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 its 747 and McDonnell Douglas with the DC-10 were in competition to be selected, with the Boeing entry the eventual winner. The fabrication of the current 747s began during the presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981–1989). Reagan ordered two identical Boeing 747-200Bs to replace the Boeing 707s that he used for transport. The VC-25s were completed in 1986 and first flew in 1987. The interior designs were created by First Lady Nancy Reagan, who used designs reminiscent of the American Southwest. Problems with interior wiring for communication systems delayed delivery of the two aircraft until 1990, during the administration of George