--- title: "The “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One Aircraft" description: "President Lyndon B. Johnson used the small King Air to access his beloved ranch in Texas." date: "2021-01-25" modified: "2021-01-25" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/38913/the-lady-bird-special-was-the-lowliest-of-air-force-one-aircraft" categories: - "Air" - "Air Force One" - "Foreign VVIP Transport" - "Military Aviation History" - "News & Features" - "POTUS" - "Presidential Transport" - "Transports" tags: - "Air Force One" - "King Air" - "Lady Bird" - "Missile Range" - "Must Read Features" - "President Johnson" - "President Lyndon B. Johnson" - "Presidential Airlift" - "US Air Force" - "US Army" - "VC-6A" - "VIP transport" - "Wernher von Braun" - "White Sands Missile Range" --- # The “Lady Bird Special” Was The Lowliest Of Air Force One Aircraft ![]() *www.twz.com* Hear the words ‘[Air Force One]()’ and the chances are the aircraft you picture is *not* a propeller-driven, adapted utility transport, with four passenger seats and a couple of foldout tables, whisking its high-profile passengers along at a leisurely speed of just over 250 miles per hour. Back in 1966, however, the U.S. Air Force really did assign a single VIP-configured Beechcraft twin turboprop to the mission of [presidential transport](), for the use of President Lyndon B. Johnson and his family. Receiving the Air Force designation VC-6A, the one-off aircraft, serial number 66-07943, was based on the civilian B90 King Air. For its time, this was among the most popular executive twin-turboprops available, and for good reason. Even in the basic version offered on the commercial market, the B90 featured cabin pressurization, seating for up to nine including the pilot, and compared to its predecessors, it added more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-20 turboprops each rated at 550 horsepower. ![message-editor%2F1611616301757-vc-6akingairairforceoneinline.jpg]() *VC-6A outside the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio., *U.S. Air Force** “The aircraft was faster and more agile than other light transport aircraft and featured full pressurization for comfort at high altitudes,” in the words of the National Museum of the United States Air Force’s official [online history]() of the VC-6A. ![message-editor%2F1611619483237-151001-f-dw547-001.jpg]() *A rare photo of the Air Force VC-6A “Lady Bird Special” in service., *U.S. Air Force** The changes introduced for the aircraft’s presidential transport included all-weather navigation and de-icing equipment. Newly installed reversible propellers allowed the aircraft to land on very short runways if required. All this came at a cost of $436,0000 and, according to the late aviation historian Robert F. Dorr, it was “purchased expressly to meet Lyndon B. Johnson’s needs.” Once in service, the VC-6A duly served primarily as the personal transport for Johnson and his family, earning the nickname “Lady Bird Special,” on account of the First Lady, Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson. In this role, the aircraft ferried the first family between Bergstrom Air Force Base in Texas — today home to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport — and the roughly mile-long airstrip at the Johnson Ranch, near Stonewall in Texas, around 70 miles to the west. ![message-editor%2F1611615515621-151204-f-io108-004.jpg]() *Cockpit of the VC-6A., *U.S. Air Force** While the Johnson Ranch airstrip was plenty long enough for the VC-6A, and even the turbine-powered [VC-140B JetStar]() “Air Force One Half” also used by Johnson, it couldn’t accommodate the more familiar [VC-137B]() that was the best-known user of the Air Force One callsign in this era. Instead, the President would take the VC-137B into Bergstrom before using the smaller VC-140B — or the even smaller VC-6B — as a shuttle to their destination. The VC-6B had seating for Johnson and up to three other family members, visiting dignitaries, or high-level government personnel. ![message-editor%2F1611619393713-151001-f-dw547-008.jpg]() *A U.S. Air Force VC-140B waits on the tarmac at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s family ranch near Stonewall, Texas, in June 1967. , *U.S. Air Force** After President Johnson left office in January 1969, the VC-6A remained in use as an executive transport with the [89th Military Airlift Wing]() at [Andrews Air Force Base](), Maryland. Finally, in September 1985, it was retired and took up its place at the [National Museum of the United States Air Force]() near Dayton, Ohio. https://youtube.com/embed/45JGVNhi4As As a footnote to the VC-6A story, it’s worth noting that the U.S. Army also acquired a single example, which was also associated with at least one high-profile passenger. The Army’s VC-6A, serial number 66-15361, was based on the civilian Model 65-A90 and was used to ferry the rocket and space technology pioneer [Wernher von Braun]() between the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama and the military testing area at the [White Sands Missile Range](), New Mexico, where he oversaw rocket experiments during the 1960s. Today, this aircraft is also on public display, at the [White Sands Missile Range Museum](). ![message-editor%2F1611615192120-11253514614\_787332389e\_k.jpg]() *U.S. Army VC-6A 66-15361 at the White Sands Missile Range Museum., *[Zruda]() via Flickr Creative Commons** https://twitter.com/\_/status/1004922766473113600 [Different variants]() of the King Air, of course, remain in frontline service with [and on behalf of]() the U.S. military, but it’s fitting in particular that the sole Air Force VC-6A is preserved today, as a reminder of how this type’s illustrious service career began, and of the surprising variety of the high-profile presidential air transport mission and the many historic milestones it has witnessed. *Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()