Air Force One photo op incident Air Force One photo op incident The "Air Force One" photo op incident occurred on the morning of April 27, 2009, when a Boeing VC-25 (a Boeing 747 military variant used as "Air Force One" when the president is aboard), followed by a U.S. Air Force F-16 jet fighter, flew low and circled the Upper New York Bay, site of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. President Barack Obama was not on board the aircraft during the incident. Although the planes were engaged in a photo op and training exercise, the citizens of New York and New Jersey had not
Boeing VC-25 in general. The two aircraft often operate in conjunction with "Marine One" helicopters, which ferry the President to airports whenever a vehicle motorcade would be inappropriate. Two new aircraft, designated as VC-25B, are scheduled to be delivered by 2024. By 1985, the pair of Boeing 707-based VC-137s used as the Presidential aircraft had been in service for 23 and 13 years respectively, and the USAF began searching for an eventual replacement. The Request for Proposal issued stated that the aircraft to be selected should have at least three engines and an unrefueled range of at least . Both Boeing with