Posted on 09/04/2008 9:32:17 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has long had ties to Arizona.
Now his running mate does, too — to Tucson. Tucson-based Global Aircraft Solutions Inc. was set on Thursday to deliver Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's new campaign plane, an Embraer 190 regional jet complete with the duo's campaign logo on the fuselage.
The new jet seats about 100 people and was reconfigured with bigger first class seats, dividers and an area for the press, Global Aircraft president John Sawyer said. New York-based JetBlue Airways will operate the plane.
The Secret Service inspected the plane at Tucson International Airport on Thursday afternoon before it took off for St. Paul, where the Republican National Convention winds up today.
Global Aircraft is parent of Hamilton Aerospace Technologies, a full-service aircraft repair and modification facility that provides heavy maintenance for commercial airliners at the Tucson airport.
“Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has long had ties to Arizona.”
Really? I had no idea. ;)
Just make sure the campaign logo on the tail does not cover up the USA flag!!
Tucson-based Global Aircraft Solutions outfitted the Embraer 190 regional jet that will be vice presidential
candidate Sarah Palin's campaign plane. It was flown from Tucson to St. Paul today.
If you want on or off this aerospace ping list, please contact Paleo Conservative or phantomworker by Freep mail.
Prior to his run for the Senate in 1984, he had spent more time living in Hanoi than anywhere else.
Should I be upset they went with an Embraer plane which is from Brazil, as opposed to using a Boeing jet?
So when the campaign is over, will she sell it on Ebay?
Any bets on how long it take the rats to demand she put it up for sale on EBay?
right after Obamado puts his on there
carbon foot print is better with the smaller embraer than a 737. :-)
UH-Oh... now the attack will be that Palin isn’t flying on a US built plane... the Embraer 190 is made in Brazil...
WOW! Nice job!
Name me one American built model comparable to the Embraer 190 that is available. McCain's plane is a 737-400.
Thanks for that ping.
Apparently it was easier to set up the ordnance mount points on an Embraer.
Maybe I’m thinking too much but..
I’m kind of uncomfortable having news out about “where” her campaign plane is being built.
Is it already built? If so fine.. I’m just saying.
My Senator Jim Inhofe flies planes and they messed with his a few years ago trying to get rid of him.
Boeing doesn’t offer anything in this mid-size so far as I know. These mid-range jets have been a specialty of Embraer and I don’t think there is any US counterpart (but I’m no expert). Maybe the claim will be she should have stepped up to a 737 or whatever, but that wouldn’t be as fuel efficient!
Of course, some media are now going to rip her for selling the Alaska governor’s jet and now using this one, but it’s apples and oranges.... with the governor’s jet she was making a point about not using public funds for that when the Gov. could fly commercial, but now she is using campaign funds, and of course she will be criss-crossing the entire nation to so many dozens of events. I don’t think such criticism should get any traction since all the Demagogue campaigns and blowhards like Albore use private jets, but don’t expect that rationality will restrain media hacks wanting to make a splash.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
I love Jet Blue. But recently they cut off the direct flights to Las Vegas. I loved the red eye coming back to DC.
Will each seat have its own TV?
***Wouldn’t it be funny if she puts it on E-Bay tomorrow and flys SouthWest instead***
Yup. But not efficient considering her travel plans for the next couple of months.
McCain will have a bigger plane. Here's a picture of McCain's plane. It's a 737-400. I'm sure it will be getting a paint job revision.
Sarah is going to need a bigger plane.
“Is it already built?”
Of course, it’s only been modified with a new interior and a paint job in Tucson.
I thought this would be Sarah's plane.
What is the Biden campaign plane?
The Alaskan jet wouldn’t hold Palin’s family and two secret service agents. I did interiors on few and they are TINY on the inside.
Jet Blue flys only Airbus 320-200 and the -190.
No American products.
Non-union (which is OK)
Most of the reservation folks work out of their homes in Utah of all places (Dell and other support outfits do the same)
Sounds like a low cost carrier to me.....with a good safety record.
“Still fast work, even if they had most of it done and were waiting on (insert name here)”
Afert the announcment on Thursday they probably only had the name on the exterior to complete.
never mind ... Obama was made in Kenya
Cool! Does that mean each seat will have it's own video screen tied into Direct TV? I LOVE Jet Blue!
Thanks for the info, but I didn’t mean she could have used the Alaska govt. jet since these are campaign functions and she could not use a govt. jet even if they still had it. I just meant that as libs love to get into debates about “symbolic” issues that some MSM types will soon say that she was too “holier-than-thou” about not flying a private jet in Alaska but now is using one in the campaign. But the key issue is that her point was about best use of Alaskan govt. funds, not that no one should ever fly in a private jet for private purposes.
Since she is now the vice-presidential nominee, I suspect the security rules around her would make life miserable for those sharing an airplane with her. Yeah I know airplanes are supposedly secure areas already, but there are plenty of weapons that could get through magnetometers undetected. Indeed, some such weapons might be considered "stone-age technology".
So Huckabee, Hutchinson, Lieberman, Pawlenty never had a chance (and a real investigative jounalist could have worked that out)
Where’s the American flag?
Above the windows near the rear exit door. It's rather small.
I was being sarcastic, based on how the leftists latch on to every stupid tidbit...
“Huckabee, Hutchinson, Lieberman, Pawlenty never had a chance”
Of course not after he announced it was her on Thursday.
I saw the one next to the tail number. Where’s the big one? Or is it out of fashion this cycle?
No sweat. Mine’s just a point of practicality. 8-10 people in one of those is miserable.
So McCain’s plane would be known as Straight Talk Express 1 and Palin’s would be Barracuda 2.
I’d paint it silver, with realistic painted jaws with sharp ‘cuda teeth at the front, and by the exit door...two Dimocrat donkeys with an red “X” through ‘em. Under one “X” have the words “Community Organizer” and under the other print “Plagerizer”
bump ! bump ! bump !
757? I thought ‘Bambi was riding an MD80 series jet. Did he upgrade?
BTW, I LOVE the fact she’s riding in an Embraer product. They are making some great jets.
She doesn’t have the need of the media or campaign “entourage” (hence the smaller plane need)
It needs a large US flag!
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