End of an Era as Famous Air Force One Linked to Prestwick Faces Retirement

It is an iconic aeroplane and in this colour scheme it is probably one of the best known aeroplanes in the world.

Aviation Editor Doug Maclean.

The aircraft carrying the President of the United States of America is called Air Force One. No matter whether the current President Trump is flying with Captain Ham in Wee Dram, if the President of the United States is flying in it, that aircraft becomes Air Force One for the period of time that the President is on board.

Normally the President travels on a modified Boeing 747-200. The aircraft livery is clean and classy and instantly recognisable. In military service the 747-200 is titled as a VC-25A. The most obvious differences to the standard B747 are the numerous lumps and bumps showing on the aircraft fuselage. These are mainly communications equipment which allows the President to be in secure communication with anyone, anywhere in the world.

Although many people talk about Air Force One as one recognisable aeroplane there are in fact 2 identical aircraft. The only difference the public would notice is that one carries tail number 28000 and the other is 29000.

29000 last flew into Prestwick as Air Force One on 25th July 2025 when President Trump visited his Turnberry hotel and golf course. Thousands of people ringed the airport to watch the classy aircraft land.

The aircraft waited at Prestwick and left with the President on board on 28th July as he headed back to Washington. (Thank you local aviation historian, Edward Wallace.)

News came in last night as White House staff Tweeted that aircraft 29000 had probably made its last flight when it brought President Trump back from the G7 talks in Paris.

Assistant to the President & White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung was first to hint at the news when he Tweeted a picture of the aircraft on the ground at Washington and said "Well done, good and faithful servant.” The Last Ride.” Within hours multiple staff members had written of their memories of flights on 29000 as Air Force One.

So what happens next ? The US has had 2 new VC-25B aircraft being modified by Boeing for Presidential service but they are years late and $ billions over budget. There is no sign of them being ready in the near future and the President is a regular user of the VIP Presidential aircraft.

It would appear that the solution may come with a mix of aircraft. VC-21A registration 28000 has been recently maintained and is ready to come back into service.

Also there is the VVIP Boeing 747-8 which was donated to President Trump by the Emir of Qatar. That has been modified for Presidential service and finished its test and acceptance flights last week.

It is believed to have been painted in the new and very different Presidential colour scheme that President Trump wants for all the aircraft in the Presidential Airlift Group. There are lots of AI generated pictures showing how the VC-25B could look. So far there are no official pictures of videos.

28000 is now available for Presidential use and it is heavily rumoured that the newly modified Qatari VC-25B will make its first trip as Air Force One on a flight where President Trump is scheduled to overfly the site of the 4 Presidents at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota.

As part of the USA's 250th anniversary celebrations on July 3rd Air Force One will fly past the 60 feet high carvings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. It has been suggested that President Trump would like to be the 5th President to be carved into the Mount Rushmore rock.

In the meantime VC-21A 29000 will likely sit in storage and it is reported that the aircraft is destined to be a central part of the huge building that will be President Trump Presidential Library. That will be constructed after he leaves office in 2029.