Agrupación Aérea Presidencial (
Presidential Air Group) is the
Head of State Air Transport UnitSome nations maintain one or more special aircraft to transport their heads of state and government. One in particular has been immortalised in popular culture: Air Force One, used by the President of the United States and operated by the United States Air Force....
of
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
.
The Presidential Air Group is a small fleet of
Argentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
aircraft and helicopters for official use by the
PresidentThe President of Argentina is the head of state of Argentina...
, immediate family and senior government officials. The fleet is administered by the
Casa Militar ("Military House"), charged with presidential security and transportation. Both military and civilian pilots staff the fleet.
The aircraft are painted white with pale blue lines, evoking the
Argentine FlagThe national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a yellow Sun of May was added to the center....
.
The main aircraft is a
Boeing 757The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twinjet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the 757 can carry between 186 and 279 passengers, and have a maximum range of 3,100 to 3,900 nautical miles depending on variant and seating configuration...
known as
Tango 01 after its military registry: "T-01" (the "T" stands for "Transport", pronounced "Tango" in the NATO Alphabet).
Discussion
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Agrupación Aérea Presidencial (
Presidential Air Group) is the
Head of State Air Transport UnitSome nations maintain one or more special aircraft to transport their heads of state and government. One in particular has been immortalised in popular culture: Air Force One, used by the President of the United States and operated by the United States Air Force....
of
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
.
Background
The Presidential Air Group is a small fleet of
Argentine Air ForceThe Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the armed forces of Argentina. As of 2007, it had 14,606 airmen and 6,854 civilans on duty.-History:...
aircraft and helicopters for official use by the
PresidentThe President of Argentina is the head of state of Argentina...
, immediate family and senior government officials. The fleet is administered by the
Casa Militar ("Military House"), charged with presidential security and transportation. Both military and civilian pilots staff the fleet.
The aircraft are painted white with pale blue lines, evoking the
Argentine FlagThe national flag of Argentina dates from 1812. It is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. In 1818, a yellow Sun of May was added to the center....
.
Aircraft
The main aircraft is a
Boeing 757The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twinjet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the 757 can carry between 186 and 279 passengers, and have a maximum range of 3,100 to 3,900 nautical miles depending on variant and seating configuration...
known as
Tango 01 after its military registry: "T-01" (the "T" stands for "Transport", pronounced "Tango" in the NATO Alphabet). The B-757 entered in service in 1995 replacing the former T-01; a
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven"...
.
The
Tango 01 B-757 has been an object of political contention for the last decade (and a political campaign hot-topic during the 1999 Presidential election), with many politicians and media commentators denouncing this aircraft as an unnecessary and expensive luxury prone to abuse by presidents, their families, friends and political allies.
The current Presidential fleet also includes two
Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer, Fokker.-Design and development:...
(T-02 and T-03) (one always in service), a Learjet 60 (T-10) and a Rockwell Sabreliner (T-11). The Learjet and Sabreliner are also used by the Air Force Chief of Staff.
These aircraft are based at
Aeroparque Jorge NewberyJorge Newbery Airport is located in Palermo neighborhood, northeast of the center of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. The airport covers an area of and is operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. It is located in the city near the Río de la Plata...
and
El PalomarEl Palomar Airport , is a military airport in El Palomar, Argentina. It is the Base Airport of the Primera Brigada Aérea, located 18 km north of Buenos Aires, near the El Palomar station of the San Martín train line.-Airlines and destinations:...
Air Force base.
Two
helicopterA helicopter is an aircraft that is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors, each rotor consisting of two or more rotor blades. Helicopters are classified as rotorcraft or rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from fixed-wing aircraft because the helicopter achieves lift with the...
s, a
Sikorsky S-70The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service...
(H-01) and a
Sikorsky S-76The Sikorsky S-76 Spirit is an American multi-purpose medium-size commercial helicopter. The S-76 is powered by two turboshafts which combine to drive the main and tail rotors, each with four blades. The S-76 landing gear is retractable.-Development:...
(H-02) also make-up the fleet, with an additional Air Force
Bell 212The Bell 212 Twin Huey is a two-bladed, twin-engined, medium helicopter that first flew in 1968. Originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, the 212 is marketed to civilian operators and has a fifteen-seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers...
, as needed.
Former Aircraft
The Argentine Air Force
Tango 01 over the years:
- Boeing 707-320C
- Fokker F-28 Patagonia
Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. Located in Argentina and Chile, it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by...
- FMA IA 50 Guaraní II
The I.A. 50 Guarani II was an Argentine Multipurpose aircraft designed at the DINFIA in the early 1960s.-History:...
- Avro 748
The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by Avro in the late 1950s as a replacement for the now-aged DC-3s then in widespread service as feederliners. Avro concentrated on performance, notably for STOL operations, and found a dedicated market. 380 aircraft...
