Barack Obama takes first ride as US President on Air Force One - "spiffy ride"
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http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,25016008-1702,00.html?from=public_rss
Barack Obama takes first ride as US President on Air Force One
From correspiondents in Washington
Agence France-Presse
February 06, 2009 11:31am
BARACK Obama has taken his debut flight as president on his new "spiffy ride" - the blue and white Boeing 747 which serves as Air Force One.
Mr Obama also took his first trip aboard Marine One - the helicopter which ferries the president around on shorter trips - this time from the White House to Andrews air force base outside Washington.
The President walked to the press cabin at the back of his new plane before taking off on the short hop to Virginia, where he was due to speak to Democratic members of the House of Representatives who were holding a retreat.
"I've got my spiffy jacket so I thought I'd come and show it off," he said, modelling his new blue air force souvenir, bearing the presidential seal and the words "Air Force One" and "Barack Obama".
"What do you think about this spiffy ride? It's not bad," he said.
He also enthused about the bird's eye view of Washington on the helicopter flight from the White House.
"The helicopter was very smooth, very impressive. You go right over the Washington Monument and then you know (it) kind of curves in by the Capitol," he said.
"It was spectacular."
Mr Obama was a guest on the presidential jet once when George W. Bush was in office.