As Air Force One headed under a false call sign for its unannounced landing in Iraq on Thursday, the Boeing 747 passed within sight of a British Airways pilot who radioed, ‘‘Did I just see Air Force One?’’ ‘‘Gulfstream 5,’’ replied Bush’s pilot, Colonel Mark Tillman. The trip, aimed at boosting soldiers’ morale, had been in the works for weeks, but only a handful of Bush’s closest aides knew about it beforehand. This reporter, who represented newspapers in the media pool, was first approached about the trip less than four hours before takeoff. White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett told me the President was flying to Baghdad and I would be going, but that I could not tell my employer or family what was up. The shades in the press cabin on Air Force One had been pulled down and both doors were closed, and the reporters only knew Bush was aboard when they heard the engines rev. After leaving Texas, the plane streaked towards Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to refuel and pick up Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. As he switched planes at Andrews, Bush spotted the reporters. He held his thumb and pinkie apart, and raised them to his ear, in the symbol of someone using a phone, and mouthed, ‘‘No calls, got it?’’ He emphasised the point by crossing his arms back and forth in front of him. He made the ‘‘cut’’ sign to his throat and mouthed again, ‘‘No calls’’. Air Force One took off for Baghdad 10 minutes later and Bush was asleep within 20 minutes. A little later, the cabin lights were turned off. Twenty minutes later, we touched down in Baghdad. (LAT-WP)
