It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Donald Trump’s favorite colors!
The Air Force One fleet is getting a makeover at the hands of the First Air Traveler, and just as he’s done on the ground, the president is painting over a reminder of the John F. Kennedy administration.
Layers of red, white, navy blue and gold are replacing the palette of white and robin’s egg blue that dates back to the era of the 35th president, whose short-lived but progressively themed White House was dubbed Camelot in a nod to King Arthur’s fabled court.
There are actually two planes officially labeled Air Force One, and both are getting paint jobs amid their conversion into the next-gen presidential air fleet. Then there’s the donated Qatari jet, which will also be slathered in Trump’s preferred colors, though that won’t be ready until 2027.
“The Air Force is implementing a new paint scheme requirement (red, white, gold and dark blue) for VC-25B as well as the additional executive airlift fleet, which will include the new 747-8i and four C-32 aircraft,” an Air Force spokesperson told People.
Also getting a new coat of paint are four C-32 aircraft, which are designated as Air Force Two when boarded by the vice president. Cabinet secretaries and the first lady also travel on the special configured Boeing 757-200. Those are getting upgraded by L3 Harris, a contractor in Greenville, Texas, according to CBS News.
“The C-32s will be painted during regularly scheduled maintenance,” the spokesperson said. “The first C-32 has been painted and is expected to be delivered to the Air Force in the next few months.”
