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Agrupación Aérea Presidencial (Presidential Air Group) is the Head of State Air Transport Unit of Argentina.

[edit] Background

The Presidential Air Group is a small fleet of Argentine Air Force aircraft and helicopters for official use by the President, immediate family and senior government officials. The fleet is administered by the Casa Militar ("Military House"), charged with presidential security and transportation. Both military and civilian pilots staff the fleet.

The aircraft are painted white with pale blue lines, evoking the Argentine Flag.

[edit] Aircraft

The main aircraft is a Boeing 757 known as Tango 01 after its military registry: "T-01" (the "T" stands for "Transport", pronounced "Tango" in the NATO Alphabet). The B-757 entered in service in 1995 replacing the former T-01; a Boeing 707.

The Tango 01 B-757 has been an object of political contention for the last decade (and a political campaign hot-topic during the 1999 Presidential election), with many politicians and media commentators denouncing this aircraft as an unnecessary and expensive luxury prone to abuse by presidents, their families, friends and political allies.

The current Presidential fleet also includes two Fokker F28 (T-02 and T-03) (one always in service), a Learjet 60 (T-10) and a Rockwell Sabreliner (T-11). The Learjet and Sabreliner are also used by the Air Force Chief of Staff.

These aircraft are based at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery and El Palomar Air Force base.

Two helicopters, a Sikorsky S-70 (H-01) and a Sikorsky S-76 (H-02) also make-up the fleet, with an additional Air Force Bell 212, as needed.

[edit] Former Aircraft

The Argentine Air Force Tango 01 over the years:

Fleet Helicopters:

Sikorsky S-61R
Sikorsky S-58T
Sikorsky S-55 and Sikorsky S-51, although not officially part of the AAP where used by the President while in serving for the Air Force
Sikorsky S-70

[edit] Trivia

August 26, 1985: Former President Raúl Alfonsín was launched from the Argentine Navy aircraft carrier ARA 25 de Mayo on a Grumman S-2 Tracker number 0702/2-AS-23.

[edit] Incidents

September 19, 1993: with former President Carlos Menem onboard, an Air Force CH-47 Chinook went down while visiting Pozo de Mortero near Las Lomitas in Formosa Province without any casualties.

April 1, 1998: again President Menem had a critical moment, this time aboard T-01 when it performed an aborted hard landing due to strong crosswinds at Wellington during a state visit to New Zealand. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and divert to Auckland where they landed an hour later. Prime Minister Jenny Shipley need to moved to meet President Menem there.

August 1, 2003: President Nestor Kirchner had an emergency landing when was on board the Salta province Bell 407 helicopter [1]

October 19, 2004: Tango 01 made a successful emergency landing at the military airbase of El Palomar soon after taking off at Aeroparque Jorge Newbery in Buenos Aires when one of its engines caught fire. The engines were taken to Israel for a complete overhaul and the aircraft return to service mid 2005. In the meantime, two chartered Boeing 747s operated by Aerolineas Argentinas served the Presidential transport role when traveling abroad, and when the 757 was back into service, President Néstor Kirchner continued using the 747s for long travel, due to its extended range.

April 19, 2009: Tango 01 with President Christina Kirchner on board, en route from Trinidad & Tobago to Buenos Aires, made an emergency landing at Simón Bolívar International Airport, in Venezuela, after the cockpit windscreen cracked during flight due "to the differences of temperatures inside and outside of the aircraft". Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lent the Argentine delegation a Falcon jet for the remainder of the trip.

[edit] References

(Spanish) New Zealand accident in Clarin newspaper
(Spanish) Bell 407 accident in Clarin newspaper