Rep. Nancy Pelosi's predecessor as House speaker, Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), began flying military planes for official travel in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Air Force has a stable of planes that are used for travel by the speaker, Cabinet members, top generals and for congressional trips to Iraq and other war zones.
Those planes include:
The C-21, the military version of the eight-seater Lear Jet. Its maximum range is 2,306 miles. Each plane cost $3.1 million.
The C-20B, the military version of the 12-seater Gulfstream III. Its maximum range is 4,250 miles. There are five C-20Bs based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, near Washington, D.C. Each plane cost $29.4 million.
The C-37A, the military version of the 12-seater Gulfstream V. It's able to fly at high altitudes and therefore fly to other continents, with a 6,300-mile range. There are seven C-37As based in the United States, with four at Andrews Air Force Base. Each plane cost $36 million.
The C-40C, the military version of the Boeing 737, is used for Cabinet members and Congress. It has two galleys and a bed. There are two C-40Cs based in Washington D.C., and two at Andrews Air Force Base. Its range is 4,500 to 5,000 miles. It can hold 42 to 111 passengers, based on configuration. Each cost $70 million.
Pelosi has flown back to California once since becoming speaker. She took a commercial flight there, and returned on one of the 12-seaters.
Hastert used all of these planes except the C-40. Since he lived in Illinois, even the smallest plane could take him there without refueling. The smallest plane would not be able to reach California from Washington, and headwinds or other poor weather conditions could require the 12-seaters to stop for refueling.
Navy Cmdr. Jefrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday that Pelosi would be offered "shuttle service for no more than 10 passengers between Washington and San Francisco only based on aircraft availability."
"This does not guarantee nonstop transport," Gordon said.
Sources: The Air Force and the Associated Press
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDYwMzgxODUyMDE2MzQ1Nzg1MTRlNTA2Yg000))