National Museum of the United States Air Force Plane Talk

This past weekend, the National Museum of The United States Air Force held a Plane talk. The Museum’s plane talks consist of monthly sessions on Saturdays that explain the history of the items that are on display in the Presidential Gallery of the museum. People who attend these sessions get to learn about the aircrafts that have transported the presidents of the United States of America. During the Plane talks, guests also get to meet and hear from individuals that have served on these airplanes and have personally interacted with Presidents of the country.

This year, the National Museum of The United States Air Force is celebrating its 100 year anniversary with the largest presidential aircraft collection in the country. The museum is proud to showcase one of its most precious galleries that includes four different airplanes that people can walk through, in addition of the cherished Sacred Cow which is officially known as the Douglas VC-54C Skymaster.

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The Sacred Cow is the first aircraft intentionally built to fly the President of the United States. It is on board the airplane that President Harry Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947. The act established the US Air Force as an independent service, making the aircraft the “birthplace” of the United States Air Force.

The presidential Aircraft collection has more special items which include President Truman’s aircraft called The independence and Columbine III, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s aircraft.

“A fun fact about Columbine III is that the first lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the aircraft not with Champagne but with a glass of water from Colorado which is her adopted home state,” said Meghan Anderson, curator in the research department of the National Museum of the United Sates Air Force.

You can also visit VC-137C SAM 26000 better known as Air Force One as part of the collection. “

“A fun fact about SAM 26000 is that it carries different heads of states and diplomates and holds the distinction of Air Force One only when the President is aboard,” Anderson said.

The presidential gallery also contains many artifacts that pertain to United States Air Force history.

This weekend’s plane talk, in honor of presidents day, focused on the Presidential Gallery and particularly on VC-137C SAM 26000. The aircraft has flown eight sitting Presidents – President John F. Kennedy through President Bill Clinton – over 36 years and for over 13 thousand hours. The Plane talks are held monthly on Saturdays between 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

You can learn more at: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/

Mame Thiome

Managing Editor/Business Manager