Eisenhower's L-26B Aero Commander Comes to Lakeland
The Commemorative Air Force Tampa Bay Wing was recently assigned the smallest aircraft to ever carry the call sign Air Force One. It is one of the original six L-26 Aero Commanders purchased by the U.S. Air Force in 1955 for use by President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower.
When President Eisenhower took office in 1953 he selected the Lockheed Constellation as his primary aircraft. But he and First Lady Mamie had purchased a farm property near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and no airport existed nearby that could accommodate the Connie.
Helicopters were not yet suitable for presidential transport, and Ike didn’t want to tie up road traffic with 150-mile motorcades so he directed Col. William Draper, his chief pilot, to identify an aircraft that could be used for shorter trips in and out of Washington.
After a competitive bidding process, Draper settled on the Aero Commander 560A, one of the most popular executive transport aircraft at the time, and it was able to operate off the unimproved grass airstrip at the farm. The Air Force ordered 6 of them and designated them the L-26 and they came to be known as Ike's Bird, which also became the first aircraft to wear the blue-and-white livery that’s now so familiar.
Eisenhower, being a pilot himself was advised not to fly, although chances are that he took the controls occasionally to enjoy himself.
This particular aircraft retired from government service and was subsequently purchased at auction in1997 by Scott Main of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He meticulously restored it to its original White House configuration complete with the blue-and-white paint scheme. The CAF acquired the aircraft in 2019 ensuring its continued preservation and public appearances.
The Tampa Bay Wing will house Ike’s Bird at Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL) in the Sun ‘n Fun hangars. It will display the iconic aircraft at airshows and other aviation events, affording the public the opportunity to see and even fly in a former Air Force One.
