I've been shining paint since the early 1980s. I've had my own business shining paint since 1990. I absolutely adore my job. I've been blessed to shine the paint on many amazing things such as most models of the world's exotic supercars, multi-million dollar classics, vintage aircraft and presidential transports.

Recently I lead a team to polish, for the second time, a Boeing VC-137B, Special Air Mission 971.


Towards the end of President Eisenhower's term in 1958, the Air Force added three Boeing 707 aircraft into the presidential fleet. They were designated as VC-137s and referred to by Special Air Mission "SAM" and the last three digits of their tail numbers, 970, 971, and 972.

All three sister aircraft were used as Air Force One, which is the call sign of the aircraft when it is transporting the president of the United States.


I've had the honor of polishing SAM970, which on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wa., a couple of times.








After detailing SAM970 I set out to locate the other two aircraft. Unfortunately, SAM972 had been retired and scrapped years ago. I feared SAM971 had fallen under the same fate.

SAM971 seen here, in the back ground in her early 1960s white and orange livery, behind President Kennedy.




To my relief, I did find SAM971 on display at the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, Az.

I soon found out that she not only had served as an Air Force One but she had flown under the call sign, "FREEDOM ONE" twice. 1980 she was dispatched to retrieve Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days. She flew under FREEDOM ONE again 10 years later when she brought home American prisoners of war from Operation Desert storm.



She had been retired in the early 90s and had been on display since. She was dirty, her paint was badly faded but I knew we could save her and restore the finish.



So, in 2015 with the help of AutoGeek, Meguiars and a client of mine, Gary Johnson of Ace Clear water, I put together a team and we shined her!!

TEAM SHINE was born!!









We had a ton of fun! She came out gourgous!!