[yesthatjallen]

The plane is ONLY AF1 or AF2 when the boss is aboard.

Thanks for responding but that wasn't my question.

My questions were:

"Does AF1 usually return to Washington without the President?

Does AF1 always stay where the President is?"

Regardless as to how you refer to the planes, is it common practice to drop off the president and vp and then fly back to Washington without them and then come back to pick them up later?

Does this happen all the time or is this unique?

[mad_as_he$$]

I can’t remember an instance of AF1 leaving the area where POTUS is. It may have happened but it seems off to me.

[LadyDoc]

I don’t know about AF1, but if the plane had to sit on the ground for awhile there might be a security risk.

I live in the Philippines and was told that a lot of overseas based planes landing in Manila would leave and park overnight in nearby Taiwan because they didn’t trust the maintenance and security crews at the airport here...