- Rockwell Aero Commander
The Aero Commander 500 is the first in a series of light twin-piston engined aircraft originally built by the Aero Design and Engineering Company in the late 1940s. It later became the Aero Commander division of Rockwell International. The initial production version was the Aero Commander 520...
680
- Vickers VC.1 Viking
The Vickers VC.1 Viking was a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. In the aftermath of the war, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines pending the...
- Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing, propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Because of its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II it is generally regarded as one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Learjet 45
The Learjet 45 aircraft is a mid-sized business jet aircraft produced by Bombardier Aerospace.-History:The development of the LJ45 was announced by Bombardier in September, 1992, and first flight of the prototype aircraft took place on October 7, 1995, the 32nd anniversary of the first flight of...
Fleet Helicopters:
- Sikorsky S-61R
The Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N are civil variants of the successful SH-3 Sea King helicopter. They are two of the most widely used airliner and oil rig support helicopters built.-Design and development:...
- Sikorsky S-58T
- Sikorsky S-55 and Sikorsky S-51, although not officially part of the AAP where used by the President while in serving for the Air Force
- Sikorsky S-70
The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service...
Trivia
- August 26, 1985: Former President Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
was launched from the Argentine NavyThe Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Argentine Armed Forces, together with the Army and the Air Force....
aircraft carrier ARA 25 de Mayo on a Grumman S-2 TrackerThe Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy....
number 0702/2-AS-23.
Incidents
- September 19, 1993: with former President Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from July 8, 1989 to December 10, 1999.-Early life:...
onboard, an Air Force CH-47 ChinookThe Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots was faster than utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s and even many of today. Its primary roles include troop movement, artillery emplacement and battlefield resupply...
went down while visiting Pozo de Mortero near Las Lomitas in Formosa ProvinceFormosa Province is in northeastern Argentina, part of the Gran Chaco Region. Its northeast end touches Asunción, Paraguay, and borders the provinces of Chaco and Salta to its south and west, respectively...
without any casualties.
- April 1, 1998: again President Menem had a critical moment, this time aboard T-01 when it performed an aborted hard landing due to strong crosswinds at Wellington
Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, at the southwestern tip of the North Island between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island and is New Zealand's third most populous urban area with residents. There are ...
during a state visit to New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and divert to AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
where they landed an hour later. Prime Minister Jenny ShipleyDame Jennifer "Jenny" Mary Shipley, DNZM , was the Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first and to date only woman to serve as leader of the National Party.-Early life:She was born and christened Jennifer Mary Robson in the...
need to moved to meet President Menem there.
- August 1, 2003: President Nestor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić was the President of Argentina from May 25, 2003 until December 10, 2007. A Justicialist, Kirchner was previously governor of the province of Santa Cruz....
had an emergency landing when was on board the Salta provinceSalta is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy...
Bell 407The Bell 407 is a four-bladed, single engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-3 LongRanger. The 407 uses the four-bladed, soft, in-plane, rigid rotor with composite hub that was developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-bladed, semi-rigid...
helicopter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQuAkt1xj8
- October 19, 2004: Tango 01 made a successful emergency landing at the military airbase of El Palomar soon after taking off at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
Jorge Newbery Airport is located in Palermo neighborhood, northeast of the center of Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina. The airport covers an area of and is operated by Aeropuertos Argentina 2000 S.A. It is located in the city near the Río de la Plata...
in Buenos Aires when one of its engines caught fire. The engines were taken to IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
for a complete overhaul and the aircraft return to service mid 2005. In the meantime, two chartered Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a widebody commercial airliner, often referred to by the nickname "Jumbo Jet". It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first widebody ever produced...
s operated by Aerolineas ArgentinasAerolíneas Argentinas is the largest domestic and international airline in Argentina and serves as Argentina's flag carrier. Aerolíneas Argentinas and LAN Airlines are the only Latin American airlines that fly to Oceania.-History:...
served the Presidential transport role when traveling abroad, and when the 757 was back into service, President Néstor KirchnerNéstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić was the President of Argentina from May 25, 2003 until December 10, 2007. A Justicialist, Kirchner was previously governor of the province of Santa Cruz....
continued using the 747s for long travel, due to its extended range.
- April 19, 2009: Tango 01 with President Christina Kirchner on board, en route from Trinidad & Tobago to Buenos Aires, made an emergency landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport
Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is located in Maiquetía, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas, Venezuela....
, in Venezuela, after the cockpit windscreen cracked during flight due "to the differences of temperatures inside and outside of the aircraft". Venezuelan President Hugo ChavezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the President of Venezuela. As the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Chávez promotes a political doctrine of participatory democracy, socialism and Latin American and Caribbean cooperation...
lent the Argentine delegation a Falcon jetThe Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet and was the first of a family of business jets built by Dassault Aviation.-Design and development:...
for the remainder of the trip.