Agrupación Aérea Presidencial
Encyclopedia
Agrupación Aérea Presidencial (Presidential Air Group) is the Head of State Air Transport Unit
of Argentina
.
aircraft and helicopters for official use by the President
, 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 Flag
.
The main aircraft is a Boeing 757
known as Tango 01 after its military registry: "T-01" (the "T" stands for "Transport", although it is fortuitously pronounced "Tango", as in the Argentine national dance
, in the NATO alphabet). The 757 entered in service in 1995 replacing the former T-01, a Boeing 707
.
The aircraft is nicknamed Virgen de Luján
after Argentina's Patron saint.
The Tango 01 757 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 F28
(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 Newbery
and El Palomar
Air Force base.
As helicopter
s, a Sikorsky S-70
(H-01pic) and two Sikorsky S-76
(H-02pic and H-03pic) also make-up the fleet, with an additional Air Force Bell 212, as needed.
During Néstor Kirchner
and Cristina Fernández administration AAP used different aircraft for their global flights, most notably Boeing 747
loaned from Aerolíneas Argentinas
and a private Bombardier Global 5000
Fleet helicopters:
Air transports of Heads of State
Some 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 Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Background
The Presidential Air Group is a small fleet of Argentine Air ForceArgentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
aircraft and helicopters for official use by the President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
, 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 Flag
Flag of Argentina
The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...
.
Aircraft
Boeing 757
The Boeing 757 is a mid-size, narrow-body twin-engine jet airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Passenger versions of the twinjet have a capacity of 186 to 289 persons and a maximum range of , depending on variant and cabin configuration...
known as Tango 01 after its military registry: "T-01" (the "T" stands for "Transport", although it is fortuitously pronounced "Tango", as in the Argentine national dance
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
, in the NATO alphabet). The 757 entered in service in 1995 replacing the former T-01, a Boeing 707
Boeing 707
The Boeing 707 is a four-engine narrow-body commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven". The first airline to operate the 707 was Pan American World Airways, inaugurating the type's first commercial flight on...
.
The aircraft is nicknamed Virgen de Luján
Our Lady of Luján
Our Lady of Luján is a celebrated 16th-century icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The image, also known as the Virgin of Luján represents a famous Marian advocation. The image still exists; it is on display in the Basilica of Luján in Argentina...
after Argentina's Patron saint.
The Tango 01 757 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 F28
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct 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 Newbery
Aeroparque Jorge Newbery
-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
and El Palomar
El Palomar Airport
El Palomar Airport , is a military airport in El Palomar, Argentina. It is the homebase of Argentine Air Force 1st Air Brigade , located west of Buenos Aires, near the El Palomar station of the San Martín railway line.- Facilities :...
Air Force base.
As helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s, a Sikorsky S-70
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...
(H-01pic) and two Sikorsky S-76
Sikorsky S-76
The Sikorsky S-76 is an American medium-size commercial utility helicopter. The S-76 is powered by two turboshaft engines, which drive both the main and tail rotors, each with four blades...
(H-02pic and H-03pic) also make-up the fleet, with an additional Air Force Bell 212, as needed.
During Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
and Cristina Fernández administration AAP used different aircraft for their global flights, most notably Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
loaned from Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas
Aerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
and a private Bombardier Global 5000
Former aircraft
The Argentine Air Force Tango 01 over the years:- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Vickers VC.1 VikingVickers VC.1 VikingThe 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 Second World War, the Viking was an important airliner with British airlines...
- Rockwell Aero CommanderAero Commander (aircraft)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. In 1950 it became the Aero Commander company, and a division of Rockwell International from 1965. The initial production version was...
680 - Avro 748Avro 748The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed by the British firm 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...
- FMA IA 50 Guaraní IIFMA IA 50 Guaraní II-References:* - listing all the aircraft developed and manufactured there since 1927, Aerospacio, Buenos Aires, 1977. -External links:...
- Fokker F-28 PatagoniaPatagoniaPatagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
- Boeing 707-320C
Fleet helicopters:
- 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-58T
- Sikorsky S-61RSikorsky S-61RThe Sikorsky S-61R is a twin-engine helicopter used in transport or search and rescue roles. A developed version of the S-61/SH-3 Sea King, the S-61R was also built under license by Agusta as the AS-61R...
