Accept it and put in in your library if you want. Do not use it as a state sponsored vehicle. If he does, the photoshops will be hilarious.

CCAg95 said:

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Here is my understanding from what I know. The new 747 plane is at the company in the US that does the customizations. It was meant tor Qatar. Boeing can not deliver a new 747 to be customized for AF1. What is being asked is to bump Qatar to next in line and use the current plane for AF1 and the next plane from Boeing will be for Qatar.

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That was my initial thought as to what was "really" happening (based on the way our media reports usually reports things inducing outrage))

But this is a 2012 plane by most reporting that Trump looked in February and was going to purchase for about 400m. (What is still not clear is whether this is still being purchased or "gifted"(again, I don't trust the media…not sure why anybody does)).

Where are you seeing that this is a "next in line" thing going on?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-03-26/boeing-s-air-force-one-delay-has-trump-looking-at-747-from-qatar

"The plane was built in 2012 and delivered to Qatar Amiri Flight, which manages aircraft for the country's ruling family, though more recently it's been operated by a different company, according to the Cirium Ascend Consultancy. The asking price isn't known, but the plane would likely sell for $75 million to $100 million, Cirium says, while the interior, completed a decade ago, could add on $25 million more."

Im Gipper said:

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We should also not rule out this is highly likely MSM FAKE NEWS!

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"sources"

Wondering how Clinton, Obama and Biden became multimillionaires ????

If it upsets the concerned moderates and liberals I'm all for it!! I hope he asks for a yacht too!

It surely beats the junk Obama gave to the Queen (copies of his speeches, as I recall).

This is excellent. Talk about a deal maker, he got a nearly mint VIP 747-8 for free (this has the flying hours/cycles of less than a one year old commercial airliner). It's already got a fairly beautiful paint job, really. I wonder if he might take it for the trip to Qatar this month?

AIR FORCE ONE: Boeing can't seem to finish anything these days including the new Air Force One that was scheduled to be finished last year but won't be done until Trump is out of office. Qatar to the rescue gifting the president a super-luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet. On Monday… pic.twitter.com/IXP8RibLVz

— @amuse (@amuse) May 11, 2025

Breaking — Qatar to Gift $400 Million Plane to President Trump:

🔸️ According to ABC News, the Trump administration is set to accept a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet—valued at around $400 million—from the Qatari royal family.

🔸️ The plane will serve as Air Force One for Trump… pic.twitter.com/wOF8HyD1bt

— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) May 11, 2025

Ervin Burrell said:

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Logos Stick said:

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I don't see an issue with it. Unless there is some obvious quid pro quo this is a nothing burger.

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And yet if a Dem prez did the same thing, you and this entire board would be screeching to high holy. Since it's the Cult Leader/God Emperor though, easy to just call it a nothingburger.

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And if it was a Dem, you wouldn't have a problem with it. Same song, different verse.

ChemAg15 said:

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Accept the plane. Park it and never use it. Qatar is a terrorist state and no plane from them can be trusted with the POTUS

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Yes, if anything, you never actually use it but would decline the offer outright. Accepting a plane from an Islamic state and then flying the POTUS around in it? Yeah, no.

I can't imagine how much the SS is losing their **** over this right now.

A Sopwith Camel?

Who is going to do the necessary modifications for it to serve as AF1? We already have two 747-8's and the modifications are what's driving the delays.

Also only having one has obvious problems when it's down for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. That's why we have two VC-25's (the current 747's in service).

If the plan is to keep them too (as would probably be necessary) this is even more of a boondoggle to accept a free plane for Trump's "foundation".

1. 48 hour rule engaged.

2. What's wrong with our current fleet? It's the two best maintained airplanes in the history of airplanes. Can they not suffice until Boeing gets the replacements done?

I think someone is trolling someone here. Trump probably trolling ABC News is my guess.

GAC06 said:

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Who is going to do the necessary modifications for it to serve as AF1? We already have two 747-8's and the modifications are what's driving the delays.

Also only having one has obvious problems when it's down for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. That's why we have two VC-25's (the current 747's in service).

If the plan is to keep them too (as would probably be necessary) this is even more of a boondoggle to accept a free plane for Trump's "foundation".

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The company L3Harris is doing the retrofit

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-tasked-l3harris-ready-interim-presidential-plane-by-year-end-wsj-says-2025-05-01/

I wonder what the capabilities/requirements are. I know Boeing has its problems but 6 months versus ten years is tough to believe.

Nonregdrummer09 said:

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Kyle Field Shade Chaser said:

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Won't be any tracking devices on that plane. Seems like a terrible idea.

And seems like something dems will turn into impeachment

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Trump would have to do something way off the reservation for a Republican controlled Congress to impeach him.

