Presidential Travel: DOD Airlift Cost for White House Foreign Travel
(Letter Report, 08/04/2000, GAO/NSIAD-00-209).
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the
Department of Defense (DOD) costs for fixed-wing cargo airlift,
passenger airlift, and aerial refueling for foreign trips by the
President, Vice President, and First Lady and for White House-directed
trips.
GAO noted that: (1) on the basis of the best available data, GAO
estimates that DOD spent at least $292 million to provide fixed-wing
airlift and air refueling support for 159 White House foreign trips from
January 1, 1997, through March 31, 2000; (2) these costs are somewhat
understated because DOD could not provide historical data on some aerial
refueling missions and could not assure GAO that its information systems
had captured complete mission data for some of the trips; (3) GAO
excluded from its analysis in-country aircraft support costs provided by
military theater commanders because these mission records were not
readily available; (4) Air Force officials indicated the cost of this
support was likely to be minimal relative to the total DOD airlift cost;
(5) GAO also did not include costs of other federal agencies' support
for any of these trips, costs for some White House-directed trips that
were classified, or costs of other aircraft used for the security of the
President; and (6) the President's 27 trips accounted for 85 percent of
the total aircraft support cost, the Vice President's 8 trips accounted
for 4 percent, the First Lady's 20 trips accounted for 4 percent, and
the other 104 trips directed by the President accounted for the
remaining 7 percent.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: NSIAD-00-209
TITLE: Presidential Travel: DOD Airlift Cost for White House
Foreign Travel
DATE: 08/04/2000
SUBJECT: Public officials
Military airlift operations
Military aircraft
Travel costs
International travel
Aviation fuels
IDENTIFIER: VC-25A Aircraft
C-9 Aircraft
C-5 Aircraft
C-141 Aircraft
C-17 Aircraft
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GAO/NSIAD-00-209
Appendix I: Airlift and Refueling Aircraft Used for White House
Foreign Travel
10
Appendix II: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the
President's Foreign Trips in 1997
23
Appendix III: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the
President's Foreign Trips in 1998
27
Appendix IV: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the
President's Foreign Trips in 1999
32
Appendix V: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the
President's Foreign Trips in 2000
39
Appendix VI: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the
Vice President's Foreign Trips, 1997 Through
March 31, 2000
41
Appendix VII: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for First
Lady's Foreign Trips, 1997 Through March 31, 2000
44
Appendix VIII: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Other
White House-Directed Foreign Trips, 1997 Through
March 31, 2000
48
Appendix IX: Comments From the White House
50
Appendix X: Comments From the Department of Defense
51
DOD Department of Defense
National Security and
International Affairs Division
B-285668
August 4, 2000
The Honorable Larry E. Craig
The Honorable Jeff Sessions
The Honorable Craig Thomas
The Honorable John Warner
The Honorable Jon Kyl
The Honorable James Inhofe
United States Senate
As you requested, we are providing information on the Department of Defense
(DOD) costs for fixed-wing cargo airlift, passenger airlift, and aerial
refueling for foreign trips by the President, Vice President, and First Lady
and for White House-directed trips1 from January 1997 through March 2000.
This report is a follow-up to our September 1999 report, Presidential
Travel: Costs and Accounting for the President's 1998 Trips to Africa,
Chile, and China (GAO/NSIAD-99-164). The 1999 report shows that DOD costs--
particularly those for fixed-wing cargo airlift, passenger airlift, and
aerial refueling--accounted for most of the costs for the three presidential
trips addressed in the report.
Foreign travel by the President, Vice President, First Lady, and other White
House-directed travelers requires DOD airlift. Trips by the President
sometimes may also require air refueling support. The Air Force's Air
Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, the air component of the
U.S. Transportation Command with which it is collocated, provides both
passenger and cargo airlift for White House travel and air refueling when
necessary. The Air Force's 89th Airlift Wing (located at Andrews Air Force
Base, Maryland), a unit under operational command of Air Mobility Command,
provides worldwide passenger airlift for the President, Vice President,
First Lady, and others traveling at the direction of the President. The Air
Mobility Command assigns aircraft used for cargo airlift and air refueling
from various air wings. Cargo airlifted could include vehicles and
communications equipment, helicopters, and maintenance support personnel and
equipment.
A variety of aircraft are used in support of any given White House foreign
trip. The number of aircraft used for each trip also varies. For example,
passenger aircraft may include the VC-25, C-137, C-32, C-9, C-37, or C-20.
Cargo and air refueling aircraft may include the C-5, C-141, C-17, C-130,
KC-135, and the KC-10. More information about these aircraft is contained in
appendix I.
On the basis of the best available data, we estimate that DOD spent at least
$292 million to provide fixed-wing airlift and air refueling support for 159
White House foreign trips from January 1, 1997, through March 31, 2000.
These costs are somewhat understated because DOD could not provide
historical data on some aerial refueling missions and could not assure us
that its information systems had captured complete mission data for some of
the trips. These limitations are discussed in our scope and methodology
section. We excluded from our analysis in-country aircraft support costs
provided by military theater commanders because these mission records were
not readily available. Air Force officials indicated the cost of this
support was likely to be minimal relative to the total DOD airlift cost. We
also did not include costs of other federal agencies' support for any of
these trips, costs for some White House-directed trips that were classified,
or costs of other aircraft used for the security of the President.
The President's 27 trips accounted for 85 percent of the total aircraft
support cost, the Vice President's 8 trips accounted for 4 percent, the
First Lady's 20 trips accounted for 4 percent, and the other 104 trips
directed by the President accounted for the remaining 7 percent. Table 1
shows the estimated airlift and air refueling costs as well as the number of
trips2 taken by the President, Vice President, First Lady, and other White
House-directed travelers.
Dollars in millions
Calendar year President Vice First Other White Total
President Lady House-directed
1997 Trips 7 4 8 37 56
Cost $42.3 $7.0 $4.3 $8.8 $62.4
1998 Trips 7 2 5 35 49
Cost $91.4 $3.2 $2.7 $5.0 $102.3
1999 Trips 11 2 7 27 47
Cost $62.6 $2.3 $5.1 $5.2 $75.2
2000 (3
months) Trips 2 0 0 5 7
Cost $50.6 0 0 $1.9 $52.5
Total Trips 27 8 20 104 159
Cost $246.9 $12.5 $12.1 $20.9 $292.4
Source: White House Military Office, 89th Airlift Wing, U.S. Transportation
Command, and Office of Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Air Force
(Financial Management and Comptroller).
