SPRINGVILLE, Utah – A Utah man is taking on a big detailing job for an important client, and he will soon be in Seattle to detail a piece of American history.
Mike Jones has made a career detailing cars, but this week he will be working on the original Air Force One.
Jones will be joining 32 of the best detailers in the country as they breathe new life into the aging jet.
“When I found out, I was like, ‘Oh man. This is so cool. I can’t wait,’” Jones said. “It’s hard to express the emotions. Just like, oh my heck, then the reality set in, I got to get ready.”
The plane is the same Boeing 707 Sam 970 that served as the flying Oval Office for four presidents, from Eisenhower to Nixon.
The $100 million plane is on permanent display outside Seattle’s Museum of Flight, where it is constantly exposed to the elements. Every few years, the plane is cleaned and polished by a team of carefully selected detailers, like Jones.
Jones said he and the others will make sure the plane shines.
“We can take it, and it will be almost like a mirror,” he said. “You could do your hair in it if you wanted to.”
Jones is not only not being paid for his work, he’s even paying for the entire trip himself. He said it’s a small price to pay for the opportunity to work on Air Force One.
“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “It’s going to be a learning experience. It’s going to be hard work, but you know what, it’s going to be something that I will always remember, forever.”
