Israel's knesset is considering whether the country's prime minister and president deserve an Air Force One of their own.
It seems the country's chief politician and its current has-been president now have to fly commercial and El Al, as many American Jews have found, is too expensive. It is embarrassing for a head of state to fly on another county's carriers.
But does Israel really need an especially configured 747 a la U.S. Air Force One?
Obungler is helping break America's bank by flitting all over the globe in AF1 and when he's not using it, his wife uses it for jaunts to places such as Hawaii. According to most reports, it costs the U.S. taxpayer nearly $182,000 an hour while it's in the air. The cost-per-hour does not include extras such as air crew (pilot, co-pilot, flight attendants), security, and catering to name a few "incidentals."
The fact that the United States cannot afford presidential jaunts should - but probably does not - give Israeli politicians promoting a similar chariot for the PM and president , even if they share it, second thoughts.
The U.S. president's plane can move along at about 530 mph (851 kph) and it's used for both short (DC to New York or, when the weather's cold, Miami or LA) and long (Far East and South Africa) flights.
Israeli politicians' travel normally is to Europe (roughly 5 air hours), with an occasional flight to D.C. (5,875 statute miles/5,105 nautical miles).
Things to keep in mind as you read on:
1 statute mile = 0.869 nautical miles (nm);
1 nautical mile (nm) = 1.151 statue miles;
1 knot = 1 nautical mile
mach 1 = 661 nm/hour
There must be a plane suitable for the head of state that won't break the bank. Indeed, there are several that could carry the PM or president AND family AND aides-de-camp in the style to which they think they deserve. Satisfactory aircraft that can make the Lod to D.C. flight non-stop include:
Dassault Falcon 7X, a tri-jet with a price tag of about US$50 million. It seats 16 passengers and has a range of 5950 nautical miles (6847 statute [land] miles) at a cruise speed of 459 knots with an estimated fuel cost of $4.81/mile.
Gulfstream 550, selling for US$57 million, is a twin-jet with a range of 6,750 nm and can carry 18 passengers. (A slightly used G550 can be had for a bargain price of US$30 million.)
Gulfstream 650, at US$71 million, is a twin-jet with a 7,000 nm range and can carry as many as 17 passengers with berthing for 7.
While paying $4.81/mile for a 11,570 mile flight (round trip Lod-D.C., US$56,517.5) is US$45,930 more than El Al's first class round trip fare of US$10,587, the politician can being along his pals for "free," leave and return on his whim (unlike sitting in a plane at Lod for 6 hours), and has a place to stretch out. Admittedly the US$56.5k fails to include the air crew, but IDF pilots probably need flight time just as USAF pilots do, so flight crew costs are an IDF write off.
Plus Israel can show its colors in a sensible-for-it aircraft.
Maybe the knesset committee looking into privileged person travel will crunch the numbers before trying to match the U.S