Trivia
- July 28, 1973: Fokker F-28 Patagonia landed on Antarctic Marambio BaseMarambio BasePrior to the base's foundation a team led by Vice-Commodore Mario Luis Olezza built the 1200 m long, 40 m wide landing track, the first one in the continent. Nowadays, the track, oriented 05/23, is equipped with VOR, DME and NDB electronic landing systems. It also has a radio beacon,...
- August 26, 1985: Former President Raúl AlfonsínRaúl AlfonsínRaúl 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 NavyArgentine 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 Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
aircraft carrier ARA 25 de Mayo on a Grumman S-2 TrackerS-2 TrackerThe Grumman S-2 Tracker was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare aircraft to enter service with the US Navy. The Tracker was of conventional design with twin engines, a high wing and tricycle undercarriage. The type was exported to a number of navies around the world...
number 0702/2-AS-23.
Incidents
- September 19, 1993: with former President Carlos MenemCarlos MenemCarlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
onboard, an Air Force CH-47 ChinookCH-47 ChinookThe Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
went down while visiting Pozo de Mortero near Las Lomitas in Formosa ProvinceFormosa 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 WellingtonWellingtonWellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
during a state visit to New Zealand. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and divert to AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
where they landed an hour later. Prime Minister Jenny ShipleyJenny ShipleyDame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th 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 parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...
had to be moved to meet President Menem there. - August 1, 2003: President Néstor KirchnerNéstor KirchnerNéstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
had an emergency landing in " la Quebrada de HumahuacaQuebrada de HumahuacaThe Quebrada de Humahuaca is a narrow mountain valley located in the province of Jujuy in northwest Argentina, north of Buenos Aires . It is about long, oriented north-south, bordered by the Altiplano in the west and north, by the Sub-Andean hills in the east, and by the warm valleys in the...
" near "Posta de Hornillos"(Jujuy provinceJujuy ProvinceJujuy is a province of Argentina, located in the extreme northwest of the country, at the borders with Chile and Bolivia. The only neighboring Argentine province is Salta to the east and south.-History:...
), while being on board the Salta provinceSalta 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 407Bell 407The Bell 407 is a four-blade, single-engine, civil utility helicopter; a derivative of the Bell 206L-4 LongRanger. The 407 uses the four-blade rotor with composite hub developed for the United States Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior instead of the two-blade, semi-rigid rotor of the 206L-4...
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 NewberyAeroparque Jorge Newbery-Accidents and incidents:*On 17 December 1969, an Austral Líneas Aéreas C-46 Commando, lost engine 1 due to fuel exhaustion shortly after take-off. The plane failed to gain height and made a crash landing in a small sport field...
in Buenos Aires when one of its engines caught fire. The engines were taken to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
for a complete overhaul and the aircraft return to service mid 2005. In the meantime, two chartered Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s operated by Aerolíneas ArgentinasAerolíneas ArgentinasAerolíneas Argentinas , formally Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A., is Argentina's largest airline and serves as the country's flag carrier. Owned in its majority by the Argentine Government, the airline is headquartered in the Torre Bouchard, located in San Nicolás, Buenos Aires...
served the Presidential transport role when traveling abroad, and when the 757 was back into service, President Néstor KirchnerNéstor KirchnerNéstor Carlos Kirchner was an Argentine politician who served as the 54th President of Argentina from 25 May 2003 until 10 December 2007. Previously, he was Governor of Santa Cruz Province since 10 December 1991. He briefly served as Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations ...
continued using the 747s for long travel, due to its extended range. - April 19, 2009: Tango 01 with President Cristina Kirchner on board was returning from the 5th Summit of the Americas5th Summit of the AmericasThe Fifth Summit of the Americas was held at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobagofrom April 17 to 19, 2009.Organizers planned for the Fifth Summit to focus on a wide-ranging theme: "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental...
en route from Trinidad & Tobago to Buenos Aires, made an emergency landing at Simón Bolívar International AirportSimón Bolívar International Airport (Venezuela)Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia is an international airport located in Maiquetía, Venezuela, about 13 miles from downtown Caracas....
, in Venezuela, after the cockpit windscreen cracked during flight due "to the differences of temperatures inside and outside of the aircraft". Venezuelan President Hugo ChávezHugo ChávezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
lent the Argentine delegation a Falcon jetDassault Falcon 20The 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.