MSGID: 2:292/854 133f3a50
REPLY: 1:135/250@fidonet 685d6e7c
TZUTC: 0200
RR> Coul dhave always been the decoy aircraft, the SAM's always travel in
RR> pairs AFIK
 
Not really ... they are identical twins except for the tail number, 28000 and
29000. The otherone not carrying the President flies to an airport or military
field in the vicinity and remains on stand-by with the same capabilities and
catering in case the primary aircraft malfunctions. Then it is ferried.
 
So it's not really a decoy.
 
AF1 also uses military corridors and shies away from standard transponders,
most of the time you cannot track it except when it enters civilian airways,
for separation purposes. The decoys that indeed fly along most of the trip are
large military cargo planes, usually the Boeing C17 Globemaster which will fly
in front of AF1 until just before landing and then veeres away.

--- DB4 - 20230201
 * Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)
SEEN-BY: 80/1 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/14 305 153/7715 154/110 218/700
SEEN-BY: 221/1 226/30 227/114 229/110 114 206 317 400 426 428 470
SEEN-BY: 229/664 700 705 280/464 291/111 292/854 2226 8125 301/1 320/219
SEEN-BY: 322/757 335/364 342/200 396/45 460/58 633/280 712/848 902/26
SEEN-BY: 5001/100 5075/35
PATH: 292/854 229/426