Obama's "escape plane"

[onyx39]

I've just been reading on a spotters forum about the above 757 (or whatever it's military designation is).
Apparently it's a secondary aircraft that's based a given number of miles away from Air Force One and, she Air Force one be compromised, it's his escape plane, and will leave if necessary with Obama aboard, in other words the rest of the administration are not bothered about.
Anyone know if this is a new thing, or has there always been a back up aircraft?
I do recall Two 747's coming into Heathrow once, so it was not possible to identify which aircraft he was on, but only once, when security was massively heightened.

[brickwall]

The USAF has 6 of these 757s (C-32 official military designation).

Usually used by the Vice President, Secretary of State, First Lady etc.

Whether they routinely position one as a backup Air Force 1 I don't know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-32

[paulrussell]

There's been a backup plane for a while. The backup plane is used to carry the extra staff that accompanies the President, and as a spare encase anything happens to the plane that's been acting as AF1. Usually the back up plane has been another 747, so perhaps something went wrong with that and they had to use another plane in the fleet.

[Ledaig]

Small point, but 'Air Force One' is not a specific aircraft, it is the call sign assigned to any aircraft which carries the President of the USA.

[Zad]

Lyndon B Johnson took the oath of office whilst aboard the aircraft (not that one, obviously) and the callsign of the aircraft changed to Air Force One. Sadly it wasn't mid-flight, as was widely believed when I was a kid!

[onyx39]

Ledaig said:

Small point, but 'Air Force One' is not a specific aircraft, it is the call sign assigned to any aircraft which carries the President of the USA.

I know.

[JW911]

The USAF has two VC-25s as the executive transport (the modified 747-200s which you know as Air Force One). They also operate a small number of E-4Bs, the airborne command posts known as "Kneecap" (National Emergency Airborne Command Post - NEACP geddit?).

These are an entirely different animal which are occasionally seen in Europe. They look significantly different and have different capabilities. In time of war, the NCA would travel on one of those. The VC-25s are normally accompanied by a second aircraft (used to be a 707) but is now often the 757 shown. Kneecap won't be far away.

[Mabbs9]

For quite a few years this (or similar) 75's have tagged along with the 74. I've seen them together in a few places.

Atb