The untold story of Air Force One

When Air Force One Was a Spy Plane

Did you know there was a time when Air Force One was actually a reconnaissance aircraft? Considering how well-known it is as the President’s personal plane, it might not seem to make much sense, but it was indeed the case. CIA Director Allen Dulles during the Cold War was responsible for this transformation, and there isn’t even evidence that the President approved of this act.
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What did they do to make it spy-plane worthy? They installed cameras on the wheels of the plane. Extremely powerful cameras, with the ability to read license plates from 29,000 feet in the air.