Mr. Phil Douglas, Executive Director of First Air Force One, will speak on the fascinating history of the first plane to be called “Air Force One”. President Eisenhower’s presidential airplane resides locally in Bridgewater, Virginia. Mr. Douglas and his organization have the mission of restoring it to its former glory. The history of the First Air Force One is incredibly unique. From carrying the President to being forgotten in the desert, the timeline of the First Air Force One’s life is a story all its own. First Air Force One will be restored to “as new” condition – like it just came off the assembly line or better.
First Air Force One is a 501c3 formed in October 2022 to own, oversee the restoration of, and conduct the ongoing operations of President Eisenhower's original presidential aircraft. This was the very first aircraft to go by the call sign Air Force One. It is a 1948 Lockheed Constellation that was commissioned by President Eisenhower in November 1952, named Columbine II by Mamie Eisenhower, and served as the president’s primary air transport until November 1954 and was the principal backup aircraft until October 1959.
Our goal is to restore this iconic symbol of American Exceptionalism and the Eisenhower presidency. The plane will be restored to be period-authentic inside and out to reflect how it looked when President Eisenhower and global leaders flew on and conducted meetings on board. We want to provide an opportunity for people to reconnect with these critical times in our history. We have the logs, photos, documentation and more from which we will curate exhibits that will be displayed where the plane resides.
Our Board of Directors have recently added Mary Jean Eisenhower, granddaughter of President Eisenhower, who remembers riding on this aircraft as a young child. She is very excited to see this plane restored to it's original glory to be able to share it with the American People.
We are honored to carry his legacy and that of our nation forward.
PLEASE NOTE THAT REGISTRATIONS FOR THIS EVENT ARE NOW CLOSED.
