Air Force One getting makeover in Fort Worth

Scott Nishimura snishimura@bizpress.net

The most recognizable airplane in the world is in Fort Worth for a bit of maintenance work.

One of the Air Force Boeing 747s that flies the president flew into Meacham Airport Thursday for a fresh paint job at Leading Edge Aviation, a Meacham tenant that’s one of the paint contractors for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner airliner.

Friday morning, the humped airplane – with its blue and white United States of America livery – was sitting outside a Leading Edge hanger, protected by security vehicles and personnel.

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Bill Welstead, the city’s aviation director, said he didn’t know how long the city’s mammoth visitor would be hanging around.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I will say this: Leading Edge can paint an airplane very quickly. They can paint a whole airplane in under two weeks.”