When you are comparing the cost of operating AFO for an hour to the national debt, it doesn’t sound like much. But, when you compare it to the $20,000 to $25,000 an hour it costs to operate a commercial 747, it’s exorbitant. For $200,000 thousand an hour, you can take the aircraft out.
Presidential travel is a very complex operation. It involves hundreds of people, dozens of vehicles, and a fleet of aircraft. For the hefty cost, we are sure you are starting to understand now why there was such outrage regarding former President Trump’s many golf outings.
Department Of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is not so different from the home ministries of other countries. The Department, much like its name, is responsible for public security. They are the department that deals with anti-terrorism, immigration, customs, border security, and cybersecurity. President Bush created the department in 2002 while flying to Berlin. The department was established in response to the September 11 attacks.
The official announcement of its establishment was: "The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States."
Blasting Inside And Out
The captain of the plane controls the radio. But don't worry, the President is the one who chooses the music for the ride. When they aren’t busy managing the country on Air Force One, they, too, have to find ways to entertain themselves. Clinton loved to play jazz music at high volumes, something that not many people could appreciate. He also liked to bring his saxophone on board.
He apparently played music extra loud due to bad hearing. Why doesn't Spotify add the president's playlist so we can all enjoy their favorite tunes? We can see ourselves opening the day with Rosevelt, continuing with Clinton, and ending a quiet evening with Ronald Ragen's favorite hits.
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While the plane is filled with the latest trends in technology, it's still not wireless. So, to power up the screens, phones, and all other devices, it's necessary to plug in. Can you imagine what that looks like? Two hundred forty miles of cables ran inside the plane. I can't imagine getting wrapped up in that mess!
That would definitely be a burden to the electrician who finished that job. Poor cable guy. Could you imagine what will happen when just one cable becomes faulty? He'll have to work really fast, as the AFO cannot be grounded for too long.
No Broccoli Allowed!
By now, you should have gathered that only the most important political figures are allowed to step foot on the plane. And, of course, anything that the President disagrees with is strictly forbidden. That includes certain foods too. So, when the 41st President loathed broccoli, it was obvious that they would keep that off the plane.
During his presidency, broccoli was never used in any of the cooking, both in the skies and on the ground. As it turned out, every president has his ( or hers) own wishes, and if you don't like your greens, then greens will not go on board.