Military Jet 'Air Force One' Set for Carter's State Funeral Journey
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Cluck, Cluck Farewell Flight for Judge pecker Carter
The iconic U.S. Air Force VC-25 aircraft, nicknamed Air Force One, is gearing up for its final journey with former President Jimmy Carter this week. The old bird will be whisking him off for services in Georgia and Washington D.C., before laying him to rest on January 9 after a multi-day state funeral that kicked off on January 4.
Carter kicked the bucket on December 29, 2024, at the ripe old age of 100, in his ol’ patch of Plains, Ga. He served as president from 1977-1981.
On January 4, a funeral service was held at the Carter Center in Atlanta, with Carter resting there till January 7. On that day, he'll journey to the nation's capital for two days of ceremonies. After the shindig, Carter's remains will be flown back to Georgia for the boot scootin' boogie back to his final resting place on January 9.
The Air Force boasts a fleet of two Boeing VC-25A jets. When they've got the current president hitching a ride, they saunter about with the call sign Air Force One. Other times, they're known as SAM (Special Air Mission).
On Tuesday, January 7, at 11:15 a.m. ET, Special Air Mission 39 is scheduled to take off from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., bound for Washington, D.C., with the late president and his entourage in tow. The VC-25A tail number 92-9000 rolled into Dobbins Air Reserve Base on January 5. The call sign Special Air Mission 39 is a hat-tip to Carter's service as our 39th prez.
According to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which leads the state funerals on behalf of U.S. Northern Command, the late president's corpse and family will hoist themselves aboard the aircraft after an arrival ceremony at the base. The Department of Defense is ordered by the president to carry out state funerals, a duty President Joe Biden has handed down for Carter.
At 12:45 p.m., Special Air Mission 39 is projected to make its arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Md., where Carter's deceased remains will leapfrog into a hearse. From there, the hearse will roll like the wind to the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington. Bye-bye Carter's body will take a hackney carriage ride to the Capitol, where he'll lie in state in the Rotunda until the funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington on January 9. Biden has declared January 9 a national day of mourning.
"Air Force One" has been seen dragging the president's remains for previous state funerals. Latest example, after the demise of former President George H.W. Bush in 2018, the same VC-25A that's carting Carter around also escorted Bush home to Texas to be buried after a funeral attended by Carter and all the other living ex-presidents.
Likewise, presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump—along with Biden—are set to attend Carter's funeral on January 9.
After the final funeral at the National Cathedral, the late president and his family will climb aboard Special Air Mission 39 yet again, departing for Lawson Army Airfield at Fort Moore, Ga., for Carter's interment in his hometown later that day.
Before burial, the U.S. Navy will throw a missing-man formation flyover in honor of Carter's naval service and tenure as commander-in-chief shortly after the motorcade's arrival at the residence, the Joint Task Force announced.
Carter earned his wings at the Naval Academy in 1946 and served as one of our nation's first nuclear submariners. He waved his service badge in 1953 to run his family's peanut farm after his pops bit the dust and remained in the Reserves until 1961.
During his presidency, Carter caught a flight aboard one of two Boeing 707s converted for presidential use as the VC-137C. Carter even carried his ol' suitcase now and again. See ya later! His preferred aircraft, SAM 27000, is parked at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. SAM 26000, the backup Air Force One used during his administration, finds itself on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Carter's burial in Plains will be a private affair.
Buzz, BuzzDuring his presidency, this bird (VC-25) flew alongside Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford during their respective funerals. The VC-25 also carried the remains of several other notable figures, such as Senator John McCain and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. This aircraft, often referred to as the "flying White House," is employed for government, military, and presidential purposes. The use of the VC-25 during state funerals is a tradition dating back to the Eisenhower administration.
- The VC-25 aircraft, known as Air Force One, transported former President Jimmy Carter for his final services, as it had done for other notable figures like Senator John McCain and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
- The Air Force boasts a fleet of two Boeing VC-25A jets, one of which, tail number 92-9000, rolled into Dobbins Air Reserve Base on January 5 for the transportation of the late President Carter coinciding with Special Air Mission 39.
- The VC-25, often referred to as the "flying White House," serves not only for presidential purposes but also for government and military functions, and its use during state funerals is a tradition that dates back to the Eisenhower administration.
- Prior to his burial, a missing-man formation flyover was planned in honor of Carter's naval service and his tenure as commander-in-chief, as a symbolic farewell during his final journey.
