A historic airplane has returned to the skies as Columbine II, a 1948 Lockheed C-121A Constellation that holds the claim to fame of being the very first airplane to be called Air Force One, took off yesterday from the Marana Regional Airport in Marana, Arizona, where it has been parked since 2003.
First Air Force One Returns to Flight
Key Takeaways:
- The historic 1948 Lockheed C-121A Constellation, *Columbine II*, known as the first airplane to be called Air Force One, has returned to the skies after being parked since 2003.
- The aircraft was recently purchased by Dynamic Aviation and restored with assistance from the Mid America Flight Museum, flying from Arizona to Texas on its way for further restoration in Bridgewater.
- Used as President Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential aircraft, *Columbine II* was central to the adoption of the "Air Force One" call sign following a near-collision incident in 1954.
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