L.A. Welcomes Apollo 11 Astronauts

Here's an "oldie but goodie" photo. It is from the L.A. Public Library.

It was posted at Facebook with this caption:

 

[1969] "Yorty greets Astros at the bottom of the stairs of the Pres. jet upon their arrival at L.A." Mayor Sam Yorty is pictured greeting Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin as they descend the stairs of Airforce One. The three astronauts traveled to Los Angeles in order to attend a state dinner at the Century Plaza in their honor, following the successful Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. (Joe Messinger - Herald Examiner Collection)

President Nixon flew the three Apollo 11 astronauts aboard Air Force One to Los Angeles for a state dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel. From the photo, we see the three astronauts, L.A. Mayor Sam Yorty, Governor Jerry Brown and on the steps is former President Lyndon Johnson. I think the lady at right is Mrs. Yorty.  

Trump Drops Iran Nuclear Deal Bombshell

Wonder how Iran will respond? 

 

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: TRUMP DROPS IRAN DEAL BOMBSHELL ON AIR FORCE ONE! 🤯 Last night, President Donald Trump stunned reporters aboard Air Force One, revealing a bold U.S. proposal for a NUCLEAR deal with Iran is OFFICIALLY on the table! 🤝☮️ pic.twitter.com/cQOmkyvi8e

— Project Constitution (@ProjectConstitu) May 17, 2025

China Sanctions Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Above, yours truly at the doorway of Air Force One (SAM 27000) at the Reagan Library.

This is downright silly.

China is imposing sanctions on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for hosting a meeting between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

According to the Daily Mail (U.K.):

China is imposing sanctions against the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and other US and Asian based organizations in retaliation for the this week's closely watched meeting between the US House Speaker and Taiwan's president.

The Reagan library in Simi Valley, California, was the site of the rare high-level, bipartisan meeting Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted this week for talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The sanctions effectively are a travel ban on the individuals in charge of the library and other groups involved in the meeting. They're also banned from working with Chinese organizations.

To read more, go here. 

Air Force One: 20 Years At The Reagan Library

Above, Air Force One on Father's Day 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library took possession of Air Force One 27000.

I have visited Air Force One at the Reagan Library at least four times over the years.

Above, after a job interview in Thousand Oaks, I stopped in at the Reagan Library.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute posted the following on Facebook:

This September 8th marks the 20th anniversary of the Reagan Foundation taking ownership (via permanent loan) of Air Force One 27000, which now proudly sits on display in the Reagan Library’s Air Force One Pavilion. Join us virtually on September 8th for a panel discussion as we commemorate this historic day. The panel includes Jim Hooley, President Reagan’s Director of Advance, LtCol Steve Chealander, one of President Reagan’s Military Aides, and Jim Robinson, the Air Force One Pilot who flew 27000 on September 8, 2001.

https://www.reaganfoundation.org/.../online-at-the.../

The program promises to be an interesting one.

Air Force One Color Scheme Revealed

The most recognizable aircraft in the world except, maybe, the Goodyear blimp, is Air Force One.

New aircraft are about to be put into service for the presidential fleet and the color scheme has been changed.

Here is the color scheme of the new Air Force One that originated from the Trump Administration:

Here is the old color scheme of Air Force One, which dates back to the Kennedy Administration:

Frankly, I prefer the old color scheme. The red, white and blue on the new plane is supposed to be patriotic, but I think the old color scheme is classier. It has been the look of Air Force One since 1962 from the two Boeing 707s to the current Boeing 747s.

When the president is not on board, they are designated as SAM (special air mission) and whatever the tail number is. For example, SAM 27000, used from the Nixon Administration to the George H. W. Bush Administration, is on display at the Reagan Library. The Kennedy plane was SAM 26000.

Above, SAM 27000 on display at the Reagan Library. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Trump In Bullhead City Today

Above, President Trump disembarks from Air
Force One at Bullhead City. Photo by Holly Killen.

A crowd waited at the Bullhead City, Arizona in windy weather to greet President Trump at a rally today. The President arrived at the airport aboard Air Force One following a rally in Las Vegas.

Friends Mitch Geriminsky and his girlfriend Holly Killen arrived early along with over 15,000 people. I watched it at home.

The event was an enjoyable one from all accounts, but there was an "incident" that took place.

From Fox News:

The U.S. Air Force intercepted an unknown aircraft flying too close to President Trump's campaign rally in Arizona Wednesday. 

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it dispatched F-16s, a type of fighter aircraft, and launched signal flares before establishing radio contact and escorting the plane out of restricted airspace "without further incident." 

To read more, go here. 

Last Night's Trump Rally In Des Moines

Well, it looks like President Trump doesn't have a chance to win re-election on November 3. Nobody bothered to show up at his rally last night in Des Moines, Iowa.

 

Trump Targets "Out-Of-Control" Boeing Air Force One Contract

Above, the last Boeing 707 to serve as Air Force One on display at
 the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

President-elect Donald Trump is none too happy with the contract between Boeing and the federal government for the next generation of Air Force One jets.

According Fox Business:

President-elect Donald Trump has a message for Air Force One builder Boeing (BA): Get off my plane. 

Trump criticized Boeing on Tuesday for what he called “out of control” costs associated with a project to build two new Air Force One jets. He called for the federal government to cancel the company’s contract. 

“Boeing is building a brand new 747 Air Force One for future presidents, but costs are out of control, more than $4 billion. Cancel order!” Trump wrote in a message on Twitter (TWTR). 

Trump later spoke to reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York, saying the project is “ridiculous.” 

