Boom's supersonic jet could one day fly the president of the United States
Zach Honig is Editor-at-Large at TPG, with contributions ranging from articles digging deep on loyalty programs and credit cards to delivery flight coverage to drone photography and much more.
Sept. 09, 2020
•
2 min read
Boom's supersonic jet could one day fly the president of the United States
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The U.S. Air Force has already locked in plans for a pair of Boeing 747-8s, intended to fly a future President of the United States. It's an expensive project, as you might expect — the manuals alone come with an $84 million price tag — and those two Boeings likely won't be the only members of the president's fleet.
While the president most often travels onboard a Boeing VC-25, a highly modified 747-200, shorter journeys may take place on a Boeing C-32, based on the 757-200 passenger jet. And, if Boom Supersonic gets its way, the company's Overture jet could also make its way to the fleet, flying the country's top leaders at Mach 2.2.
It's still early days for a potential Boom Air Force plane. This week, the company landed an Air Force contract, intended to help fund "explorations" of a special version of the Overture supersonic plane. The Air Force has also issued contracts with other companies to research a supersonic government passenger jet, including California-based Exosonic.
Boom's big advantage is its speed. While Overture's cabin is far smaller than that of the Boeing 747-8, the plane can cruise at 1,688 miles-per-hour, compared with 660 for the Boeing jumbo jet — a flight from the East Coast to Europe could take just over three hours, compared with more than six hours onboard the larger Boeing plane.
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"The United States Air Force is constantly looking for technological opportunities to disrupt the balance of our adversaries," Brigadier General Ryan Britton, Program Executive Officer for Presidential & Executive Airlift Directorate said in Boom's press release. "We are extremely excited to team with them as we work to shrink the world and transform the future of executive airlift."
TPG reached out to the U.S. Air Force for more details on its Boom-powered aircraft program. We'll update this post if we receive a response.
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
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| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. |
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
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Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees