Was that Air Force One flying around Syracuse airport today?
Syracuse, N.Y. -- If you looked up in the sky around Syracuse Hancock International Airport today and thought you saw Air Force One flying around, you werent alone. And you werent that far off with your guess. A U.S. Air Force plane that looks like a smaller version of the one that flies the president around paid an unannounced visit to the airport Wednesday afternoon. The plane had a blue-and-white paint scheme and the words United States of America painted on its sides, just like the presidents plane, Air Force One. Turns out, it was a C-32, the militarys version of the Boeing 757 passenger jet, and is part of a fleet of planes the Air Force uses to fly senior government officials, including the vice president and secretary of state, around the world. The C-32 is sometimes used in place of Air Force One when the president travels to smaller airports that cannot accommodate the Boeing 747 jumbo jet normally used to fly the president. When its carrying the president, it is called Air Force One. (When the vice president uses the plane, it is called Air Force Two.) The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, which runs the airport, said on its Twitter page that the plane arrived unannounced early Wednesday afternoon to perform a variety of training maneuvers on our secondary runway (15-33).  We had a very cool unannounced visitor earlier this afternoon here at #SYR! This C-32 (military version of 757) in United States of America livery performed a variety of training maneuvers on our secondary runway (15-33).  pic.twitter.com/MEuykGBJDX  Syracuse Airport (@SyracuseAirport) June 9, 2021  A spokesperson for the authority said airport officials did not know where the plane came from. Military planes from around the Northeast frequently come to Syracuse so their crews can practice landings and takeoffs. Hancock is an attractive place for such training because its airspace is not as congested as the skies around major metropolitan areas. The C-32 crew had little choice but to use the airports secondary runway. Hancocks main runway is closed for the summer while its pavement is replaced. A U.S. Air Force C-32 lands at Syracuse Hancock International Airport on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, while performing training maneuvers.Syracuse Regional Airport Authority  Why some Syracuse-area residents will see more planes flying over their homes this summer  Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148