Presidential Trivia Answers (Feb. 2 & 3)

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(1) QUESTION: True or False? Only one First Lady learned to fly an airplane, and she learned because she was friends with Amelia Earhart. Bonus points if you know which First Lady was Earhart’s friend.

ANSWER: Eleanor Roosevelt was Earhart’s friend, but the answer is false. She was a passenger on a plane with Earhart, but never learned to fly herself.

(2) QUESTION: Who was the first President to fly on a plane specifically built for presidential use? In other words, when did our modern idea of Air Force One begin?

ANSWER: John F. Kennedy. A Boeing 707 was modified for presidential use and JFK began using it in 1962. The attached picture is of JFK getting off Air Force One in June 1962. He had just arrived in Mexico City.

(3) QUESTION: Who was the first President licensed to operate an airplane? How many Presidents have gotten their pilot’s license?

ANSWER: Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first. He learned to fly while serving in the Philippines and even flew a solo mission, but he never got his army wings. Two other Presidents have gotten their pilot’s licenses: George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The senior Bush famously served in World War II and was shot down while flying a mission near Japan. He completed his mission, with his engine on fire, before being forced to bail out. He was later rescued by a submarine and received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his valor. The younger Bush served in the Texas Air National Guard, but he never saw combat.