️‍⚧️May 12, 2025

@InkomTech @cstross

You may want to get your ears checked.

Not to defend the Qatari royal family's hand-me-downs but LAIRCM and chaff dispensers are fairly trivial add-ons for an aircraft like that if they're not already equipped - and given they've been renting P4-HBJ out to various VIP types, I expect that sort of thing comes standard.

Along with the en-suite espionage dealies, ofc.

Show threadD2May 12, 2025

@munin Right. A 2018 $1.9b (per jet, 2 ordered) fixed-price contract with Boeing is now years behind and another $2b per jet over budget, but the mods involved are stock on all luxury jets, or fairly trivial to add. (/s) I doubt this.

I don’t claim to know av defense, so I mentioned a couple terms off the cuff. That’s on me. But I do know security, and doubted before and still that a sheik’s gilt harem-hauler gets USAF-spec equipment and arms.

Show threadNot The LBC GuyMay 12, 2025
@cstross @JdeB now why might a foreign government be interested in having the US President regularly flying in a plane that can be taken out with a single shot from the crudest MANPAD…?
Show threadCharlie StrossMay 12, 2025

@NotTheLBCGuy @JdeB Note that actual VC-25As (or the forthcoming VC-25B model) fly way too high for MANPADs and have electronic countermeasures to jam missile guidance systems. And also a fighter escort.

This Quatari jet, however … if it was their royal family it probably has countermeasures too? But also bugs. And none of the USAF special sauce of the VC-25Bs.

Show threadNicolas SAPA May 12, 2025
Quatar is trying the 1964 Moscow US embassy bug in the wall trick?
Show threadD2May 12, 2025
@nico @JdeB @NotTheLBCGuy @cstross now with More Gold Leaf!!
Show threadD2May 12, 2025
@cstross @NotTheLBCGuy @JdeB you think Qatar’s defenses are remotely up to American levels?
Show threadBashStKidMay 12, 2025
@InkomTech @cstross @NotTheLBCGuy @JdeB They’re pretty much within range of Iran, SA, Israel, and Yemen as soon as they’re up in the air, and they have the Fifth Fleet parked round the corner. Why do you think they wouldn’t have perhaps even better equipment?
Show threadD2May 12, 2025
@BashStKid I mean, if your base principles hold that a sheik’s gilt “flying palace” is a target like airforce one, that kind of fizzles the convo.
Show threadD2May 12, 2025
@NotTheLBCGuy @cstross @JdeB am relieved I’m not the only one that thought: uh, that $billions is for DoD toys. U sure u wanna fly without ‘em?
Show threadSeán FenianMay 12, 2025
@cstross But the animatronic yam, obsessed with instant gratification, only sees "SHINY!!!" and doesn't understand why any of those other things are important.
Show threadNeo EhproqueMay 12, 2025
@cstross shhh, let him use it without all the extra security
Show threadFrank Bennett 🇯🇵May 12, 2025
@cstross My late father had an expression for people attracted to assets like this: "horse poor."
Show threadJeff Zugale - Z FactoryMay 12, 2025

@cstross they would also have to literally replace all four engines and the entire fueling system, because all those parts MUST come from securely controlled USAF maintenance/storage facilities. There’s no such thing as an “off the shelf” part replacement on AF1.

If AF1 needed a new engine while parked next to the Rolls-Royce factory in UK, it would still be shipped by USAF from the US.

Show threadarrbeeMay 12, 2025
@cstross
So it will be in mint condition when it becomes Trump's private property ?
Show threadFlaming CheetoMay 12, 2025
@cstross silver lining: this appears to be the only official indicator of a planned post-presidency. Usually they do the "there are legal options for a 3rd term since they stole my 1st from me"
Show threadfedops 💙💛May 12, 2025
@cstross if you're not paying for it you're the product...
Show threadJdeBPMay 12, 2025

@cstross

It's also the call sign of an MC-130. I've watched the movie right to the very last line of dialogue. (-:

It turns out that that's not even fiction. A C-130 has been Air Force One. 5 years before the movie came out.

https://aviation.stackexchange.com/a/94886/19656

#AirForceOne #aviation #aeroplanes

Has a C-130 ever been designated as "Air Force One"?

Near the end of the movie, "Air Force One", Harrison Ford is transferred to a C-130, which then changes its call sign to "Air Force One". My question is, has a president of the US ever flown in a C...

Aviation Stack Exchange
Show threadMark OtwayMay 12, 2025

@cstross

My understanding is that Air Force One is the call sign of whichever fixed wing aircraft POTUS is on board at the time. It doesn't refer to a specific airplane.

Show threadDressToKILTMay 12, 2025
@markotway @cstross Correct, more specifically, it is the ATC call-sign for any USAF plane bearing the President. The real issue here is that unless this plane is officially logged as USAF inventory, it cannot be designated Air Force One.
Show threadDressToKILTMay 12, 2025
@markotway @cstross Adding to clarify that's apparently exactly what they intend to do - it will be transferred to the USAF which will upgrade it to the milspec they require to yeet POTUS around.
Show threadCharlie StrossMay 13, 2025

@dresstokilt @markotway Great! So they get a third VC-25B on top of the two they already bought and are converting and which won't be ready for a couple of years because the airframe is only about 20% oif the cost of making a VC-25B out of a stock B747-8.

And then they'll have to strip a bunch of stuff *out* of it when they hand it to Trump's presidential library.

You know where the term "white elephant" came from, right?

Show threadDressToKILTMay 13, 2025

@cstross @markotway tThe best part is that they probably won't have to strip a lot out when they hand it to the library, because as an ex-president he basically has the same protection detail and access as a sitting president (assuming the next president doesn't strip him of most of that like he did to Biden).

But it's OK! there wasn't an explicit exchange of value for it (YET), so it's not unethical!

Show threadCharlie StrossMay 13, 2025
@dresstokilt @markotway They'll absolutely have to strip out the C3I kit and the satcoms used for executing the war plans in the nuclear football. Trump being Trump, if he's still metabolically active after leaving office he *will* use his 747-8 bizjet to go visit his homies in North Korea, Moscow, and so on ...
Show threadDressToKILTMay 13, 2025
@cstross @markotway this is of course assuming he leaves office...
Show threadCharlie StrossMay 13, 2025
@dresstokilt @markotway He'll eventually have to leave office—even if it's in a pine box. Hopefully he'll leave sooner rather than later.
Show threadDressToKILTMay 13, 2025
@cstross @markotway also hoping that when he leaves that Don Jr. doesn't just inherit the Golden Goose.
Show threadMark OtwayMay 13, 2025

@cstross

*Gold box. Pine isn't gaudy enough.

@dresstokilt

Show threadDavid WintheiserMay 13, 2025
@cstross @JdeB It’s also, I believe, the answer to a trivia question: What is the only aircraft with more landings than takeoffs? Since Gerald Ford was supposedly flying at the time of Nixon’s resignation of the presidency, Air Force Two became Air Force One mid-flight.
Show threadJürgen HubertMay 13, 2025
@cstross The surveillance options for foreign government are not a bug, they are a feature.
Show threadRicardo B�nffyMay 13, 2025
@cstross it’s a bribejet.