Presidential aircraft spotted conducting flight patterns over Upstate South Carolina

Skywatchers across Greenville County were treated to an unmistakable sight Thursday afternoon as one of the iconic blue-and-white aircraft used for presidential travel was spotted banking low across Upstate skies.

Locals captured clear views of the plane flying low over Southside Christian School near the bustling Woodruff Road corridor, snapping photos of the distinctive Boeing jetliner against the clear midday sky.

While widely recognized by the public as “Air Force One,” military aviation protocol dictates that the aircraft only carries that historic call sign when the President of the United States is actively on board.

The low-altitude passes are typically part of routine pilot qualification and proficiency training conducted by the U.S. Air Force’s Presidential Airlift Group. Military flight crews stationed out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland regularly navigate the modified jets on cross-country training runs to conduct practice instrument approaches and “touch-and-go” landings at regional airports equipped with long commercial runways, such as nearby Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP).

The sight quickly sparked buzz across local social media channels, with residents throughout Greenville and Spartanburg counties chiming in with their own photos and reports of the jumbo jet along its Upstate flight path.

Photo Credit : Brittany