Former Air Force One goes to Reagan library exbibit

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A former Air Force One made its final flight Saturday after decades of service carrying seven U.S. presidents over a million miles.

After a dramatic flyby 1,000 feet over the tarmac, the Boeing 707 touched down just after 11 a.m. at San Bernardino International Airport.

"She is a proud bird with a brilliant history," Air Force Secretary James G. Roche told a crowd of about 1,000 people that included former first lady Nancy Reagan.

"Well, I'm excited. I could cry a little bit," Mrs. Reagan said after boarding the aircraft for a 15-minute tour. "Going through the plane brought back a lot of memories."

President Reagan always wanted to give people the opportunity to see Air Force One up close, Mrs. Reagan said.

The blue, silver and white jet was most used by President Reagan during his White House years, from 1981 to 1989. The jet will occupy a new hangar at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, Calif., as part of an exhibit on presidential travel.

It will be dismantled in San Bernardino and trucked to the hilltop library 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles where it will be reassembled.

President George W. Bush boarded it last week.

"It will remind us of Ronald Reagan's achievements for peace and international security and permanently symbolize the soaring spirit of this great man and our great country," he said.

The Boeing 707 -- 153 feet long with a wingspan of nearly 146 feet -- flew 445 missions as Air Force One, covering more than 1.3 million miles.