La Crosse Municipal Airport - Unusual History

Unusual History

The La Crosse Airport can accommodate the world's largest aircraft in service today. One of the world's largest passenger jumbo jets, the Boeing 747 Air Force One (AF1), has made overnight trips to this airport with every U.S. President for the last 20 years.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton flew to La Crosse in another AF1 Boeing 707 (VC-137C SAM 26000) older large jet, which was the same plane that carried the deceased body of late President John F. Kennedy from Dallas to Washington and the only plane on which a U.S. president was sworn into office. This was the last time a U.S. President flew on this plane, as it was then retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. One of the world's largest cargo jets, a Russian Antonov An-124, has flown to the La Crosse airport when heavy transport was needed for the international flight of local businesses. The large U.S. military C-5A cargo and KC-10 Extender cargo/refueling jumbo jets have been at the annual summer Deke Slayton Airshow (area astronaut), Airfest at the airport, along with vintage and modern military and private planes of all kinds. The show has also featured performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. In the past, Sun Country Airlines has flown the large DC-10 (380 passenger seats) on charter flights from La Crosse to other cities. The New Orleans Saints NFL football team flew the 250-seat Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 planes each week to La Crosse for summer camp and to and from NFL cities for pre-season games.

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