Since George Bush junior was a fighter pilot could he have permission to fly Air Force One while he was President?

No. Bush lost his flight status in 1972, meaning he hasn’t been authorized to fly as a pilot since then. Clearly, he never learned that 90% of life is showing up.

That is a truly scary thought.

No, he expects everyone to do things for him.

Bush did not pilot the plane and it was not a fighter. He was a passenger in an S-3 Viking

He was never qualified to fly AF 1, a 747 is a lot different from a fighter. Besides, would you fly with him as pilot?

@zenvelo if everyone else was incapacitated and we were the only two people available I would let him try… besides If he is commander off the Armed Forces then can’t he just order the pilot’s to let him practice…I sense a movie theme coming on… “Harrison Ford in Air Force One Part two”

I’m not a military expert, but I think there are probably lawful orders and unlawful ones. even a civilian commander in chief cannot issue illegal orders.

And I think the President cedes control over his own safety, which is why the Secret Service can tell him what to do. But I am not sure.

I do believe on several of the longer flights he did occasionally sit in for the copilot. But this was usually in mid flight when they were on automatic pilot so he couldn’t screw things up.

@WestRiverrat thanks… that is the answer that I was looking for

He actually sat in the cockpit once during a routine flight. Asked if the pilot could stick it in reverse, just for shits & giggles you understand.