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In 2 years, D's have a high chance to control the House

GAC06 said:

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I wonder what the capabilities/requirements are. I know Boeing has its problems but 6 months versus ten years is tough to believe.

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Boeing said that the would be unable to have the dark blue livery Trump wanted on the belly of the plane until it could certify the paint job in places where its hot.

Riyadh, which is based in a warm climate, seems to have no issue having their commercial aircraft painted in full dark blue livery.

So... I think Trump is just calling out Boeing for dragging their ******* feet like they always do in an effort to stretch out the costs thereby increasing the costs.

During his 4-year sabbatical from being POTUS, they revamped TF1 and I imagine him having to time travel back to the 40 year old AF1s is a bit of a downer.

Much of Boeing's issues related to the no-can-do attitude of its management.

A 747-8, painted in the livery shown in the picture with the news story, is inside a hangar at ST Engineering (formerly Dee Howard) at San Antonio Intl. - seen this Sunday morning. It's been at the airport a few weeks and was outside, visible from US 281 last week. Not sure if this the airplane in question.

I believe the two 747-8s being retrofitted for AF 1 are (or were at one point) across town at Boeing's Port SA facility.

samurai_science said:

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Nonregdrummer09 said:

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Kyle Field Shade Chaser said:

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Won't be any tracking devices on that plane. Seems like a terrible idea.

And seems like something dems will turn into impeachment

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Trump would have to do something way off the reservation for a Republican controlled Congress to impeach him.

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In 2 years, D's have a high chance to control the House

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Very remote chance to that happening. It hinges entirely on the Rs getting the BBB done.

All signs point to the BBB getting done by July 4th. I am confident it will happen. If the outlier Rs in congress want to raise taxes, (knee)cap the debt ceiling, and demand cuts to medicare / medicaid then the Rs in the house and senate will have squandered away the best political opportunity for the Rs in 50 years.

Demand your congressfolk and senators to get the **** in line and support Trump without any reservations.

2026 will not be a typical midterm.

I'll give this 48 hours..

BigRobSA said:

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Don't heads of state give each other things all of the time?

But, yes, even with that...this is really bad optics.

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Didn't France give us the Statue of Liberty? President Lincoln received two suits of clothing, President Wilson accepted a White House limousine, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy left the White House with several tables later sold at auction for more than $150,000, President George H.W. Bush accepted 39 fishing rods. Most of these were before the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act of 1966, the Presidential Records Act of 1978, and subsequent amendments to both.

flown-the-coop said:

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GAC06 said:

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I wonder what the capabilities/requirements are. I know Boeing has its problems but 6 months versus ten years is tough to believe.

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Boeing said that the would be unable to have the dark blue livery Trump wanted on the belly of the plane until it could certify the paint job in places where its hot.

Riyadh, which is based in a warm climate, seems to have no issue having their commercial aircraft painted in full dark blue livery.

So... I think Trump is just calling out Boeing for dragging their ******* feet like they always do in an effort to stretch out the costs thereby increasing the costs.

During his 4-year sabbatical from being POTUS, they revamped TF1 and I imagine him having to time travel back to the 40 year old AF1s is a bit of a downer.

Much of Boeing's issues related to the no-can-do attitude of its management.

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In other words, Trump's decision to change the paint scheme is causing delays?

I don't buy that btw, during Biden's term they switched it back to the powder blue scheme.

ts5641 said:

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Boeing has ****ed up the new AF1 so bad we've had to go this route temporarily. What's the problem? You think Trump is going to suddenly be more sympathetic and give handouts under the table to the them?
There's nothing wrong with this.

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Endless design changes and scope creep to a firm fixed price contract, along with the Yankee White process that all of the touch labor have to go through are what's messed up VC-25B.

Sources say .... Why didn't they just say "best outrageous bull**** we could come up with today".... You don't hate the legacy media near enough

GAC06 said:

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Who is going to do the necessary modifications for it to serve as AF1? We already have two 747-8's and the modifications are what's driving the delays.

Also only having one has obvious problems when it's down for scheduled or unscheduled maintenance. That's why we have two VC-25's (the current 747's in service).

If the plan is to keep them too (as would probably be necessary) this is even more of a boondoggle to accept a free plane for Trump's "foundation".

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L3 Harris, same folks doing the comms stuff for the actual AF1's.

Really, this won't ever become a VC-25B (modifications are actually fairly enormous for that), it's just going to be a 748 with some extra communications/radios that will be installed…and Trump's much-desired paint scheme. The VC-25A's won't be retired until the new ones are delivered/declared operational around (supposedly now) 2027.

You can't deliver new 747 at all, the last of the tooling was cut up and removed about a year and a half ago. The two B748s used for VC-25B were originally for airline customers but ended up without one.