WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump wants to give Air Force One a new, bolder paint job and a bigger bed, according to a new report, which would end an iconic, decades-long look dating to President John F. Kennedy. Trump isn’t a fan of the robin-egg blue color scheme — which he referred to as a “Jackie Kennedy color”— and wants to usher in a new, “more American” era, the online political news site Axios reported Thursday.
The plane has been blue and white for more than half a century and was redesigned by JFK and his wife.
But Trump wants to repaint it the same colors as the American Flag: red, white and blue, the report said. He reportedly met with Boeing’s CEO in February to discuss a $4 billion deal for two replacement planes. The refreshed 747s likely wouldn’t be in use until 2021.
Scoop: Trump wants tough new Air Force One paint job https://t.co/1T3TriHjlz pic.twitter.com/h9F2Qkdicf
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) July 12, 2018
Here are five things you may not know about Air Force One:
1. JFK and Jackie Kennedy’s design replaced an earlier version, which simply said ‘MILITARY AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE’ and featured a bright orange color.
2. People aboard Air Force One eat better than you do. According to ABC News, there are dedicated chefs who prepare a unique menu for every flight. They try to make something the president will enjoy, as well as his staff and reporters in the air. This could be anything from a chicken Caesar wrap to homemade lasagna with beef bolognese to grilled beef tenderloin.
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first American president to fly while in office in January 1943. He flew on a commercial Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat to the Casablanca Conference in Morocco during World War II.
4. President Lyndon B. Johnson was actually sworn in on the plane in November 1963 after JFK’s assassination.
5. Air Force One can fly more than 600 miles per hour. That’s about three-fourths the speed of sound.
Photo credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images