Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Footage is from video game, does not show actual Air Force One aircraft
If Your Time is short
• The footage is from a video game and does not depict actual events.
A video that’s garnered more than 47,000 views on social media misleads with its headline.
"President Biden's Air Force One pilot got fired after this vertical take off," says the headline on the Feb. 9 video posted on Facebook.
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The footage is from a video game and does not depict actual events.
The video was posted by a Facebook user who identifies himself as a gaming video creator. The "about" section of his Facebook page says his videos are for entertainment purposes and are made using flight simulators.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
We did not locate any news reports indicating that an Air Force One pilot had been fired.
Comments on the video indicate that many people knew it was not really Air Force One, some questioned whether it was real, and at least one Facebook user appeared to think it was true.
Featured Fact-check
"No. Commander in chief arm forces. He shouldn't have to lose his job because of that, maybe those are the kinds of pilots that we need in the air, ready at all times," one comment said.
The 10-minute video begins with the aircraft pulling back from the terminal, where other planes are parked. But Air Force One never parks at a terminal, because it has to be able to take off quickly if needed, according to reports. Around the 6-minute mark in the video, the simulated plane takes off vertically, as the headline says.
The plane depicted in the video also does not match the real Air Force One aircraft. For example, the simulated plane shows two vertical stabilizers, each emblazoned with an American flag, while the real Air Force One has a single vertical stabilizer with one American flag.
We rate the claim that President Biden's Air Force One pilot got fired after a vertical take off Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Australian Broadcasting Corp. News, "Air Force One: Things you might not know," Dec. 7, 2016
Facebook page, accessed Feb. 15, 2022
Facebook video, Feb. 9, 2022
Glenn Research Center, NASA, "Airplane Parts Definitions," accessed Feb. 15, 2022
The White House, "Air Force One," accessed Feb. 15, 2022
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Monique Curet
Footage is from video game, does not show actual Air Force One aircraft
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.