How Fast Can Air Force One Fly Across The US?

The sight of Air Force One is something that Americans and aviation enthusiasts across the world never tire of. However, first, let's address a common misconception. The term Air Force One does not refer to a specific aircraft. Rather, it's the call-sign designated to any United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft assigned the privilege of carrying the President. 

The most common aircraft the President uses is one of two Boeing VC-25A planes. These heavily modified Boeing 747-200s are usually what we think of when the term Air Force One is used and are undoubtedly some of the most famous USAF vehicles. The two planes are effectively mobile command centers that are tasked with carrying the POTUS on his official duties. But just how quickly can they shuttle the President around the world? 

One relatable way we can look at this is to see how fast a Boeing VC-25A can fly across the US. New York and Los Angeles are the perfect cities to consider. In this instance, the distance between New York's JFK International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport is 2475 miles. To calculate this, we need to look at the plane's performance, but to add a bit of spice to the mix, we'll also look at how this compares to a comparative era commercial 747. Finally, we'll look at how it's expected to contrast against its forthcoming replacement, the Boeing VC-25B. 

As noted, the VC-25A currently in use is a modified version of the Boeing 747-200. While many of its upgrades focus on the interior and electronics—such as protection against electromagnetic pulses and anti-missile systems—some changes directly impact its performance. The two VC-25A planes entered official service in 1990.  The VC-25A has with four GE Aviation CF6-80C2B1 turbofan engines, each one producing 56,700lbs of thrust, an engine that didn't appear on the commercial variant until the introduction of the Boeing 747-300 series. These engines gave the VC-25A a maximum speed of 630 mph and a range of 7,800 miles without refueling – more than enough to fly non-stop between New York and Los Angeles. 

To fairly compare its performance with its commercial counterpart, we'll focus on the 747-200, the variant available in 1987. This jet was powered by four GE CF6-50E2 engines, each capable of producing 52,500 pounds of thrust. These gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 602 mph and a range of 8170 miles. Finally, let's look ahead and consider the VC-25B the replacement that will ultimately send the current model into retirement. These are based on the Boeing 747-8I airframe and are powered by four GE Aviation GEnx-2B turbofans, each producing a maximum of 66,500 pounds of thrust. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 660 mph and a range of 8,900 miles. Of course, these figures pale in comparison when pitted against modern jet fighters flying coast to coast but are still impressive. 

So, how long will it take Air Force One to fly across America? First, we need to make a few assumptions. Let's rule out factors like air traffic and weather and assume that each plane can fly at its maximum rated speed and can use the shortest route, i.e. 2475 miles. Let's also disregard take-off and landing times and assume that the flights are already at the correct altitude and speed as they pass over the cities. The jet stream is also a factor, normally flying west to east (Los Angeles to New York) will benefit from this and vice versa when the route is reversed. However, if we disregard this, we can get an average time for the journey that would be indicative of the aircraft's performance under neutral conditions. Bearing all this in mind, calculating the flight time is a simple equation, Flight Time = Distance/Speed. 

Beginning with the commercial variant, applying the equation tells us that a Boeing 747-200 would do the trip in 4.11 hours—or about 4 hours and 7 minutes. On the other end of the scale is the Boeing VC-25B a modified Boeing 747-8, with a projected top speed of 660 mph, this version would fly across America in 3.75 hours (3 hours and 45 minutes). Finally, let's consider the current VC-25A, this iconic aircraft has a top speed of 630 mph. Running this figure through the calculation we find that Air Force One can fly across the US in 3.93 hours – or 3 hours and 56 minutes. Not too bad for a plane that's been in service for over three decades.