Details about Air Force One are kept secret

Question: When Air Force One makes a long trip such as from Singapore to Washington, D.C., does it refuel in air? What is the range of a 747?

– Dean Flanders, Layton, Utah

Answer: The Air Force carefully limits the information about the specifics of an Air Force One flight. So if there were an aerial refueling, we would not know about it.

The specially modified B747s that fly the president are capable of aerial refueling, and the crews maintain proficiency in this skill.

The direct answer to your question is that it is possible, but the information is not released.

The range of a 747 depends on the type of 747. A 747-400 has a range of approximately 8,300 miles, while a 747-100’s initial range was less than 5,000 miles.

Q: A commercial flight from New York to London is seven hours. How many hours is it for the president?

– Frank Kaminski, Cheswick, Pennsylvania

A: The 747 that the president flies as Air Force One cruises at about the same speed as a normal commercial jetliner. So the answer to your question would be around seven hours.

Q: In what ways are the president’s planes modified?

– Hallett James Richard

A: They are specially modified for defensive countermeasures and outfitted with special communication equipment.

In 2017, the U.S. contracted with Boeing for two 747-8s to replace the current older 747s.