Kennedy and Johnson VC-137C SAM 26000

the famous photo ever taken aboard presidential aircraft taken aboard sam 26000. hours after assassination of john f. kennedy, lyndon johnson sworn in before take off washington.

john f. kennedy first president use sam 26000. kennedy first flew on aircraft on november 10, 1962, attend funeral services of former first lady eleanor roosevelt in hyde park, new york. sam 26000 took kennedy berlin ( ich bin ein berliner ) in june 1963; month before that, set new washington-moscow time record. designer raymond loewy who, @ invitation of first lady jacqueline kennedy, gave sam 26000 now-familiar air force 1 livery of blue, silver, , white.

on november 22, 1963, after landing president , first lady @ dallas love field, sam 26000 backdrop live broadcasts of kennedys greeting well-wishers. later day, after kennedy s assassination made vice president lyndon johnson new president, sam 26000 carried johnsons, jacqueline kennedy, , john kennedy s body washington. accommodate casket 4 seats removed passenger compartment; johnson took oath of office (see photo) aboard sam 26000 before takeoff.

as kennedy laid rest in arlington national cemetery, 50 fighter jets flew overhead, followed sam 26000.

johnson sam 26000 s frequent flyer, logging 1,523,000 miles during 5 years president; once called own little plane . new seats installed, facing rearward toward presidential cabin, in installed spacious leather chair (dubbed throne ) , crescent-shaped table president raise , lower means of switch. aides , guests sat on couches around throne.

johnson flew in sam 26000 twice vietnam , took tours of asia in 1968 , 1969. in 1967, johnson went on largely unplanned aerial odyssey, making stops in california, hawaii, australia, thailand, south vietnam, pakistan, , italy.