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Air Force Three

The Boeing C-32, a variant of the 757, is the usual transportation for the U.S. secretary of state.

Air Force Three is the air traffic control designated call sign held by any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the United States secretary of state, but not the president of the United States or vice president.[1][2][3] The term is often associated with the Boeing C-32, a modified 757 which is most commonly used as the secretary of state's transport.[4]

History

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio boarding Air Force Three, February 2025

In July 1955, John Foster Dulles became the first Secretary of State to fly internationally on an American government airplane, travelling aboard Columbine III to Geneva, Switzerland, alongside President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[5]

From the tenures of Henry Kissinger to Warren Christopher, the secretary of state's official aircraft was a modified Boeing 707.[6][7]

The C-20 Gulfstream was used as an alternate Air Force Three during the tenure of Secretary George Shultz.[8]

During James Baker's tenure, the secretary of state flew aboard a VC-137C SAM 26000, after the presidential plane was upgraded in 1990.[9]

Since the tenure of Secretary Madeleine Albright, the Boeing C-32 has been the primary aircraft of the secretary of state.[10][11]

During the tenure of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Air Force Three flew to 112 countries, the most of any Secretary of State in U.S. history.[12]

Design

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Aircraft allocated for use by the secretary of state and senior executives authorized to travel under the Special Air Mission designation operated by the 89th Airlift Wing can be distinguished from the distinctive Raymond Loewy Air Force One livery by the lack of the steel blue   cheatline and cap over the cockpit.[13][14]

Secretary Mike Pompeo working abroad Air Force Three in April 2018

Throughout the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, the interior of Air Force Three was slowly refitted with more luxurious accommodations, at a cost of $16 million per aircraft.[15]

Incidents

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Secretary Antony Blinken aboard an upgraded Air Force Three in 2021

In August 2014, Secretary John Kerry's plane broke down in Honolulu, Hawaii, due to an electrical problem.[16] In October 2014, Secretary Kerry's plane broke down in Vienna, Austria.[17]

In January 2024, Secretary Antony Blinken was required to change planes in Davos due to a "critical failure" from an oxygen leak.[18]

In February 2025, Air Force Three returned to Washington, D.C. after experiencing a "mechanical problem" while en route to Munich.[19]

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In the television series Madam Secretary, Elizabeth McCord is selected as Secretary of State after her predecessor, Vincent Marsh, is assassinated by an airplane crash of Air Force Three, en route to Venezuela.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Saini, Meredith (October 2007). "You know Air Force One? Meet Two, Three, Four, Five..." bjtonline.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  2. ^ "Factsheets: C-32". U.S. Air Force. January 2006. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Order 7110.65R (Air Traffic Control) §2-4-20 ¶7". Federal Aviation Administration. March 14, 2007. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  4. ^ "C-32". United States Air Force. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  5. ^ "Lockheed VC-121E "Columbine III"". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  6. ^ Gwertevian, Bernard (December 13, 1976). "Kissinger's Log Gets Final Entry: 3,600 Quiet Mile". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  7. ^ Gilmore, Daniel F. (April 9, 1982). "Secretary of State Alexander Haig's trip to London to..." United Press International. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  8. ^ "Secretary of State George Shultz used a military jet..." United Press International. October 25, 1986. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  9. ^ "Boeing VC-137C SAM 26000". National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  10. ^ "GERMANY: RAMSTEIN: ARRIVAL OF US SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT". Associated Press. August 12, 1998. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  11. ^ "Travels With the Secretary". U.S. Department of State. January 9, 2009. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  12. ^ "Travels with the Secretary". U.S. Department of State. January 26, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  13. ^ Prisco, Jacopo (July 3, 2019). "Out of the blue: A look back at Air Force One's classic design". CNN. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  14. ^ Naidu, Keshav. "Air Force One Color Scheme". schemecolor.com. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  15. ^ Rogoway, Tyler (August 23, 2018). "USAF Upgrading Another C-32 'Air Force 2' Interior For $16M, Here's What The First Looks Like". The Drive. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  16. ^ "Kerry's Jet Breaks Down in Hawaii". The New York Times. August 14, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  17. ^ Gordon, Michael R. (October 16, 2014). "Kerry Flies Commercial After Jet Breaks Down in Vienna". The New York Times. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  18. ^ Hansler, Jennifer (January 17, 2024). "Secretary Antony Blinken's Boeing 737 out of Davos had a critical failure. He had to switch planes". CNN. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  19. ^ "Rubio's plane returns after mechanical issue, unclear if he can make Zelenskiy meeting". Reuters. February 14, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
  20. ^ Pai, Tanya (November 17, 2014). "TV Recap: Madam Secretary, Season 1, Episode 9, "So It Goes"". Washingtonian. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
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