More detailed information on the type of aircraft used; the primary mission
of the aircraft; the flight hours, hourly rate, the total number of missions
by type of aircraft used; and cost information for each trip of the
President, Vice President, and First Lady from January 1,1997, through March
31, 2000, are contained in appendixes II through VII. Summary cost
information for the same period for other White House-directed travelers is
contained in appendix VIII.
We examined DOD's fixed-wing costs for airlift and air refueling for the
President, Vice President, First Lady, and other White House-directed
foreign missions from January 1, 1997, through March 31, 2000. For this
review, we defined missions as including one or more flight segments, such
as a round trip flight to a foreign destination and a return flight to the
home base. A mission may include multiple flight segments. However, the
number of missions does not necessarily reflect the number of aircraft used
because a given aircraft might have flown more than one mission.
To determine the exact dates, itineraries, and purposes of the President's
foreign trips during the review period, we relied on Presidential Visits
Abroad,3 prepared by the Special Projects Division, Office of the Historian,
Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State. Each trip listing contained a
quick summary of the highlights of each visit, which we have included in
appendixes II through V. To determine exact dates and itineraries for
foreign trips of the Vice President, First Lady, or other White House
travelers, we relied on the flight records provided to us by the 89th
Airlift Wing, White House Military Office, and U.S. Transportation Command.
To determine the missions flown, flying hours, and type of aircraft used for
passenger airlift for support of trips for the entire period, we used
mission records from the 89th Airlift Wing. For January 1, 1997, through
December 31, 1998, we used 89th Airlift Wing records from our previous
assignment. These records were provided to us directly from the 89th Airlift
Wing. For the later period, from January 1, 1999, through March 31, 2000,
the White House Military Office provided us through the White House
Counsel's Office with 89th Airlift Wing data.
To determine the missions flown, flying hours, and type of aircraft DOD used
for cargo airlift in support of these trips, we interviewed Air Force and
Transportation Command officials and obtained flight records. The
Transportation Command maintained records for White House cargo airlift
missions back to January 1, 1997. For 1998, 1999, and 2000 presidential
trips, the Transportation Command provided us current data from its Tanker
Airlift Control Center records. However, for the President's trips during
fiscal year 1997 and for the Vice President's and the First Lady's trips for
the entire period, Transportation Command officials needed to search their
historical data for applicable missions, since the Command maintains only
the 2 most recent fiscal years in its working database. We worked
extensively with Transportation Command officials to reconcile 1998 and 1999
data from the historical database with the current data provided by the
Tanker Airlift Control Center. Through this process, Command officials were
able to refine the historical database to provide the most accurate and
complete information possible for the period we reviewed. Despite their
efforts to gather and refine the historical data for us, Transportation
Command officials still could not assure us that every mission relating to
each trip was included in their data.
To determine the missions flown, flying hours, and the type of aircraft used
by DOD for air refueling, we interviewed Air Force and U.S. Transportation
Command officials and obtained flight records. The Transportation Command
was unable to provide aerial refueling records for presidential missions
prior to October 1, 1997, because it did not separate these refueling
missions from other refueling missions. Thus, our schedules do not include
any aerial refueling costs prior to this date for presidential trips in
1997. For the same reason, the Transportation Command could not provide
refueling data for any nonpresidential White House missions during the
entire review period. However, DOD officials told us that aerial refueling
is rarely used for nonpresidential trips.
Because DOD does not maintain a centralized database for White House travel
costs, we had to calculate these costs using data from different sources. We
combined aircraft, mission, and flight time data from both Transportation
Command and 89th Airlift Wing records, manually matching the President's,
Vice President's, and First Lady's trips by date and itinerary. We also
included data for advance trips made by White House teams for planning, site
selection, or equipment setup in preparation for subsequent White House
foreign visits. All of the other White House-directed travel data came from
89th Airlift Wing records, so no manual matching was necessary for this
category.
Once we had gathered and organized the flying hour data by trip and
traveler, we multiplied flying hours by standard DOD cost reimbursement
rates per flying hour to obtain total trip costs. The standard DOD rates
include fuel costs, depot maintenance and repair costs, base operating
costs, and temporary duty travel, but exclude personnel costs. Flying hour
rates for the fixed-wing aircraft used by the 89th Airlift Wing--except for
the President's aircraft, the VC-25--were published by the Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Flying hour rates for cargo and
air refueling aircraft were provided by the Transportation Command.
Reimbursement rates differ for refueling aircraft, such as the KC-10 and
KC-135, when they are used in an airlift role or in a purely refueling role.
The reimbursement rate for refueling only is considerably lower than that
for airlift because, according to Air Force officials, some costs elements,
such as depot costs, are excluded from the refueling reimbursement rates. We
used the higher airlift rate in only one case−the 1998 Africa trip
(app. III, table 9). In all other instances, we used the lower reimbursement
rates since the aircraft were being used only for refueling.
DOD does not publish flying hour cost reimbursement rates for the
President's aircraft (VC-25). For our 1999 report on the President's trips
to Africa, Chile, and China, the 1998 flying hour rate of $34,400 was
provided by the White House Military Office. For this review, Air Force
headquarters personnel provided us equivalent flying hour costs for the
President's plane for fiscal years 1997-2000. The rate for fiscal year 1998,
$56,800 per flying hour, is substantially higher than the $34,400 rate that
we used for our 1999 report on the Africa, China, and Chile trips. Air Force
officials told us that support costs increased and total flying hours
decreased from earlier budget estimates, resulting in higher flying hour
rates. We have recalculated these trip costs using the higher rate provided
by Air Force headquarters during the course of the current review.
We did not evaluate the need for any element of airlift or air refueling
support provided for any of the travel covered. Also, we did not evaluate
the underlying accounting systems or independently verify certain underlying
data such as the flying hour rates used to calculate DOD's flying hour costs
associated with the trips.
We conducted our review from January through July 2000 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.
