The 89th Airlift Wing provides the U.S. government's flight service with 17 aircraft dedicated to the SAM and 15 helicopters supporting federal emergency requirements.

SAM mission areas may be divided into the following categories: After a presidential inauguration resulting in a change in office, the outgoing president is provided transport on a VC-25 aircraft to their home destination.

[4][5] George H. W. Bush's coffin was transported on a flight using the call sign Special Air Mission 41, as he was the 41st President.

Aircraft selected to fly these missions must meet the highest standards of reliability and must not have an uncorrected history of repeat or recurring malfunctions.

The distinctive "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" livery present on Special Air Mission aircraft was designed by Raymond Loewy.

From September to December 1943, the 26th TG conducted the C-87 "Fireball" run, a weekly priority spare parts delivery flight between Fairfield, Ohio and Agra, India.

In 1946, it is known that the 503d AAFBU was involved in the transport of personnel to Bikini Atoll as part of the Atomic Bomb Testing mission.

Concerned about relying upon commercial airlines to transport the president, the USAAF leaders ordered the conversion of a military aircraft to accommodate the special needs of the Commander in Chief.

This act established the U.S. Air Force as an independent service, making the Sacred Cow the "birthplace" of the USAF.

Commercial airlines, made anemic under prohibitive wartime flying regulations and rationing of airplane fuel, were restored to vigor after the war with many World War II military aircraft being sold cheap to anyone with an idea to open an airway in the sky.

In 1947, USAAF officials ordered the 29th production DC-6 to be modified as a replacement for the aging VC-54C Sacred Cow presidential aircraft.

It differed from the standard DC-6 configuration in that the aft fuselage was converted into a stateroom; the main cabin seated 24 passengers or could be made up into 12 "sleeper" berths.

Probably the plane's most historic flight occurred when it carried President Truman to Wake Island in October 1950 to discuss the Korean situation with General of the Army Douglas MacArthur.

In May 1953, after nearly six years of White House service, the Independence was retired as a presidential aircraft and subsequently served several Air Force organizations as a VIP transport.

Mrs. Eisenhower christened it Columbine III in honor of the official flower of Colorado, her adopted home state, in ceremonies on 24 November 1954.

In its place, the 89th MAW Special Missions was activated and assigned to Andrews Air Force Base until the wing became a group on 30 September 1977.

Beginning in 1970 Henry Kissinger used the aircraft for 13 trips to Paris, France, for secret meetings with the North Vietnamese.