November 2003 Colonel Tillman prepared to fly the president into the heart of
to fly the president into the heart of
to fly the president into the heart of the Iraq war to share Thanksgiving with
the Iraq war to share Thanksgiving with
the Iraq war to share Thanksgiving with American troops to prevent an insurgent
American troops to prevent an insurgent
American troops to prevent an insurgent attack on the president
attack on the president
attack on the president no one except those on board could know
no one except those on board could know
no one except those on board could know his destination in advance this mission
his destination in advance this mission
his destination in advance this mission the president wanted to be completely
the president wanted to be completely
the president wanted to be completely secret I think probably in the end there
secret I think probably in the end there
secret I think probably in the end there was probably maybe five of us that had a
was probably maybe five of us that had a
was probably maybe five of us that had a really good idea of what was going to
really good idea of what was going to
really good idea of what was going to happen
happen
happen even air traffic control had to be kept
even air traffic control had to be kept
even air traffic control had to be kept in the dark if any hint of the mission
in the dark if any hint of the mission
in the dark if any hint of the mission slipped out the operation would be
slipped out the operation would be
slipped out the operation would be scrubbed how do I ask you to non-stop
scrubbed how do I ask you to non-stop
scrubbed how do I ask you to non-stop covert mission without alerting anybody
covert mission without alerting anybody
covert mission without alerting anybody of what we were doing how do you make
of what we were doing how do you make
of what we were doing how do you make the president disappear for a few days
the president disappear for a few days
the president disappear for a few days the president the most closely watched
the president the most closely watched
the president the most closely watched man on earth needed to vanish for 48
man on earth needed to vanish for 48
man on earth needed to vanish for 48 hours to establish a cover story the
hours to establish a cover story the
hours to establish a cover story the trip started at his ranch in Texas the
trip started at his ranch in Texas the
trip started at his ranch in Texas the first family had gathered for
first family had gathered for
first family had gathered for Thanksgiving but the president would not
Thanksgiving but the president would not
Thanksgiving but the president would not be there for dinner
be there for dinner
be there for dinner very few people in Crawford at the ranch
very few people in Crawford at the ranch
very few people in Crawford at the ranch knew that I’d be leaving this is very
knew that I’d be leaving this is very
knew that I’d be leaving this is very much a cloak-and-dagger operation
much a cloak-and-dagger operation
much a cloak-and-dagger operation passenger one boarded secretly in Waco
passenger one boarded secretly in Waco
passenger one boarded secretly in Waco Texas but the jet couldn’t fly nonstop
Texas but the jet couldn’t fly nonstop
Texas but the jet couldn’t fly nonstop to Iraq without refueling
to keep the trip is Swift and secret as
to keep the trip is Swift and secret as possible the president’s plane touched
possible the president’s plane touched
possible the president’s plane touched down outside Washington at Andrews and
down outside Washington at Andrews and
down outside Washington at Andrews and pulled into the hangar inside the second
pulled into the hangar inside the second
pulled into the hangar inside the second presidential plane was standing by
presidential plane was standing by
presidential plane was standing by fueled up for immediate departure we did
fueled up for immediate departure we did
fueled up for immediate departure we did everything inside the hangar because we
everything inside the hangar because we
everything inside the hangar because we had to worry about the tower watching us
had to worry about the tower watching us
had to worry about the tower watching us or anybody outside you know everyone’s
or anybody outside you know everyone’s
or anybody outside you know everyone’s blood pressure was up it was very
blood pressure was up it was very
blood pressure was up it was very interesting the you know the kind of the
interesting the you know the kind of the
interesting the you know the kind of the choreography inside the hangar when we
choreography inside the hangar when we
choreography inside the hangar when we left the president gets off he’s got his
left the president gets off he’s got his
left the president gets off he’s got his polo shirt on he’s got a baseball cap on
polo shirt on he’s got a baseball cap on
polo shirt on he’s got a baseball cap on he walks off one airplane walks on
he walks off one airplane walks on
he walks off one airplane walks on another airplane everyone all the
another airplane everyone all the
another airplane everyone all the maintenance guys recognized it was the
maintenance guys recognized it was the
maintenance guys recognized it was the president as well as our cops inside
president as well as our cops inside
president as well as our cops inside they all knew oh my god it’s the
they all knew oh my god it’s the
they all knew oh my god it’s the president they knew at that point some
president they knew at that point some
president they knew at that point some was going on minutes after arrival the
was going on minutes after arrival the
was going on minutes after arrival the president was headed back into the air
president was headed back into the air
president was headed back into the air but as far as the rest of the world know
but as far as the rest of the world know
but as far as the rest of the world know the presidential plane never took off
the presidential plane never took off
the presidential plane never took off when we left here we used a different
when we left here we used a different
when we left here we used a different call sign so we weren’t Air Force one we
call sign so we weren’t Air Force one we
call sign so we weren’t Air Force one we filed a flight plan
filed a flight plan
filed a flight plan for a Gulfstream type of aircraft okay
for a Gulfstream type of aircraft okay
for a Gulfstream type of aircraft okay so I changed the identity of our
so I changed the identity of our
so I changed the identity of our airplane we changed the modes to codes
airplane we changed the modes to codes
airplane we changed the modes to codes and everything associated with the
and everything associated with the
and everything associated with the movement of an airplane so once it got
movement of an airplane so once it got
movement of an airplane so once it got airborne all the center would see is
airborne all the center would see is
airborne all the center would see is that there’s an airplane they didn’t
that there’s an airplane they didn’t
that there’s an airplane they didn’t know it was a 747 six hours out all
know it was a 747 six hours out all
know it was a 747 six hours out all systems go a bogus Gulfstream jet heads
systems go a bogus Gulfstream jet heads
systems go a bogus Gulfstream jet heads east but in the skies over England a
east but in the skies over England a
east but in the skies over England a chance encounter almost blows the planes
chance encounter almost blows the planes
chance encounter almost blows the planes cover we’re going over London England
cover we’re going over London England
cover we’re going over London England another pilot had gone by and seen the
another pilot had gone by and seen the
another pilot had gone by and seen the airplane and asked if it was Air Force
airplane and asked if it was Air Force
airplane and asked if it was Air Force One and the controller dutifully said no
One and the controller dutifully said no
One and the controller dutifully said no sir it’s a Gulfstream type aircraft
sir it’s a Gulfstream type aircraft
sir it’s a Gulfstream type aircraft well to say that we all missed the
well to say that we all missed the
well to say that we all missed the heartbeat is an understatement
heartbeat is an understatement
heartbeat is an understatement because all we needed was that civilian
because all we needed was that civilian
because all we needed was that civilian pilot to say so that’s not a Gulfstream
pilot to say so that’s not a Gulfstream
pilot to say so that’s not a Gulfstream aircraft that’s a 747s blue-and-white
aircraft that’s a 747s blue-and-white
aircraft that’s a 747s blue-and-white sure looks like Air Force one that could
sure looks like Air Force one that could
sure looks like Air Force one that could have been a reason to terminate the
have been a reason to terminate the
have been a reason to terminate the operator
”
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