ecn-ec:stocker@pur-ee.UUCP (09/27/83)
It has been reported here in Northern Indiana that the Strategic Air Command has decided to move NEACP's [the President's "doomsday" E-4 (747)] field deployment base from Andrews AFB in Maryland to Grissom AFB (a combo SAC/TAC base near Kokomo, ~60 miles north of Indianapolis), because of the fact that Russian sumbarines off the East Coast could destoy the plane in a matter of <4 minutes from the time the missle breaks water. The E-4 is especially designed for short field take-offs and landings, at the SAC air show in Omaha (the primary base for the three E-4's) this June one was landed in less than 2000 feet without using thurst reversers! They also take off in a near vertical climb. (Impressive to see a 600,000lb 747 do that, I was there.) Therefore the current plan is to move the President as far inland as possible while moving the E-4 towards him. Since the only limiting factor is the one-time concrete stress the runway must endure, the President could be picked up at a number of locations with the whole landing/pick-up/ take-off taking only a few minutes. dave stocker pur-ee|stocker