Summary
- Donald Trump’s flagship aircraft is a Boeing 757-200, customized with just 43 seats for spacious travel.
- The Citation X jet in Trump Aviation’s fleet is one of the fastest business jets ever, holding up to 8 passengers.
- Trump Force One was restored in 2021 at Chennault International Airport and relocated to West Palm Beach in 2022.
Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States and was perhaps the most controversial President of modern times. The Republican Party nominee won the 2016 election to become President. His election sparked numerous protests throughout the United States. His policies while in office were described as populist, protectionist, isolationist, and nationalist. His term as US President ended in 2021 with the election of the Democratic nominee, Joe Biden.
However, prior to his reign in office, Trump was viewed as a successful business person. He established countless businesses and expanded his father’s real estate business beginning in the early 1970s. Trump launched several side ventures and even hosted a reality television series in the 2000s, which was called The Apprentice.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Throughout his career as president and businessperson, Trump utilized planes from one of his side ventures, Trump Aviation. This is a small fleet of jets and helicopters used by executives in the Trump Organization and during the campaign for his 2016 Presidency. Let’s take a closer look at what is referred to as Trump Force One, which is Trump’s flagship aircraft. Let’s also look at some of the other aircraft in the Trump Aviation fleet.
A guide to the Boeing 757-200
Trump’s most well-known aircraft in the Trump Aviation fleet is a Boeing 757-200 aircraft. This narrowbody aircraft was designed as a commercial airliner in the early 1980s. Boeing began designing the 757 in the late 1970s after the successful launch of the Boeing 747. Boeing hoped to create an aircraft for short and medium length flights that would replace the Boeing 727.
The Story Of The Boeing 757
Several airlines began committing to the aircraft in the late 1970s to further its development. Boeing inherited much of the aircraft’s design from the larger Boeing 767, which was designed a bit earlier. Much of the interior remained the same, and a two-person cockpit was used. The aircraft flew for the first time in February 1982, and deliveries began in January 1983, when the first aircraft went to Eastern Air Lines.
The aircraft has the following measurements:
- Length: 155 feet
- Height: 44 feet six inches
- Wingspan: 124 feet ten inches
- 44.5
The 757 aircraft is either powered by two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 engines. Other design features include carbon-fiber reinforced wing surfaces, Kevlar fairings, and an aluminum alloy airframe. These engines and other design features help the aircraft achieve the following specifications:
|
Capacity |
200-239 passengers (2-class or 1-class configuration) |
|---|---|
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
255,000 pounds |
|
Cruise speed |
461 knots (531 miles per hour) |
|
Maximum speed |
496 knots (571 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
3,915 nautical miles (4,505 miles) |
|
Ceiling |
42,000 feet |
The aircraft was produced from 1981 through 2004. Over 1,050 aircraft were produced and are still utilized by Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, United Airlines, and UPS Airlines, among others.
Trump Force One
As previously mentioned, Donald Trump’s flagship aircraft is a Boeing 757-200. This aircraft is a customized version of the commercial aircraft. The aircraft, which is registered as N757AF, was built in 1991. It was originally delivered to Sterling Airlines and bounced between owners until Donald Trump bought the aircraft in 2011.
Photo: Evan El-Amin | Shutterstock
Two Rolls-Royce RB211 engines power Trump’s 757-200. It can seat just 43 people, giving passengers significantly more space than the standard commercial configuration, which can seat over 200 passengers.
This aircraft was used during Trump’s 2016 Presidential campaign. After Trump was elected President, the 757 was moved into storage while Trump was shuttled around using Air Force One and several years passed with the aircraft in storage.
In May 2021, Donald Trump announced that he intended to restore and upgrade the aircraft at Chennault International Airport (CWF) in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Eventually, the aircraft was recommissioned and flown to West Palm Beach, Florida, in 2022, where Trump resides.
Trump’s other aircraft
Besides the famous Trump Force One aircraft, Trump Aviation’s fleet also includes a Cessna Citation X, which is registered as N725DT. The aircraft was purchased in 1991. At the time of the purchase, the Citation X was the fastest business jet in the world. It was briefly Trump’s main mode of transportation while Trump Force One was being restored.
The Fastest Business Jet Of The 2000s: A Guide To The Cessna 750 Citation X
The private jet is still the joint-fastest civil aircraft in the world, with over 330 built.
The Citation X in Trump Aviation’s fleet can hold up to eight total passengers, slightly less than the maximum passenger configuration, which typically seats twelve passengers. The Citation X was first developed in the early 1990s and changed the image of Cessna, which was known for slower and more practical business jets. The Citation X took the private aviation world by storm and became the fastest business jet through the early 2000s.
Photo: Ivan Cholakov | Shutterstock
A standard Citation X has the following specifications:
|
Length |
72.53 feet |
|---|---|
|
Height |
19.2 feet |
|
Wingspan |
63.6 feet |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
36,100 pounds |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.92 (706 miles per hour) |
|
Cruise speed |
528 knots (607 miles per hour) |
|
Range |
3,460 nautical miles (3,982 miles) |
|
Ceiling |
51,000 feet |
Trump Aviation also owns three Sikorsky S76 helicopters, one of the most popular civilian helicopters developed by Sikorsky. The Trump Organization utilizes these helicopters for short-range quick shuttles for executive members.