In separate written comments on a draft of this report, the White House
stated it had no comments on the report and the Department of Defense stated
it had no objections to the report. Both provided technical comments, which
we incorporated as appropriate. These are reprinted in appendixes IX and X.
As agreed with your office, unless you publicly announce the contents of
this report earlier, we will not distribute it until 30 days from the date
of this report. At that time, we will send copies of this report to
appropriate congressional committees; Mr. John Podesta, the White House
Chief of Staff, Executive Office of the President; and the Honorable William
S. Cohen, the Secretary of Defense. We will also provide copies of this
report to other interested parties upon request.
If you have any questions concerning this report, please call me on
202-512-5140 or William Solis on 202-512-8365. Gregory J. Symons was a major
contributor to this report.
Norman J. Rabkin
Director, National Security
Preparedness Issues
Airlift and Refueling Aircraft Used for White House Foreign Travel
A variety of military fixed-wing aircraft are used in support of White House
foreign travel. For foreign travel by the President, Vice President, and
First Lady, both passenger and cargo aircraft are used. Also, many of the
President's trips are supported by air refueling aircraft. Other White House
directed travelers' trips usually require only passenger aircraft for
foreign travel.
The U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command provides most of the Department of
Defense's (DOD) fixed-wing passenger and cargo airlift services as well as
air refueling for White House foreign travel.4 To carry out its passenger
missions for White House foreign travel for the trips in this report, DOD
used the VC-25,5 the C-137, the C-32, the C-9, the C-37, and the C-20. The
equivalent civilian variants of these aircraft are the
Boeing 747, the Boeing 707, the Boeing 757, the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, the
Gulfstream V, and the Gulfstream III, respectively. To carry cargo for these
trips, DOD used the C-5, the C-141, the C-130, and the C-17. For air
refueling, DOD used the KC-10 and the KC-135. The KC-10 is also used for
transporting cargo. Figures 1 to 12 show these aircraft.
The VC-25 provides passenger transport for the President (see fig. 1). The
Air Force has two of these aircraft. Other than the number of passengers
carried, the principal differences between the VC-25 and the standard Boeing
747 are the electronic and communications equipment, interior configurations
and furnishings, and the capability for in-flight air refueling.
Source: Air Force.
The C-137, first placed into service in the early 1960s, was originally used
to transport the President (see fig. 2). In 1990, the VC-25 replaced it, but
the
C-137 is still sometimes used by the Vice President, First Lady, and other
high ranking officials. Only one remains in the Air Force's inventory.
Source: Air Force.
The C-32 (see fig. 3), placed into service in early 1998, is replacing the
C-137. The C-32s, which are modified Boeing 757s, have transported the Vice
President, First Lady, and others.
Source: Air Force.
The C-9 is a modified version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (see fig. 4). It
has been used to transport the President, Vice President, First Lady and
others.
Source: Air Force.
The C-37 was placed into service in October 1998. The C-37 is the military
version of the Gulfstream V (see fig. 5). The C-37 resembles the C-20 but is
13 feet longer and, according to the Air Force, has a more advanced avionics
package and greater performance capabilities.
Source: Air Force.
The C-20 aircraft is a twin engine turbofan aircraft (see fig. 6). It is a
modified Gulfstream III.
Source: Air Force.
The C-5 is one of the largest aircraft in the world (see fig. 7). It can
carry 291,000 pounds of cargo.
Source: Air Force.
The C-141 fills many DOD airlift requirements. The modified C-141s can carry
68,000 pounds of cargo for 2,270 nautical miles without refueling
(see fig. 8). The C-141 fleet is being replaced by the C-17.
Source: Air Force.
The C-17 (see fig. 9) is the newest cargo aircraft to enter the airlift
force. The C-17 can carry 160,000 pounds of cargo for 2,400 nautical miles
without refueling. The C-17 will become the primary military airlift
aircraft once it replaces the C-141s.
Source: Air Force.
The C-130 performs the tactical portion of the airlift mission (see fig.
10). It comes in a variety of versions with differing range and payload. In
its airlift role, it can carry up to 92 combat troops or 6 pallets of cargo.
Source: Air Force
The KC-135's principal mission is air refueling (see fig. 11). The KC-135
can carry 150,000 pounds of fuel for 1,500 nautical miles. A cargo deck
above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo.
Source: Air Force.
The KC-10 performs tanker and cargo missions (see fig. 12). The KC-10 has a
fuel capacity of 365,000 pounds, or it can transport up to 75 people and
nearly 170,000 pounds of cargo a distance of about 4,400 miles without
refueling.
Source: Air Force.
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the President's Foreign Trips in
1997
Tables 2-8 contain details about each of the President's foreign trips in
1997, including the type of aircraft used, number of aircraft missions, and
total estimated DOD fixed-wing aircraft support costs. Although we reviewed
the President's trips by calendar year, we calculated the total mission
costs based on flying hour rates for the fiscal year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30)
because that is when DOD recalculates the rates. Thus, the rates in the
tables change, depending on the time of the year of the trip. The President
took seven foreign trips in 1997, and the estimated cost of DOD fixed-wing
aircraft support was $42.3 million. Prior to October 1, 1997, aerial
refueling data was not available; thus, trips shown in tables 2 through 5 do
not include possible additional aerial refueling costs.
His first trip was a March 20-21, 1997, visit to Finland that included a
summit meeting with the Russian President and a meeting with Finland's
President. Estimated costs for the Finland trip are shown in table 2.
Aircraft model Primary Missions Flight Flying Mission
mission flown hours hour rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 33.6 $39,800 $1,337,280
C-5 Cargo 7 144.2 10,729 1,547,122
C-141 Cargo 3 45.0 4,553 204,885
Total 12 222.8 $3,089,287
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's second foreign trip in 1997 was to Mexico, Costa Rica, and
Barbados on May 5-11. In Mexico, the President conducted a state visit. In
Costa Rica, he attended a summit meeting of the presidents of the Central
American Republics. In Barbados, he attended a U.S.-Caribbean community
summit meeting. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 3.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Flying
model mission flown hours hour rate Mission cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 13.4 $39,800 $533,320
C-137C Passengers 2 46.3 10,300 476,890
C-5 Cargo 19 254.8 10,729 2,733,749
C-141 Cargo 2 28.1 4,553 127,939
C-130 Cargo 2 40.7 3,381 137,607
Total 26 383.3 $4,009,505
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's third trip in 1997 was to France, the Netherlands, and the
United Kingdom on May 26-29. In France, the President attended the signing
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-Russia Founding Act; in the
Netherlands, he attended a U.S.-European Union summit meeting and
commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Marshall Plan; and in the United
Kingdom, he met with the Prime Minister and attended a cabinet meeting.
Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 4.
Aircraft Missions Flight Flying hour Mission
model Primary mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 28.2 $39,800 $1,122,360
C-5 Cargo 15 254.4 10,729 2,729,458
C-141 Cargo 2 22.7 4,553 103,353
Total 19 305.3 $3,955,171
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President took his fourth trip in 1997 to Spain, Poland, Romania, and
Denmark on July 4-12. In Spain, the President vacationed with the King and
attended a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit meeting; in Poland, he
met with the current and former Presidents; in Romania, he met with the
President and political leaders; and in Denmark he met with the Queen and
the Prime Minister. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 5.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Flying Mission
flown hours hour rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 22.6 $39,800 $899,480
C-137B Passengers 1 20.4 10,300 210,120
C-5 Cargo 22 374.1 10,729 4,013,719
C-141 Cargo 4 57.8 4,553 263,163
Total 28 474.9 $5,386,482
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President took his fifth 1997 trip to Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina
on October 12-18. In Venezuela, he met with the President; in Brazil and
Argentina, he met with the President of each country and delivered several
public addresses. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 6.
Aircraft Missions Flight Flying Mission
model Primary mission flown hours hour rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 53.2 $56,800 $3,021,760
C-137B Passengers 1 31.1 9,935 308,979
C-5 Cargo 45 1,046.2 12,605 13,187,351
C-141 Cargo 12 287.6 5,349 1,538,372
C-130 Cargo 3 99.0 3,972 393,228
KC-10 Aerial 1 4.6 3,063 14,090
refueling
KC-135 Aerial 17 119.3 2,075 247,548
refueling
Total 81 1,641.0 $18,711,328
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President took his sixth 1997 foreign trip to Canada on November 23-25.
In Canada, he attended an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting.
Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 7.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions flown Flight Hourly Mission
hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 20.7 $56,800 $1,175,760
C-5 Cargo 6 74.8 12,605 942,854
Total 8 95.5 $2,118,614
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President took his seventh and final 1997 foreign trip to Italy and
Bosnia on December 22. In Italy, he stopped at Aviano Air Base en route to
and from Bosnia. In Bosnia, he met with the President and visited U.S.
military personnel. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 8.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 33.6 $56,800 $1,908,480
C-5 Cargo 6 79.9 12,605 1,007,140
C-141 Cargo 12 149.2 5,349 798,071
C-17 Cargo 11 184.2 7,025 1,294,005
Total 31 446.9 $5,007,696
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the President's Foreign Trips in
1998
Tables 9-15 contain details about each of the President's foreign trips in
1998, including the type of aircraft used, numbers of aircraft missions, and
total estimated DOD fixed-wing aircraft support costs. The President took
seven foreign trips in 1998, and the estimated cost of DOD fixed-wing
aircraft support was $91.4 million.
The President's first 1998 trip was to Africa from March 22 through April
2.6 In Ghana, he conducted a state visit with the President and visited a
Peace Corps project; in Uganda, he participated in a summit of African
leaders meeting with the Presidents of Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania,
Kenya, and the Congo; in Rwanda, he met with the President and delivered a
public address on conflict resolution and human rights; in South Africa, he
conducted a state visit and addressed a joint session of Parliament; in
Botswana, he participated in a bilateral meeting with the President and
visited Chobe National Park; and in Senegal, he met with the President,
visited Senegalese peacekeeping troops, and delivered several public
addresses. Estimated costs for the trip are shown in table 9.
Aircraft Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model Primary mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 38.0 $56,800 $2,158,400
C-137 Passengers 2 77.5 9,935 769,963
C-20B Passengers 1 40.7 3,253 132,397
C-9A Passengers 1 46.5 2,005 93,233
C-9C Passengers 1 48.7 4,092 199,280
KC-135 Cargo 8 104.4 4,051 422,924
C-141 Cargo 19 568.4 5,349 3,040,372
C-5 Cargo 66 1,975.6 12,605 24,902,438
C-17 Cargo 5 116.4 7,025 817,710
KC-10 Aerial refueling 6 35.8 3,063 109,655
KC-135 Aerial refueling 104 456.9 2,075 948,068
Total 214 3,508.9 $33,594,440
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's second trip in 1998 was to Chile on April 16-19.7 In Chile,
he conducted a State visit and attended the second summit meeting of the
Americas. Estimated costs for the trip are shown in table 10.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 18.5 $56,800 $1,050,800
C-137C Passengers 1 20.0 9,935 198,700
C-9C Passengers 1 27.6 4,092 112,939
C-141 Cargo 4 73.5 5,349 393,152
C-5 Cargo 20 503.9 12,605 6,351,660
KC-135 Aerial 9 73.4 2,075 152,305
refueling
Total 36 716.9 $8,259,556
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's third foreign trip for 1998 was the May 12-18 visit to
Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. In Germany, he met with the
Chancellor and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Berlin airlift; in
the United Kingdom, he attended a G-8 economic summit and U.S.-European
Union summit; and in Switzerland, he attended a World Trade Organization
meeting. Estimated costs for the trip are shown in
table 11.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 19.2 $56,800 $1,090,560
C-137C Passengers 1 21.1 9,935 209,629
C-141 Cargo 5 42.4 5,349 226,798
C-5 Cargo 30 416.9 12,605 5,255,025
Total 37 499.6 $6,782,012
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's fourth trip in 1998 was to China for a state visit, June 25
through July 3.8 Estimated costs for the trip are shown in table 12.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 39.2 $56,800 $2,226,560
C-137C Passengers 3 113.5 9,935 1,127,623
C-5 Cargo 33 808.2 12,605 10,187,361
C-141 Cargo 3 18.3 5,349 97,887
KC-135 Aerial 7 38.2 2,075 79,265
refueling
Total 47 1,017.4 $13,718,696
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's fifth 1998 foreign trip was to Russia, the United Kingdom,
and Ireland on September 1-5. In Russia, the President attended a summit
meeting with President Yeltsin; in the United Kingdom, he met with the Prime
Minister and Northern Ireland political leaders and addressed the Northern
Ireland Assembly; and in Ireland, he met with the Prime Minister and
delivered public addresses. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table
13.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 39.1 $56,800 $2,220,880
C-137C Passengers 1 14.1 9,935 140,084
C-141 Cargo 3 75.8 5,349 405,454
C-5 Cargo 24 349.2 12,605 4,401,666
KC-135 Aerial 1 2.4 2,075 4,980
refueling
Total 31 480.6 $7,173,064
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's sixth foreign trip for 1998 was to Japan and Korea on
November 19-22. In Japan he met with the Emperor and Prime Minister and
addressed the American Chamber of Commerce; and in Korea, he met with the
President and addressed U.S. military personnel. Estimated costs for this
trip are shown in table 14.
Aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 97.6 $49,900 $4,870,240
C-141 Cargo 8 121.7 5,170 629,189
C-5 Cargo 32 678.1 13,497 9,152,316
C-130 Cargo 1 3.1 3,839 11,901
KC-10 Aerial 3 24.8 2,866 71,077
refueling
KC-135 Aerial 21 121.7 2,233 271,756
refueling
Total 67 1,047.0 $15,006,479
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The President's seventh and final foreign trip for 1998 was to Israel and
the Palestinian Authority on December 12-15. In Israel, he met with the
Prime Minister and senior Israeli officials; and in the Palestinian
Authority, he addressed the Palestine National Council and attended a
meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat. Estimated costs
for this trip are shown in table 15.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 21.3 $49,900 $1,062,870
C-137C Passengers 1 23.8 10,780 256,564
C-141 Cargo 3 80.8 5,170 417,736
C-5 Cargo 15 381.4 13,497 5,147,756
Total 20 507.3 $6,884,926
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the President's Foreign Trips in
1999
Tables 16-26 contain details about each of the President's foreign trips in
1999, including the type of aircraft used, numbers of aircraft missions, and
total estimated DOD fixed-wing aircraft support costs for each trip. The
President took 11 foreign trips in 1999, and the estimated cost of DOD
fixed-wing aircraft support was $62.6 million.
The President's first 1999 foreign trip was to Jordan on February 8 to
attend the funeral of King Hussein. Estimated costs for this trip are shown
in
table 16.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions flown Flight Hourly Mission
hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 46.0 $49,900 $2,295,400
C-141 Cargo 4 61.7 5,170 318,989
C-17 Cargo 6 93.4 6,789 634,093
KC-135 Aerial refueling 3 16.8 2,233 37,514
Total 15 217.9 $3,285,996
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's second foreign trip in 1999 was to Mexico on February 14-15
to conduct a state visit. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in
table 17.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 11.3 $49,900 $563,870
C-141 Cargo 2 8.8 5,170 45,496
C-17 Cargo 12 98.3 6,789 667,359
C-130 Cargo 2 24.8 3,839 95,207
Total 18 143.2 $1,371,932
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's third foreign trip in 1999 was to Central America on
March 8-11. In Nicaragua, he discussed reconstruction aid with the
President; in Honduras, he discussed reconstruction aid with the Honduran
President and addressed U.S. troops; in El Salvador, he addressed the
Legislative Assembly; and in Guatemala, he attended a Central American
summit. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 18.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 9.4 $49,900 $469,060
C-20C Passengers 1 11.5 4,076 46,874
C-137C Passengers 1 8.6 10,780 92,708
C-141 Cargo 2 30.1 5,170 155,617
C-17 Cargo 29 255.6 6,789 1,735,268
C-130 Cargo 5 85.5 3,839 328,235
C-5 Cargo 8 93.7 13,497 1,264,669
Total 47 494.4 $4,092,431
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's fourth foreign trip in 1999 was to Belgium and Germany on
May 4-6. In Belgium, he discussed the Kosovo conflict with North Atlantic
Treaty Organization officials; and in Germany, he met with the Chancellor,
Kosovo refugees, and U.S. military personnel. Estimated costs for this trip
are shown in table 19.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 16.5 $49,900 $823,350
C-137C Passengers 1 16.6 10,780 178,948
C-141 Cargo 2 25.5 5,170 131,835
C-5 Cargo 20 359.8 13,497 4,856,221
Total 24 418.4 $5,990,354
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's fifth foreign trip in 1999 was to Switzerland, France,
Germany, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Italy on June 16-22. In Switzerland, he
met with the President and addressed an International Labor Organization
conference; in France, he discussed Kosovo peacekeeping with the President
and the Prime Minister; in Germany, he attended a G-8 economic summit
meeting; in Slovenia, he met with the President and the Prime Minister and
also with the President of Montenegro; in Macedonia, he met with the
President, addressed Kosovar refugees, and addressed North Atlantic Treaty
Organization military personnel; and in Italy, he addressed U.S. military
personnel. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 20.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions flown Flight Hourly Mission
hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 1 18.6 $49,900 $928,140
C-137C Passengers 1 20.3 10,780 218,834
C-20C Passengers 1 21.4 4,076 87,226
C-141 Cargo 5 58.8 5,170 303,996
C-5 Cargo 25 414.2 13,497 5,590,457
C-17 Cargo 9 142.0 6,789 964,038
Total 42 675.3 $8,092,691
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's sixth foreign trip in 1999 was to Morocco on July 25. In
Morocco, he attended the funeral of King Hassan and met with the Palestinian
Authority President and the Israeli Prime Minister. Estimated costs for this
trip are shown in table 21.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 29.6 $49,900 $1,477,040
C-141 Cargo 1 22.9 5,170 118,393
C-5 Cargo 3 36.9 13,497 498,039
C-17 Cargo 1 15.9 6,789 107,945
Total 7 105.3 $2,201,417
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's seventh foreign trip in 1999 was to Bosnia on July 29-30,
where he attended a stability pact leaders conference in Sarajevo. Estimated
costs for this trip are shown in table 22.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions flown Flight Hourly Mission
hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 32.3 $49,900 $1,611,770
C-141 Cargo 3 25.7 5,170 132,869
C-5 Cargo 9 162.4 13,497 2,191,913
C-17 Cargo 11 140.3 6,789 952,497
Total 25 360.7 $4,889,049
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's eighth foreign trip in 1999 was to New Zealand on September
11-15. There, he conducted a state visit and attended the Asia Pacific
economic cooperation leaders meeting. Estimated costs for this trip are
shown in table 23.