“I think Boeing is doing a little bit of a number,” Trump said. “We want Boeing to make a lot of money but not that much money.”

There are currently two Boeing 747 jets that serve as Air Force One. They were put into service during the end of the George H. W. Bush Administration. Previously, Boeing 707s served as Air Force One.

According to talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh, Boeing was a big donor to the Clinton Foundation.

To read more, go here.

Father's Day At The Reagan Library, Part Two

Above, Amber and I waiting for the library to open.

When Amber and I visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Air Force One in Simi Valley during Father's Day yesterday, I must have taken over 40 photographs.

I posted 13 of them yesterday, but here are some more:

Above, a GOP elephant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the main entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Ronald Reagan statue at the main entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the library pay station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Air Force One with the Father's Day banquet set up below. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the tail. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a nice setting for a luncheon banquet. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, visitors boarding Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view from the Air Force One Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, looking towards the Reagan tomb. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the book section of the gift shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Father's Day At The Reagan Library

Above, the statue of Ronald Reagan at the main entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For Father's day, Amber too me to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Air Force One in Simi Valley, California.

We wanted to the the special exhibit of artifacts from the Vatican.

We got to see all that and the rest of the library and toured the inside of Air Force One (SAM 27000).

This was the busiest we've seen the library. A special Father's Day luncheon is to take place below Air Force One. We decided to skip that.

Here's some more photos of our time:

Above, the main entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the replica Oval Office. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the forward section of Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the aft section of Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the luncheon set-up below Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Amber enjoying the view outside of the Air Force One Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a chunk of the Berlin Wall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a visit to the tomb of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the headstone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, our souvenir photo. Photo by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Above, while waiting for the library to open.

Above, at the Air Force One Pavilion.

GOP Debate 2

Above, from left, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker.

My initial impressions.

The second GOP Presidential Debate was carried live by CNN from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California tonight in front of Reagan's Air Force One.

All of the candidates did well during the three hours it went on. The first segment was virtually a gang-up by many of the candidates against Donald Trump, the current front-runner. Many of the comments seemed more appropriate on the playground of a junior high school, including some by Trump.

Carly Fiorina took part in this debate as her poll numbers shot up following the first debate.

I saw no clear-cut winner in this debate. Jeb Bush was more vigorous and Ted Cruz had more speaking opportunities.

Basically a draw.

New Air Force One Jets Coming Later This Decade

Above, the forward section of SAM 27000 at the Reagan Library. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is hard to believe sometimes how time flies.

It has been about 25 years since the current Boeing 747-200 Air Force One jetliners (SAM 28000 and SAM 29000) were put into service during the administration of President George H. W. Bush. "SAM" stands for "Special Air Missions."

Plans are now in place to replace those two jets with newer model Boeing 747-8.

According to an article in Financial Times:

One of the world’s most exclusive customers could be the last buyer of the aircraft that democratised long-haul air travel after the US defence department selected Boeing’s 747-8 to be the US president’s new Air Force One. 

The fleet of presidential aircraft, due to enter service later this decade, could be among the very last passenger versions of the long-haul aircraft to be built because airlines increasingly favour two-engine long-haul aircraft over four-engine craft. 

The new aircraft will replace a pair of 747-200s that came into service as the presidential aircraft in 1990, during the presidency of George HW Bush. The type became an all but inevitable choice after the Pentagon decided that the presidential aircraft needed to have four engines. The only other currently manufactured four-engine long-haul jet is Airbus’s A380, manufactured in France.

Above, the tail section of SAM 27000. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Originally, the jet-age Air Force One (with the distinctive graphics we are familiar with) started out during the Kennedy Administration with a Boeing 707 (SAM 26000). SAM 26000 was relegated to back-up status when SAM 27000, another Boeing 707, was put into service in 1972 during the Nixon Administration. SAM 27000 now is on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

SAM 26000 is now on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, Ohio.

To read more, go here.

A Visit To The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Part 2

Above, an alternate shot at the doorway of Air Force One. Photo by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Above, the first version of the Air Force One doorway photo, but cropped. Photo by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Here's a few more photos I took today at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California:

Above, the Oval Office replica. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the tail section of Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the underside of Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the 1966 Bat-Cycle. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visiting The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Above, before entering Air Force One (SAM 27000), a photo or two is taken of 
each guest at the plane's door. Photo by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

This morning, I had some business to attend to in Newbury Park (near Thousand Oaks). Since I was in the area, I thought I would go to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in nearby Simi Valley for lunch and look over the changes to the Library.

The Reagan Library made a lot of changes to the exhibits and the gift store. This was the first time visiting the Library since 2006.

As my visit was a spur-of-the-moment thing, I didn't have my camera with me, so I had to use the camera of my cell phone.

I made my way through the exhibits. They ranged from Reagan's days as a Hollywood actor, as governor of California, his campaigns for the presidency, ending the Cold War and his funeral.

After going through the galleries, I made my way to the Air Force One Pavilion. There, I had my picture taken at the entry doors to Air Force One and a Marine One helicopter (last used during the Lyndon Johnson presidency). I didn't like how the Marine One photos turned out, so I didn't buy any.

There was one surprise, the 1966 Bat-Cycle used in the Batman television show starring Adam West and Burt Ward was on display at the Library.

Here's some of the highlights in pictures:

Above, the replica of the Oval Office as it looked during Reagan's presidency. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Ronald Reagan Irish pub in the Air Force One Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the forward section of Air Force One. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the 1966 Bat-Cycle used in the Batman television show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, another view of the Bat-Cycle. It was made from a '66 Yamaha. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, President Reagan's tomb. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For more information on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, go here.