I toured an Air Force One plane used by 4 US presidents. Take a look inside the 'flying Oval Office.'

Talia LakritzNov 13, 2024, 21:07 IST

US presidents used this Air Force One plane from 1959 to 1998.Minh K Tran/Shutterstock<ul class="summary-list"><li>Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon used an Air Force One plane known as SAM 970.</li><li>The first jet-powered presidential aircraft featured an office and a safe for the nuclear codes.</li></ul>President Dwight Eisenhower became the first US president to travel by jet when he flew on a new <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-one-photos-through-history-2021-8">Air Force One</a> plane in 1959.The jet, known as SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, was customized to meet the needs of the president and White House staff. It included a presidential stateroom, a conference room, seats for members of the press, and a safe for the nuclear codes.Retired in 1996, SAM 970 now lives at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. I visited the museum in July to tour the old Air Force One and see how presidents once traveled.Take a look inside.

Four US presidents flew aboard the Air Force One plane known as SAM 970.

SAM (Special Air Missions) 970, a US Air Force jet plane, in 1974.Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The retired aircraft is on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

Air Force One at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The exhibit featured figures of Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai of China shaking hands, recreating the moment the two leaders met.

Mannequins of President Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai of China.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The cockpit included seats for a pilot, copilot, flight engineer, and guest or auxiliary crew member.

The cockpit of Air Force One.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The communication station featured state-of-the-art radio and communication equipment.

The communication station.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Across from the communication station, the briefcase containing codes to initiate a nuclear strike was kept locked in a safe.

Inside Air Force One.Minh K Tran/Shutterstock

In the forward galley, crew members prepared food and drinks for the president and other crew.

The forward galley.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

A phone in the crew compartment came with a warning against discussing classified information.

A phone on Air Force One.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

A narrow hallway led to Air Force One's meeting areas.

A hallway on Air Force One.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The flight crew added fake temperature controls to the presidential stateroom to appease Johnson, who often complained about the cabin temperature.

The presidential stateroom on Air Force One.Minh K Tran/Shutterstock

Johnson had a doggie door installed in the stateroom to accommodate his restless pet beagles.

A doggie door.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The stateroom room included its own private bathroom.

A lavatory.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The presidential conference room featured more space for larger meetings.

The presidential conference room on Air Force One.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

White House staffers and cabinet members who joined the president on trips sat in the staff seating area.

The staff seating area.Minh K Tran/Shutterstock

A separate secretary station provided more workspace for staff.

The secretary station.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Members of the press sat further back on the plane.

Aisles of seats on Air Force One.Minh K Tran/Shutterstock

The aft galley in the back of the plane served food and drinks to senior staff and the press.

A galley on Air Force One.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The tail of the plane was decorated with an American flag.

Air Force One, also known as SAM 970.Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

I visited a beach town in Florida's 'Hamptons of the South.' It felt charmingly European, but I found better spots nearby.

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