Aircraft Missions Flight Hourly
model Primary mission flown hours rate Mission cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 70.6 $49,900 $3,522,940
C-20 Passengers 1 46.0 4,076 187,496
C-141 Cargo 6 102.3 5,170 528,891
C-5 Cargo 28 747.9 13,497 10,094,406
C-130 Cargo 25 150.9 3,839 579,305
KC-10 Aerial 12 43.4 2,866 124,384
refueling
KC-135 Aerial 15 115.5 2,233 257,912
refueling
Total 89 1,276.6 $15,295,334
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's ninth foreign trip in 1999 was to Canada on October 7-8.
There, he met with the Prime Minister and the Premier of Quebec, attended a
federalism conference, and dedicated a new embassy building. Estimated costs
for this trip are shown in table 24.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission cost
flown hours rate
VC-25 Passengers 1 3.5 $54,100 $189,350
C-141 Cargo 1 11.4 5,074 57,844
C-17 Cargo 5 13.0 6,664 86,632
Total 7 27.9 $333,826
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's 10th foreign trip in 1999 was to Norway on November 1-2.
There, he conducted a state visit, attended a commemorative ceremony for
former Israeli Prime Minister Rabin, and discussed the Chechnya crisis with
the Russian Prime Minister. Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table
25.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 30.1 $54,100 $1,628,410
C-141 Cargo 2 20.7 5,074 105,032
C-5 Cargo 3 40.2 14,598 586,840
C-17 Cargo 2 24.1 6,664 160,602
Total 9 115.1 $2,480,884
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
The President's 11th and final foreign trip in 1999 was to Turkey, Greece,
Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo on November 15-23. In
Turkey, he conducted a state visit and attended the summit meeting of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; in Greece, he conducted
a state visit and met with the Prime Minister; in Italy, he attended a
conference on progressive governance for the 21st century; and in Bulgaria,
he met with the President and the Prime Minister. In the remaining
locations, he met with the Kosovar Transitional Council, and addressed the
Albanian community, and U.S. military personnel. Estimated costs for this
trip are shown in table 26.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 51.0 $54,100 $2,759,100
C-20C Passengers 1 29.0 3,705 107,445
C-141 Cargo 6 110.9 5,074 562,707
C-5 Cargo 20 382.0 14,598 5,576,436
C-17 Cargo 45 654.8 6,664 4,363,587
C-130 Cargo 9 72.8 3,768 274,310
KC-10 Aerial refueling 13 91.0 2,921 265,811
KC-135 Aerial refueling 38 292.4 2,255 659,362
Total 134 1,683.9 $14,568,758
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the President's Foreign Trips in
2000
Tables 27-29 contain details about each of the President's foreign trips in
2000 (Jan. 1 through Mar. 31), including the type of aircraft used, number
of aircraft missions, and total estimated DOD fixed-wing aircraft support
costs for each trip. The President took two foreign trips in the first
quarter of 2000, and DOD incurred costs to transport cargo for a Burundi
peace conference in which the President participated by video. The
conference was held in Tanzania. Estimated DOD fixed-wing aircraft support
costs for the two trips plus the video conference totaled $50.6 million.
The President's first foreign trip in 2000 was to Switzerland on January 29
to address the World Economic Forum. Estimated costs for this trip are shown
in table 27.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 30.0 $54,100 $1,623,000
C-141 Cargo 3 37.8 5,074 191,797
C-5 Cargo 10 114.3 14,598 1,668,551
C-17 Cargo 1 22.8 6,664 151,939
Total 16 204.9 $3,635,287
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
On February 22 the President participated in a video conference for the
Burundi peace conference. The aircraft costs listed in table 28 represent
the costs for transporting video equipment to Tanzania for the conference.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions flown Flight Hourly Mission
hours rate cost
C-141 Cargo 3 98.5 $5,074 $499,789
Source: Transportation Command and Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller).
The President's second trip in 2000 was to India, Bangladesh, Pakistan,
Oman, and Switzerland on March 19-29. In India, he met with the President,
signed a joint statement on energy and the environment, and addressed the
Indian Parliament; in Bangladesh, he met with the President and the Prime
Minister; in Pakistan, he met with the President and the Commanding General
and delivered a radio address; in Oman, he met with the Sultan en route to
Switzerland; and in Switzerland, he met with the President of Syria.
Estimated costs for this trip are shown in table 29.
Aircraft model Primary mission Missions Flight Hourly Mission
flown hours rate cost
VC-25 Passengers 2 70.2 $54,100 $3,797,820
C-20 Passengers 1 45.8 3,705 169,689
C-141 Cargo 5 177.5 5,074 900,635
C-5 Cargo 47 1,392.4 14,598 20,326,255
C-17 Cargo 94 2,637.2 6,664 17,574,300
KC-10 Aerial refueling 64 237.9 2,921 694,906
KC-135 Aerial refueling 196 1,344.2 2,255 3,031,171
Total 409 5,905.2 $46,494,776
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the Vice President's Foreign
Trips, 1997 Through March 31, 2000
The Vice President took eight foreign trips from January 1, 1997, through
March 31, 2000: four in 1997, two in 1998, and two in 1999. According to
White House Military Office Officials, he took no foreign trips in 2000
through the end of March. In 1997, the Vice President took four foreign
trips at an estimated cost of $7 million to the following locations: South
Africa, China, Russia, and Japan. Estimated costs for these four trips are
shown in table 30.
