VC-9C

This is part of the museum's First, Last, and Only aircraft—View the others

Mission

This VC-9C, serial number 73-1682, transported America’s top leadership from 1975 until 2011. Much of that time it served as Air Force Two for Vice Presidents Walter Mondale, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore and Dick Cheney.

It also served several of America’s First Ladies—Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary R. Clinton, and Laura Bush.

When this aircraft was needed to transport presidents into smaller airports—Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush—it served as Air Force One.

It also transported visiting world leaders such as Queen Elizabeth II and the Chief of Staff of the People’s Republic of China.

This VC-9C has extended range fuel tanks and was also the first to have a special communications suite installed for the vice president. From 1975 until 2006 it was assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews AFB, Maryland. From 2005 until 2011 it was assigned to the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott AFB, Illinois. Although 37 years old when retired, it only had a total of 16,300 flying hours, not much by airlift standards.

Gallery

Video Tour

360° Panoramic Tour

Serial Number: 73-1682
Manufacturer:
McDonnell Douglas
First Flight:
1968
Retired:
September 2005
Specifications
Crew: Two pilots, navigator, flight engineer, flight mechanic, four flight attendants, four security agents
Payload: 42 passengers
Powerplant: 2x Pratt & Whitney JT-8D-9 turbofan
Length:
119 ft 3 in
Wingspan:
93 ft 5 in
Height:
27 ft 6 in
Empty Weight:
59,700 lbs
Loaded Weight:
120,747 lbs
Maximum Speed:
576 mph
Cruise Speed:
504 mph
Range: 2,900 mi
Service Ceiling: 37,000 ft
AMC Museum Restoration Crew Chief: Kevin Wysopal

Assignment History

The assignment history for the Air Mobility Command Museum's VC-9C, serial number 73-1682:

Date Location
1975 to 89th Airlift Wing, Andrews AFB, MD
2005 to 932nd Airlift Wing, Scott AFB, IL
18 Aug 2011 Retired and flown to the Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover AFB, DE for display
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Great to see that all 3 of the old VC9Cs are being taken care of. I was a reservest at Scott AFB during their phase out and I spent many of hours on all 3 of these planes 81 82 and 83 as an E4 crew chief that came off another old work horse the C130.

Dave Shaver, Asst Crew Chief at Andrews 85-89, FM/FE 89-2001 89 OMS, 99th AS, Whisper Jet was Awsome, great ground and air crews all around. 73-1681 was my baby, lots of time wax on wax off!

I had the pleasure to tour this magnificent aircraft in 1994, upon Vice President Al Gore’s visit to Greenville, Mississippi, (GLH). That visit is memorialized at the Greenville Air Base Museum inside the terminal of the Mid-Delta Regional Airport at Greenville. I am also pleased that VC-9 1682 has a good home at the Air Mobility Command Museum.

I flew many memorable missions on 31682 from June 1979 to March 1987, as an Aircraft Security NCO. The earliest flights had all four ASNCO’s seated just behind the cockpit & front galley. After the Radio Operator mod was completed, two of the Security Team remained in the front section and two sat at the rear of the aircraft. I was lucky enough to fly with Vice-Presidents Walter Mondale and George H.W. Bush, both great guys to fly with. Finished up my tour with the 89th MAW with my final Bush mission to my hometown in Nashua, New Hampshire. I was told it was the first time a DC-9 had ever landed at Gore Field, very short runway with narrow taxiways. I remember riding by the Field on my bike as a kid. Aircraft 31682 was a beautiful aircraft, inside and out and never let us down. Glad to see it’s being well maintained for all to enjoy.

Glad to see the Radio Operator position included in the photo gallery. I was a radio operator in 1st MAS from 1980 to 1985 on 1682 and C-135B aircraft.

You have done such a wonderful job of researching the utilization of this special aircraft and making it available to us here. Well done! Where did you find such good info for 1682? Would the same kind of information be available for 1683 here at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in Oregon? Appreciate any help and/or dierection you could give. Thank you…Donn W. Anderson, Docent.

I used to be the Director at the AMC Museum until 2016 and I just happened to visit the website today to look up something. I saw your question from four years ago. Some of the info we got came from the Wing Historian at Andrews, but their job is not to do research for people, they write current histories, so getting much is always dependent on how much free time and interest the4y have. We put together a lot of it from vets, news media and old fashioned digging.

Thanks so much for the update on 1681 and 1683!! Glad they are being treated in an appropriate fashion befitting their history.

Such a beautiful aircraft. I hate that it’s so far from my home, as I’d love to have my granddaughter see it up close. Over approximately 15 years I served as Mechanic, Crew Lead, Supervisor, and finally Department Manager over the 3 aircraft fleet of VC-9C’s during Heavy Maintenance at Lockheed Martin in Greenville, S.C. It was a sad day for me when they retired them. Definitely 3 of the most beautiful aircraft to ever come out of a McDonnell Douglas manufacturing plant. Very low hours on all 3. Still in beautiful condition from the looks of 1682. I wonder where 1681, and 1683 wound up? I know that one of them was auctioned off a couple years ago. I would’ve loved to buy it, and use it for charter flights. Thanks for keeping 1682 out of the bone yard. Too many of the Navy C-9B’s, and Air Force C-9A’s headed that way. Davis-Monthan I assume. Oh well, I miss the good old days.

Just did a walk through of 1683 today in McMinnville, Oregon. A beautiful aircraft indeed and is in good hands at it’s new home.
Thomas Wilson

Chris, I picked up all three many times from GreenVille, always was a pleasure!