Air Force One Visits Moffett Field

Regardless of who is on board, its is always a treat to see AF-1 or in particular the VC-25A that is most associated with the presidential call sign. I was denied base access and much to my chagrin after biking like a madman to my usual perch in the Baylands, the SS had closed it as well (it was open during the Obama visit) so I had to hoof it again 6 miles in about 20 minutes on bike to the other side of the base.

I have to admit I'm no expert on security, but I'm perplex as why they allow people so close to the plane on decent but closed a perch a good 1-2 miles from the base???? But I digress.

No Ospreys or VH-1, rather a pretty huge motorcade. The angle and heat rippling were to much to make out the limo as you will see, I also a iffy pic of the countermeasures under one of the nacelles

The shots were with my Nikon D7500 and a Sigma Sport 60-600mm lens ( it was amusing to walk up among all the at least 75 people with Iphones with the monster lens)

You can just make out the infrared stuff. Its a tough shot cause fo the cyclone fence

Motorcade and C-17 support vehicle pretty blurry

Nice shots.

I had a fixed 400mm f/4 once, and it was always a good time to whip it out in front of the iphone people, using their phone flash to try and take pictures of things a half mile off...

a reply to: FredT

Huh, looks like an Altus or March C-17 this time.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

Huh, looks like an Altus or March C-17 this time.

Do the C-17 flight crews have shoulder patches that say “Hasta la Vista” on them, by any chance?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

Huh, looks like an Altus or March C-17 this time.

Yeah too fuzzy to see. Flew in yesterday. Only other presidential plane there but a SAM 757 was heading to San Diego so that may be the next stop

a reply to: 1947boomer

The March guys might.

a reply to: FredT

Both are pretty similar tail flashes.

Nice I caught AF1 coming into MIA outside our office building.

It's a cool looking plane.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: 1947boomer

The March guys might.

The reason I ask is that at the exact moment I read your post about the C-17s I happened to be having a hamburger in the "spacebar" cafe at Moffett, which is located about 1/4 mile from the tower, where AF-1 was parked. A bunch of AF guys in their flight coveralls came in and sat at the table next to me and had lunch. The nearest shoulder patch I could make out had the motto "Hasta la Vista" on it.

On closer inspection, I thought I could also make out another patch that had "VC-140" on it. Does the AF still fly VC-140s for VIP transport? If so, then these guys were probably from Andrews.

a reply to: 1947boomer

They haven't flown them for somewhere around 20 or 25 years. The last one was retired in the 90s.

That's what I thought. The VC-140s would be much older than the pilots. (Not that the Air Force hasn't done that before.)

Could VC-140 (or something similar--I didn't have my contact lenses in) be a unit designation of some sort?
a reply to: Zaphod58

a reply to: 1947boomer

There's a VAQ-140 that flies out of Whidby, but I can't see them being there for any reason. They might have been 144th Fighter Wing. I think they were flying CAP today. Someone recorded comms of the CAP, but not what unit was flying.

Just picked up a Nikon P900 and so far I love it. 24-2000 lens is just wonderful if you can hold still enough.

Not to be disrespectful to them or anything, but these guys looked a little bit too soft and round to be fighter pilots--more like transport pilots if you know what I mean.

a reply to: Zaphod58

a reply to: 1947boomer

HEY! I resemble that remark. But I'm not a pilot. I'm just a nurse much like any nurse you would find in Greek Mythology

Unfortunately, I resemble that remark also.
a reply to: FredT

a reply to: 1947boomer

The only other unit that even comes close to 140 that I can think of is the C-21s out of the 140th Wing, Colorado ANG.

I had read he was coming to town yesterday. Kept an eye out while on Dumbarton this morning. Didn't see it. What time did it come in?

a reply to: FredT

Ah , was it the REAL One ? I Saw it today in Pomona N.J. . Was that just the Vice Instead ?

originally posted by: Starhooker
I had read he was coming to town yesterday. Kept an eye out while on Dumbarton this morning. Didn't see it. What time did it come in?

Just after 11 and he did the standard Moffett approach over Sunnyvale, Cupertino, and Mt View so it would have been hard to spot from the dumbarton or at least really small lol