The first plane to be designated as Air Force One in the 1950s has been abandoned in a field at a southern Arizona airport.
The
aircraft that once spirited President Dwight D. Eisenhower on
cross-country voyages sits in a dusty 10-acre parcel of land at Marana
Regional Airport, decaying under the unrelenting glare of the sun.
'I
think it's one of these big secrets that, really, few people know that
it's out there,' airport manager Steve Miller said. 'It's sad that it's
just sitting out there, considering its history over the past 70 years.'
Original: The first Air Force One aircraft is housed at the Marana regional airport
Abandoned: The plane, pictured, is almost forgotten at a field in Arizona
The original Air Force
One is a Lockheed VC-121 Constellation 48-610 that was built in
California in 1948. The next year it was converted to carry VIPs and
re-designated as a VC-121A.
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It was named Columbine II after the state flower of Colorado, the home state of first lady Mamie Eisenhower.
In
1953 it became the official presidential aircraft until it was replaced
in 1954, when it became the primary backup aircraft, according to The Arizona Daily Star.
After
a brief civilian stint with Pan American, the aircraft carried
Eisenhower for a final time on Oct. 25, 1959, on a trip from Augusta,
Georgia, to Washington, D.C.
Historic: The Columbine II, a Lockheed VC-121 Constellation 48-610, was built in Burbank, California, in 1948
First Lady: The plane was affectionately named
after the columbine, state flower of Colorado, the home of first lady
Mamie Eisenhower, pictured right with her husband
It served as a VIP transport at
Washington National Airport and Maryland's Andrews Air Force Base before
it was retired and flown to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in 1968. It
was stripped of its identity and fitted with mismatched landing gear.
Mel
Christler of Christler Flying Service bought the aircraft, along with
four others, in a 1970 surplus auction, not knowing its true identity.
He hoped to convert it to an aerial sprayer, but the plane would not fly
due to the landing gear problem.
Christler
learned of the plane's history in 1980 when Smithsonian Institution
curator Robert Mikesh tracked down its whereabouts and contacted him.
