Original Air Force One makes first flight in over a decade
The plane will fly, after years of restoration, from Arizona to Virgina with the help of Mid America Flight Museum
https://www.military1.com/history-1/article/1590673014-original-air-force-one-makes-first-flight-in-over-a-decade Original Air Force One makes first flight in over a decade
Photo via Mid America Flight Museum's Facebook page
M1 Staff
An iconic piece of American and military history may grace the skies for the first time in over a decade.
The first plane to use the presidential call sign, the original Air Force One, is scheduled to fly from Marana, Arizona to its new home in Bridgewater, Virginia after nearly ten years of storage.
The plane, “Columbine II,” was carrying President Dwight Eisenhower over New York City in December 1953, with air traffic controllers identifying it as Air Force 8610. However, during the flight, a commercial airliner with the identical flight number 8610 caused confusion, and the two planes nearly collided. As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that any plane carrying the president of the United States be identified as Air Force One.
In 1970, the Columbine II was sold to a rancher, Mel Christler, during a military surplus auction, who used it to dust crops, without knowing its storied history.
Karl Stoltzfus, chairman of Dynamic Aviation in Virgina, purchased the plane from Christler, and attempted to restore the plane with the help of Mid America Flight Museum founder Scott Glover.
The Columbine II’s situation is unique, in that it is the only privately-owned presidential aircraft in existence, and the only one not in a museum.
“Every other plane is still under government ownership, and this is the very first Air Force One plane,” Glover’s brother, pilot Frank Glover, said. “This the only Air Force One that is not in a museum. That’s what makes this plane so unique.”
Scott Glover will escort the Columbine II on its historic flight, piloting a restored B-25 and carrying photographer Tyson Rininger to document the event.
A statement from the Mid America Flight Museum shows their excitement at being a part of the plane’s new history.
“Although Dynamic Aviation owns the aircraft, the team at Mid America Flight Museum … have made two extended trips to Arizona to help prepare the Columbine II to fly,” the statement read. “To have the only civilian Air Force One in Mount Pleasant will be one of the most historic events our city has ever experienced.”
