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Air Force One's New Refrigerators Cost $24 Million


Kip Powick

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I was doing a check ride on a new pilot for the  CV 580's in our Squadron in  Ottawa when I got a call from Operations to go to YUL and pick up a bi-fold door  for one of out VIP "Cosmos'.

Flew to YUL , was taken to Atlantic Aviation and picked up the bi-fold door and the invoice....just short of $1500.00. The door was wrapped in bubble plastic. Apparently the 'custom' door had been shortened a couple of inches so it would fit between the ceiling frame and the floor of one of our VIP aircraft and would separate  the Super VIP area and "the other folks" in the aircraft:lol:

When we flew back to YOW,  and landed and I felt that rather than leave this expensive door laying in the aircraft, after all I was responsible for an almost $1500.00  item, I would take it and carry it up to the Squadron and into the office of our Engineering Officer.

I had the door, wrapped in the bubble plastic, over my shoulder and as I walked into his office i noted a small yellow and smudged sticker on the the top of one of the bi-folds 

Beaver Lumber - $79.95

But then again the bill for door  was cheaper than when we scrambled a Challenger from YOW to Goose Bay and the cargo was the Minister of National  Defence's favourite fishing rod....which he had forgotten when he boarded his previous flight  for a few days vacation  at what was then called "SAR ONE"...the fishing camp at Eagle  River for VIPs :lol:

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On 2018-01-26 at 10:25 PM, Kip Powick said:

Boeing is second to none when it comes to government awarded contracts. Glad they were not successful with the Bombardier issue. 

Attached photo is the communication panel on board the former Air Force One 707 located at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. Can only imagine what this install cost. 

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While I do agree the price is quite high for the units in question, There is a significant cost for this.  Making the thing is the cheap and easy part.  Testing and certification are the hurdles that cost the most money.  Try applying doe a small STC on an aircraft and see what that costs you.

As an example.  Adding a permanent iPad mount to an aircraft.  Part costs around 60 bucks.  STC and engineering to install is close to 20 grand.

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10 hours ago, boestar said:

While I do agree the price is quite high for the units in question, There is a significant cost for this.  Making the thing is the cheap and easy part.  Testing and certification are the hurdles that cost the most money.  Try applying doe a small STC on an aircraft and see what that costs you.

As an example.  Adding a permanent iPad mount to an aircraft.  Part costs around 60 bucks.  STC and engineering to install is close to 20 grand.

Understand and agree 100%. However, the hard to comprehend part is how an electric fridge (x2)  can get anywhere near a million dollar price tag. 

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Wasn't Trump complaining about the high costs of the new Air Force One shortly after winning the election?

Oh wait, Boeing gave $1 million towards his inauguration party. Since then, he's been quiet as a church mouse about it.

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On 1/29/2018 at 4:57 PM, J.O. said:

Wasn't Trump complaining about the high costs of the new Air Force One shortly after winning the election?

Oh wait, Boeing gave $1 million towards his inauguration party. Since then, he's been quiet as a church mouse about it.

I'm very surprised Trump hasn't weighed in on the Boeing-BBD lawsuit loss...

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