Aircrafttotal Encyclopedia

Government aircraft

Aircraft of presidents, kings and governments — from the Sacred Cow and the first jet Air Force One to the Dutch PH-GOV and the presidential helicopters.

34aircraft
4groups
1916–2017first flight
7countries

About government aircraft

Government aircraft are aircraft used by state or national governments for official duties: flights of the head of state, the royal family, the prime minister and ministers. They range from repurposed business jets to large airliners modified for government needs, with offices, conference rooms, secure communications and sometimes self-protection systems and air refuelling.

The first government flights were made in 1919, when converted Airco DH.4 bombers flew British politicians to the Paris peace conference. In 1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first US president to fly while in office, and from the 1950s the presidential aircraft got the famous call sign "Air Force One". Today many countries have their own government aircraft, like the Dutch Boeing 737 PH-GOV.

  1. 1916
    Airco DH.4Used for British government flights to the Paris peace conference (1919)Airco · United Kingdom
  2. 1930
    Douglas RD-2 DolphinFlown for President Franklin D. RooseveltDouglas Aircraft · United States
  3. 1938
    Boeing 314 Dixie ClipperThe first flight of a sitting US president (1943)Boeing · United States
  4. 1942
    Consolidated C-87A Guess Where IIThe first aircraft meant to be the presidential aircraftConsolidated Aircraft · United States
  5. 1944
    Douglas VC-54C Sacred CowThe first aircraft built for a US presidentDouglas Aircraft · United States
  6. 1947
    Douglas VC-118 IndependenceDouglas Aircraft · United States
  7. 1948
    Lockheed VC-121A Columbine IIThe first aircraft with the call sign "Air Force One"Lockheed · United States
  8. 1954
    Lockheed VC-121E Columbine IIILockheed · United States
  9. 1957
    Bell UH-13J SiouxThe first presidential helicopterBell Helicopter · United States
  10. 1959
    Sikorsky VH-3 Sea KingSikorsky · United States
  11. 1962
    Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000The first jet Air Force One, in the famous blue and white coloursBoeing · United States
  12. 1967
    Fokker F28 Fellowship PH-PBXFokker · Netherlands
  13. 1967
    Fokker F28 Tango 02Fokker · Argentina
  14. 1972
    Lockheed S-3B Viking Navy OneThe only aircraft that flew with the call sign "Navy One"Lockheed · United States
  15. 1981
    BAe 146 CC2British Aerospace · United Kingdom
  16. 1982
    Boeing 757-200 Tango 01Boeing · Argentina
  17. 1985
    Gulfstream IV RNLAFGulfstream Aerospace · Netherlands
  18. 1987
    Boeing VC-25AThe best-known aircraft in the worldBoeing · United States
  19. 1993
    Fokker 70 PH-KBXFokker · Netherlands
  20. 1995
    Airbus A319 ACJAirbus · Europe
  21. 1995
    Gulfstream VGulfstream Aerospace · United States
  22. 1998
    Boeing C-32ABoeing · United States
  23. 1998
    Boeing 737 BBJ PH-GOVBoeing · Netherlands
  24. 2000
    Boeing C-40 ClipperBoeing · United States
  25. 2007
    Airbus A330 MRTT Voyager VespinaAirbus · United Kingdom
  26. 2007
    Embraer Lineage 1000Embraer · Brazil
  27. 2007
    Lockheed Martin VH-71 KestrelLockheed Martin / AgustaWestland · United States
  28. 2010
    Dassault Falcon 900LXDassault Aviation · United Kingdom
  29. 2013
    Airbus A350 Konrad AdenauerAirbus · Germany
  30. 2015
    Bell 525 RelentlessBell Textron · United States
  31. 2016
    Cessna Citation LongitudeCessna · United States
  32. 2017
    Sikorsky VH-92 PatriotSikorsky · United States
  33. —
    Boeing VC-25BBoeing · United States
  34. —
    Boeing 757 Trump Force OneBoeing · United States