Finding a paint color - Air Force One Light Blue

[cody]

Nothing like a machine gun on the roof to say, please don't hit me again, it also says, hey thats my parking space too lol.

[Runcutter]

Nothing like a machine gun on the roof to say, please don't hit me again, it also says, hey thats my parking space too lol.

We'd need something automatic, so it would work unattended.  Phyllis and I were in NYC on a theater trip, when the phone rang.  The call was from the guy who'd just backed into the coach, in its parking space in Texas.  While it was great that he called us and admitted what happened, and he tarped the front of the coach (heavy storms coming in), and that his insurance paid for the repairs, I'd prefer not to go through it again. 

By the way, the wreck happened because he was trying to get out of someone else's way, so as to not inconvenience them.  Last month, someone I know moved over to avoid inconveniencing a pedestrian in the alley next to our house -- and sideswiped the side of her car on our retaining wall (built last year, and rebuilt in May because of the car that hit our house in April - damaging the wall, too.)  Maybe the paint scheme on the bus, and on the house painting project, should include a target? 

In either event, a simple "stop, wait, let them get out of the way" would have saved thousands of dollars in damage.  Both drivers were tired, apparently leading to recto-cranial disease. 

Arthur   

[Sean]

...  I like the color on the aircraft commonly known as Air Force One (boy, didn't expect to have to go through that issue - I suspect a thread that asked for the paint chip of a VC-137 or VC-25 wouldn't have received many responses.)  ...

Just to be clear ...  I posted that information not as a correction, but to help you with your search.  When going through federal and military databases as well as Boeing's own records, you will not find the aircraft listed as "Air Force One", but rather as VC-25A and specifically aircraft numbers 28000 and 29000.

In an effort to help answer your question, I did a few searches myself and came much closer to getting actual answers by searching with the official designators.  That said, I was still only able to find the specs on the darker blue.

I stand corrected on the call sign issue; yes, it is only the call sign for actual Air Force operated aircraft.  That has included many aircraft other than the VC-25 and its predecessor, the VC-137.

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[Nusa]

7. Presidential aircraft and Presidential family aircraft:

(a) When the President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word "One."

EXAMPLE-
"Air Force One."
"Army One."
"Marine One."

(b) When the President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words "Executive One."

(c) When a member of the President's family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words "Executive One Foxtrot."

8. Vice Presidential aircraft:

(a) When the Vice President is aboard a military aircraft, state the name of the military service, followed by the word "Two."

EXAMPLE-
"Air Force Two."
"Army Two."
"Marine Two."

(b) When the Vice President is aboard a civil aircraft, state the words "Executive Two."

(c) When a member of the Vice President's family is aboard any aircraft, if the U.S. Secret Service or the White House Staff determines it is necessary, state the words "Executive Two Foxtrot."

It should be noted that any plane using these call signs usually gets priority service from traffic control:

2-1-4. OPERATIONAL PRIORITY

Provide air traffic control service to aircraft on a "first come, first served" basis as circumstances permit, except the following:

[snipped stuff about emergency traffic which comes first]

d. Expedite the movement of presidential aircraft and entourage and any rescue support aircraft as well as related control messages when traffic conditions and communications facilities permit.

Quotes from:
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/atc/atc0204.html
http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/atc/atc0201.html

[FloridaCliff]

For grins I called the 89th Air Readiness Wing (they maintain the Presidential fleet) and am awaiting a return call (maybe) on the paint numbers.

No returned call yet.

Probably waiting on the FBI's field visit report to my house.........Yikes!   

[Nusa]

You might find the federal standard colors document interesting: http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/FEDMIL/fedstd595b.pdf. Pages 43-46 (pdf page numbers) show the blues, but of course color reproduction on anything but a specially calibrated monitor is going to be less than accurate. If you do get a color number from the Air Force, the document will tell you what pigments are used to mix it. Obviously you need a paint expert to do it right.

[RJ]

Arthur -

From the document Nusa provided, on page 46, color #35466 looks to be similar to the AF-1 robin egg blue color. 

FWIW & HTH. . .

[robertglines1]

RJ  think you got it..I recognized color from Usaf over 40 yrs ago..as soon as you wrote it that name reminded me of the robin egg blue name...

[Runcutter]

What great information -- thanks all.  I agree, the military spec, 35466 looks right.  Interestingly, when I printed it on my color laser, it (and the gloss 15450) look a lot different than on the computer screen.  It sure gets me a lot closer than all the research I'd already done. 

Cliff, see if you get a choice of federal prisons.  I hear that Danbury, Connecticut is nice.  I appreciate your taking the risk for the bus community.  I did have to deal with the FBI once, when I was Assistant General Manager of a transit system.  They were investigating one of my employees for something, I forget what.  Back then, they seemed to be nice folks -- but, I wasn't the one they were investigating (I think). 

BTW, if anyone gets a chance to visit the Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio - it's worth at least a day.  I haven't been there in several years, but they have an extensive fleet of Presidential aircraft.  It was interesting to get on 26000, and see where they had to cut away part of a bulkhead to maneuver President Kennedy's coffin onto the aircraft.  Eisenhower's extended Bell 47 helicopter sure doesn't compare with the current helicopter fleet.  I used to go there often when I was assigned to Lima Ohio as General Manager of the transit system in the mid-1980's.  Got back there about 4-5 years ago, they've expanded and improved enormously. 

Thanks again, for all the help.

Arthur

[cody]

So I guess you've ruled out sneaking up on the plane with tin snips and then taking the piece to Lowes for them to scan with their special color scanner, they claim they can match any color lol.