Reply #58: It's only AF1 when the pres is onboard

[TorchTheWitch]

ANY aircraft becomes AF1 if the pres is onboard. There are two presidential aircraft that have the pres seal and painted nifty colors. There is the main plane that is usually used and a secondary plane that is used when for whatever reason (like maintenance) is out of commission. From what I've heard, the secondary presidential plane (with the seal and the nice colors) was the aircraft used for this mission. Calling either of the presidential planes AF1 is not appropriate when the pres is not onboard.

This is actually a mission as the planes were being used to film the planes in the air for some sort of advertisement put out by the government. Much the same thing was done before (not by the Obama government) when the plane was filmed with the Grand Canyon as the backdrop. I wasn't a photo opportunity because the pres or some other administration big wig wasn't involved, the media wasn't involved, and the general public wasn't involved (for filming purposes anyway). A photo op is when the pres or some other administration big wig goes to an area for the purpose of mingling with the people, and the media is invited to film it. Examples of a pres photo op is when Bush went to NYC and stood on a pile of rubble so the news media could film him looking like he was doing something. Same thing with the aftermath of Katrina when he mingled with rescue personal and the locals.