Friend called me last minute and said he was in route to SM airport to see Obama's motorcade take off to go to LAX to return home. So, I zipped out and met him right in time to see the motorcade rush in and everyone load up and take off.

Quite fascinating from a logistics point of view. The motorcade is like 30-40 cars/trucks deep. And then ALL those people get out and load up on to the Ospreys and Marine One. And then like that they leave in formation. Keeping tabs on air traffic radios...there were at LAX and loaded up on AF One and gone in about 20-25 minutes. Just efficient as hell.

 

Those motorcades are no joke. They are long and keep you stuck until they go through.

Got stuck in one in MKE when G.W. was president. The whole freeway from Chicago to Milwaukee was closed with officers on every over pass.

 

I had Marine One fly directly over head when I was leaving class going to my car in college one day. College Station airport is tiny, so they flew AF1 to Houston and took Marine One to A&M for a commencement ceremony. It's pretty awesome how there are always two identical ones flying together when the President is on board.

I I skipped the traffic jam when he came to SXSW this year though.

 

LA Traffic is bad enough.. people hate it when POTUS comes to town

Sick shots though Sarlacc!


also.. government, efficient? surely you jest

 

If you look closely you can see two identical chinooks. But for someone reason one of them stayed behind this time.

 

Very cool, glad you let the shutter lag for prop motion!

 

That is really strange. I guess having an escort of 3 Ospreys discounts the need for a decoy.

 

Ahhh, the memories. I spent 6 years working with those guys. You wouldn't believe the amount of planning/coordination expended for these lifts. Very cool to see the Ospreys in use. I wonder if that was a one-time deal or if they've started using them regularly now?

 

I believe those are specifically dedicated to the POTUS. My one friend pointed out they had nicer paint jobs compared to normal in service Ospreys. But who knows.

 

There are 12 Osprey assigned to President's fleet.

 

I meant to do it for the motorcade driving in as well, but got caught up in the moment.

I was playing with the new AF setting. Once they arrived I went to AF profile 2 and flicked over to AF-C...It did a great job.

 

 

Yeah, looks like the first one was delivered in April of 2013. So far they only carry support personnel

I'm guessing the decoy chopper had a maintenance issue and they decided to depart without the added security of the "shell game".

 

I don't see any chinooks. maybe you mean Sea King

 

Whatever they are :-)

 

I do, but for some reason many people can't. I saw an article about how it cost $3M for The President to go play golf in Florida with Tiger Woods, and every single comment was flipping out about the "waste" of money. It's like they couldn't fathom the amount of effort it takes for The President to go somewhere regardless of where he goes or what he does.