Human Interest
Obama returns to White House after final Air Force 1 flight
Obama returns to White House after final Air Force 1 flight (Photo: Heating Oil/Flickr)
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama didn’t just say farewell to the nation. He said goodbye to Air Force One, too.
The White House says Obama’s roundtrip to his Chicago hometown Tuesday to deliver the valedictory speech for his two terms as president marked the 445th time he’s flown aboard the familiar, eye-catching blue and white U.S. government airplane. The plane goes by the call sign “Air Force One” whenever a sitting president is on board.
But no more for Obama.
Tuesday’s flight was almost certainly the last one for him before he leaves office.
Up until the Chicago trip, Air Force One had flown 2,799 hours and six minutes with Obama as a passenger, or the equivalent of 116 days.
He travelled to 56 different countries and 49 states.