Trip location and Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
aircraft model mission flown hours rate cost
South Africa−February 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 35.2 $10,300 $362,560
C-141 Cargo 18 441.1 4,553 2,008,328
Total 19 476.3 $2,370,888
China-March 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 39.2 $10,300 $403,760
C-5 Cargo 6 112.8 10,729 1,210,231
C-141 Cargo 5 175.5 4,553 799,052
Total 12 327.5 $2,413,043
Russia−September
1997
C-137C Passengers 2 44.6 $10,300 $459,380
C-9 Passengers 1 23.3 2,179 50,771
C-5 Cargo 2 33.6 10,729 360,494
C-141 Cargo 5 96.0 4,553 437,088
Total 10 197.5 $1,307,733
Japan−December
1997
C-137C Passengers 1 28.5 $9,935 $283,148
C-141 Cargo 4 115.2 5,349 616,205
Total 5 143.7 $899,352
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
In 1998, the Vice President took two foreign trips at an estimated cost of
$3.2 million to the following locations: the Middle East and Russia.
Estimated costs for these trips are shown in table 31.
Trip location and Missions Flight Hourly Mission
aircraft model Primary mission flown hours rate cost
Middle East−April 1998
C-137C Passengers 1 30.2 $9,935 $300,037
C-141 Cargo 3 78.1 5,349 417,757
C-5 Cargo 5 92.2 12,605 1,162,181
Total 9 200.5 $1,879,975
Russia−July 1998
C-137C Passengers 1 22.7 $9,935 $225,525
C-141 Cargo 3 61.5 5,349 328,964
C-5 Cargo 3 52.7 12,605 664,284
C-130 Cargo 2 29.1 3,972 115,585
Total 9 166.0 $1,334,358
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
In 1999, the Vice President took two foreign trips at an estimated cost of
$2.3 million to the following locations: the United Kingdom and South
Africa. Estimated costs for these two trips are shown in table 32.
Trip location
and aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission cost
model mission flown hours rate
United Kingdom-January 1999
C-137 Passengers 1 16.7 $10,780 $180,026
C-141 Cargo 5 75.9 5,170 392,403
C-5 Cargo 2 25.8 13,497 348,223
Total 8 118.4 $920,652
South Africa-February 1999
C-137 Passengers 1 32.8 $10,780 $353,584
C-141 Cargo 3 105.8 5,170 546,986
C-17 Cargo 2 74.6 6,789 506,459
Total 6 213.2 $1,407,029
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for First Lady's Foreign Trips, 1997
Through March 31, 2000
The First Lady took 20 trips from January 1, 1997, through March 31, 2000:
eight in 1997, five in 1998, and seven in 1999. According to White House
Military Office officials, she took no foreign trips in 2000 through the end
of March. In 1997, the First Lady traveled to Africa; Mexico; Austria and
Portugal; the United Kingdom, Ireland, and India; two trips to Panama;
Ireland and Russia; and Canada at a total estimated cost of $4.3 million.
Estimated costs for these eight trips are shown in table 33.
Trip location and Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
aircraft model mission flown hours rate cost
Africa−March 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 43.5 $10,300 $448,050
C-141 Cargo 9 95.9 4,553 436,633
Total 10 139.4 $884,683
Mexico−May 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 8.7 $10,300 $89,610
C-137B Passengers 1 8.1 10,300 83,430
C-130 Cargo 1 11.2 3,381 37,867
Total 3 28.0 $210,907
Austria and Portugal−July 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 21.6 $10,300 $222,480
C-141 Cargo 4 70.8 4,553 322,352
Total 5 92.4 $545,832
United Kingdom, Ireland, and India−September 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 14.8 $10,300 $152,440
C-141 Cargo 3 92.2 4,553 419,787
Total 4 107.0 $572,227
Panama−September 1997
C-9 Passengers 1 12.0 $2,179 $26,148
Panama−October 1997
C-137C Passengers 1 9.2 $9,935 $91,402
C-141 Cargo 1 20.8 5,349 111,259
Total 2 30.0 $202,661
Ireland and Russia−November 1997
C-137C Passengers 2 51.8 $9,935 $514,633
C-20B Passengers 1 35.3 3,253 114,831
C-141 Cargo 7 186.5 5,349 997,589
Total 10 273.6 $1,627,053
Canada−November
1997
C-137C Passengers 1 22.6 $9,935 $224,531
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
The First Lady took five foreign trips in 1998 at an estimated cost of
$2.7 million to the following locations: Switzerland; France and Germany;
South America; Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia; and Central America. Estimated
costs for these five trips are shown in table 34.
Trip location
and aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
Switzerland−January/February 1998
C-137C Passengers 1 17.0 $9,935 $168,895
C-141 Cargo 2 38.7 5,349 207,006
Total 3 55.7 $375,901
France and Germany−May 1998
C-137C Passengers 1 18.2 $9,935 $180,817
C-141 Cargo 5 27.9 5,349 149,237
Total 6 46.1 $330,054
South America−September 1998
C-20B Passengers 1 23.8 $3,253 $77,421
C-141 Cargo 2 58.9 5,349 315,056
Total 3 82.7 $392,477
Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia−October 1998
C-137C Passengers 1 22.0 $10,780 $237,160
C-141 Cargo 4 61.2 5,170 316,404
Total 5 83.2 $553,564
Central America−November 1998
C-32A Passenger 2 21.0 $9,068 $190,428
C-141 Cargo 8 83.6 5,170 432,212
C-130 Cargo 9 102.8 3,839 394,649
Total 19 207.4 $1,017,289
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Transportation Command, Office of the Under
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and
Comptroller).
In 1999, the First Lady took seven foreign trips at an estimated cost of
$5.1 million to the following locations: Jordan for King Hussein's funeral;
Africa, Ireland, and the United Kingdom; Europe twice; the Middle East; and
Greece and Turkey. Estimated costs for these trips are shown in table 35.
Trip location
and aircraft Primary Missions Flight Hourly Mission
model mission flown hours rate cost
Jordan-February 1999a
C-137 Passengers 1 25.4 $10,780 $273,812
C-141 Cargo 2 23.2 5,170 119,944
Total 3 48.6 $393,756
Africa-March 1999
C-137 Passengers 1 33.0 $10,780 $355,740
C-141 Cargo 21 383.5 5,170 1,982,695
Total 22 416.5 $2,338,435
Ireland and United Kingdom-May 1999
C-32A Passengers 1 19.8 $9,068 $179,546
C-141 Cargo 6 52.0 5,170 268,840
Total 7 71.8 $448,386
Europe-June 1999a
C-9C Passengers 1 24.3 $4,344 $105,559
Europe-October 1999
C-137 Passengers 1 20.6 $2,058 $42,395
C-141 Cargo 9 102.4 5,074 519,578
C-130 Cargo 2 43.6 3,768 164,285
Total 12 166.6 $726,258
Middle East-November 1999
C-32A Passengers 1 15.1 $13,929 $210,328
C-141 Cargo 2 49.3 5,074 250,148
C-5 Cargo 2 30.0 14,598 437,940
Total 5 94.4 $898,416
Greece and Turkey-November 1999a
C-32A Passengers 1 15.6 $13,929 $217,292
aAccompanied the President on portions of this trip.
