No, that wasn’t Air Force One spotted Monday at the Portland jetport
Air Force C-32A Touches Down at Portland Jetport for Training Exercises
A military aircraft typically reserved for transporting senior U.S. government officials made an appearance at the Portland International Jetport on Monday, drawing attention from onlookers both on the ground and online.
The plane, an Air Force C-32A — the military variant of a Boeing 757 — performed a series of touch-and-go landings at the facility. Video of the maneuvers was posted to social media by the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) division of the Portland Fire Department, which maintains a unit of three firefighters stationed at the jetport.
City fire department spokesperson Sean Donahue said the firefighters filmed the plane as observers but did not receive any specific information about the flight or its purpose.
The C-32A is one of four in the Air Force's fleet and is used to transport top government officials, including the vice president. However, no senior officials were believed to be on board Monday. Vice President JD Vance was at the White House attending policy meetings throughout the day.
The aircraft originated from Joint Base Andrews, an Air Force installation in Maryland. Zachary Sundquist, assistant director at the Portland jetport, said he had no advance notice that the plane would be using the facility, adding that such unscheduled arrivals are not uncommon. Air traffic controllers coordinate directly with military aircraft to integrate them into the existing flight schedule when notified of their proximity.
While the Portland jetport sees occasional military traffic, Bangor International Airport is a more frequent destination for government and military flights, largely because it is home to an Air National Guard base and refueling wing. Vice President Vance used Bangor as a stop during a visit to Maine last month, when he appeared at a rally focused on alleged Medicare fraud alongside former Gov. Paul LePage, now a Republican candidate for Maine's 2nd Congressional District.
The Air Force has not publicly clarified the reason for the C-32A's presence in Maine this week. A spokesperson for the service did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
