Driving past the local airport (RDU) and saw the President's 747 taking off.

Turns out it was doing touch and go's. No idea why, but very cool to see. Didn't think our airport was big enough (runway length )
to accommodate a 747, but the Prez's is a beefed up version.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/image_gallery/16911268/

ps also saw a C-130 flying over today - prolly a hurricane hunter as we (NC) have a storm off the coast.

NC ANG has C-130s but they're out of Charlotte, so a WC-130 from out of state is as good a guess as any.

Gotta be cool to watch AF1... Maybe they were testing something.

Because there's a new President I was told they change out the pilots so you have new guys trying to get hours under their belt in this. It was up here as Venus 42 back in April. Couldn't believe how many different passes he made.

I would chalk-up the number of passes and landings to many reasons. It being AF1, they are working on precise time and course. You wouldn't believe the narrow margins they achieve. Also they not only work on exact landing time, but with all kind of changes and emergencies. Procedures, procedures, procedures, and when you've finished them; more procedures procedures of "what-ifs". They are top notch in everything and have no toleration for less than exact. It's not me puttering around in my Cessna 177.

Those crews are razor sharp. I'm like pasta sharp.

"pasta sharp",
I love it!

10 years ago the An-225 visited RDU. I guess it can handle anything short of a space shuttle or XB-70 :P .

watch how af1 takes off when the pres is aboard from most airports in the us.

very, very unusual and interesting takeoff procedure. it does not look typical. i am guessing it is a mix of procedure and cg and weight differences specific to the modified 747's they use.

we get the baby brother (AN-124) a lot into my local airport because it's an International Airport and has Customs. The 225 came into Bangor Me last year I think, should have drove the 3 hours to see it, but I hung out at my airport to catch 12 Hornets come in.