Source: White House Military Office, Transportation Command, Office of the
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial
Management and Comptroller).
DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Other White House-Directed Foreign
Trips, 1997 Through March 31, 2000
The Secretary of State was the most frequent other White House-directed
foreign traveler for the entire period, making 42 of the 104 trips. She
traveled to numerous locations, and often to multiple countries within a
single trip. During one such trip in 1997, for example, she flew to Italy,
Germany, France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Russia, Korea, Japan, and
China within a 10-day period. Other members of the President's cabinet took
similar foreign trips, though less frequently than the Secretary of State.
Other travelers took 37 White House-directed trips in 1997 at a total
estimated cost of $8.8 million, as shown in table 36.
Traveler Number of trips Total cost
Secretary of State 12 $3,948,448
Secretary of Energy 4 815,753
Deputy Secretary of State 3 1,082,260
National Security Advisor 5 218,759
Secretary of Treasury 2 913,610
Secretary of Transportation 3 509,109
Secretary of Interior 1 31,136
Special envoys or delegations 7 1,326,025
Total 37 $8,845,100
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Office of Under Secretary of the Defense
(Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller).
Other travelers took 35 White House-directed trips in 1998 at a total
estimated cost of $5.0 million, as shown in table 37.
Traveler Number of trips Total cost
Secretary of State 15 $2,825,566
Secretary of Energy 1 170,457
Deputy Secretary of State 1 286,128
National Security Advisor 2 150,147
Federal Bureau of Investigations Director 2 145,084
Deputy Treasury Secretary 1 179,566
Central Intelligence Agency Director 1 63,725
Special envoys and delegations 12 1,220,319
Total 35 $5,040,992
Source: 89th Airlift Wing, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller).
Other travelers took 27 trips in 1999 at a total estimated cost of $5.2
million, as shown in table 38.
Traveler Number of trips Total cost
Secretary of State 10 $2,838,209
Deputy Secretary of State 8 1,001,556
Attorney General 3 414,868
Secretary of Labor 1 198,589
Special envoys and delegations 5 708,437
Total 27 $5,161,659
Source: White House Military Office, Office of the Under Secretary of
Defense (Comptroller), and Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller).
The Secretary of State took five trips in 2000 (through March 31) at a total
estimated cost of $1.9 million. According to White House Military Office
officials, she was the only traveler who took a White House-directed foreign
trip during this period.
Comments From the White House
Comments From the Department of Defense
(702034)
Table 1: DOD's Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for White House Foreign
Trips, by Year 5
Table 2: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Finland 23
Table 3: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Mexico, Costa Rica, and Barbados 24
Table 4: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom 24
Table 5: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Spain, Poland, Romania, and Denmark 25
Table 6: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina 25
Table 7: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Canada 26
Table 8: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to Italy
and Bosnia 26
Table 9: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, and Senegal 27
Table 10: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Chile 28
Table 11: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland 29
Table 12: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
China 29
Table 13: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Russia, United Kingdom, and Ireland 30
Table 14: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Japan and Korea 30
Table 15: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Israel and Palestinian Authority 31
Table 16: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Jordan 32
Table 17: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Mexico 32
Table 18: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala 33
Table 19: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Belgium and Germany 34
Table 20: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Switzerland, France, Germany, Slovenia, Macedonia, and Italy 35
Table 21: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Morocco 35
Table 22: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Bosnia 36
Table 23: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to New
Zealand 36
Table 24: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Canada 37
Table 25: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Norway 37
Table 26: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Turkey, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo 38
Table 27: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
Switzerland 39
Table 28: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Tanzania Video
Conference 40
Table 29: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for President's Trip to
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Oman, and Switzerland 40
Table 30: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Vice President's Foreign
Trips in 1997 41
Table 31: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Vice President's Foreign
Trips in 1998 42
Table 32: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for Vice President's Foreign
Trips in 1999 43
Table 33: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the First Lady's Foreign
Trips in 1997 44
Table 34: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the First Lady's Foreign
Trips in 1998 45
Table 35: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs for the First Lady's Foreign
Trips in 1999 46
Table 36: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs of White House-Directed
Foreign Trips of Other Travelers in 1997 48
Table 37: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs of White House-Directed
Foreign Trips of Other Travelers in 1998 49
Table 38: DOD Fixed-wing Aircraft Support Costs of White House-Directed
Foreign Trips of Other Travelers in 1999 49
Figure 1: VC-25 11
Figure 2: C-137 Aircraft 12
Figure 3: C-32 Aircraft 13
Figure 4: C-9 Aircraft 14
Figure 5: C-37 Aircraft 15
Figure 6: C-20 Aircraft 16
Figure 7: C-5 Aircraft 17
Figure 8: C-141 Aircraft 18
Figure 9: C-17 Aircraft 19
Figure 10: C-130 Aircraft 20
Figure 11: KC-135 Aircraft 21
Figure 12: KC-10 Aircraft 22
1. Other White House-directed travelers could include members of the
President's cabinet, special envoys, or other dignitaries traveling at the
request of the President.
2. A single trip may encompass visits to multiple countries or cities.
3. http://:www.state.gov/www/about_state/history/prestravels.html.
4. In-theater military commanders may provide some airlift support. Costs
for this support are not included in this report.
5. The VC-25 is used only by the President.
6. See Presidential Travel: (GAO/NSIAD-99-164 , Sept. 21, 1999).
7. See Presidential Travel: (GAO/NSIAD-99-164 , Sept. 21, 1999).
8. See Presidential Travel: (GAO/NSIAD-99-164 , Sept. 21, 1999)
*** End of document. ***