How much fuel does GW Bush and company use on a typical round trip
from DC to the west coast? And how many airplanes, helicopters,
car/limos and personel go with him?

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 09 Jun 2006 19:43 PDT

The actual expenses are impossbile to track because they are because
they are divided among Pentagon, Treasury Department and other
budgets. The various vehicles and aircraft all use different fuels and
oils and many, but perhaps not all of them, are fueled at the
goverment rate, which is lower than the normal market value.

Would a modified answer work, such as the overall costs associated
with the typical trip or a trip to a specific place? If so, this may
be, as they say, "do-able".

tutuzdad-ga

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 09 Jun 2006 19:58 PDT

In addition, the prices change regularly so consumption costs change
regularly. Furthermore, each trip requires a different number of
personnel and vehicles. Some even arrive in advance and some advance
teams scout the area and leave as much as a month before. So there's
no real way to pin down a number of vehicles and personnel either.

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 09 Jun 2006 20:06 PDT

I managed to find some overall cost estimates for a recent trip from
Washington DC to Illinois if you are interested in that as an answer.
They do not include the number of vehicles and aircraft but these are
some fascinating figures that sort of make you go, "Hmmm?".

tutuzdad-ga

---

Clarification of Question by lkf-ga on 09 Jun 2006 21:53 PDT

I am open to how you'all want to answer, I don't need the cost of the 
trip, just how much fuel is wasted in gallons, how much fuel and time
is wasted would be nice to know. I read someplace that the average
trip by Bush uses Airfarce 1, a backup airplane, several C-130s to
haul the  limos and helicopters plus additional airplanes for the
press etc.

---

Clarification of Question by lkf-ga on 11 Jun 2006 23:18 PDT

All I need to know is the total average amount of fuel used in gallons
and the number and types of assets used.
ie: 50000 gallons of fuel, 2 747's  6 C-130"s 2 choppers, 15 cars and 40 personal.

---

Request for Question Clarification by tutuzdad-ga on 12 Jun 2006 08:00 PDT

Let me try to put this in perspective:

The actual ?Presidential motorcade? consists of only 5-6 vehicles.
These are usually a lead car, a local police car, two limos), then 1-2
large Secret Service utility vehicles. Following this is a large
Communications vehicle (which  carries an enourmous amount of heavy
equipment), several minivans or occassionally even 1-2 Commercial
passenger buses which carry the President's staff and the media.
Flanking, preceding and following up are often as many as 12
motorcycles or outrider vehicles, usually supplied by the local
authorities and one or more ambulances.

Of the Presidential vehicles, the capabilities are classified.
Therefore we do not know the equipment they carry, the weight of the
vehicles, the engines they have onboard or the mileage they get. In
fact, we don't even know what type of fuel some of them use.

In 2004, before fuel prices went through the roof, one study also
estimated that Air Force One cost $35000 per hour to operate although
on some trips it went as high as $56000 an hour.

This article may give you an idea of the costs assosiated with such a movement:

MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9520283/site/newsweek/page/3/

The average 747 gets about five miles per gallon and in 2005 the
government rate for jet fuel was roughly $1.57 per gallon.
CNN TRANSCRIPT
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/27/sitroom.02.html

Please let me know if these answer your questions as well as possible
under the circumstances.

tutuzdad-ga

It would be very interesting to factor in not only the up-front fuel
consumption by the President on an official trip, but also the
incidental fuel wasted by civilian motorists who find themselves
prevented from making timely progress due to security measures.

I bring this up because it reminds me of a day last year. I live near
Indianapolis. One day I was in downtown Indy, oblivious to the fact
that G.W. Bush was scheduled to arrive soon and speak at a convention.
I soon found myself virtually mired in road blocks at every turn. It
became impossible to find a route which would take me away from the
motorcade route so that I could simply go back home. Traffic was
suspended in place for at least 1/2 hour for a considerable radius
from the convention center.

Given that the U.S. President only makes such appearances in populous
cities, and that similar measures surely are taken for every
appearance, I'd say that the Pres' must be one of the single greatest
wasters of civilian energy resources. And this isn't even mentioning
lost productivity due to people finding themselves unexpectedly unable
to return to their jobs from a lunchbreak which happens to coincide
with the transit of the official motorcade. Let's also keep in mind
that Air Force One must land at a busy airport. Regular air traffic is
undoubtedly placed in a holding pattern as the Executive's plane
approaches & lands. This by itself must cost the airlines considerable
jet fuel.

So one would think that, given the definitely enormous costs, both
obvious & otherwise, a concientious Chief Executive would reserve
official travel for appearances which are of arguable necessity or
public utility, rather than to make a less than one hour political
photo-op at an event of specialised interest. (Conventions are, by
their nature, special interest events.)

Man, that isn't the half of it. I've actually been indirectly involved
in these details and the local police department, fire department,
ambulance service, street department, traffic services division,
dispatcher/911 communications centers, state police, sheriff
department (and the list goes on) all have extra personnel, extra
vehicles, extra assignments, extra equipment and extra fuel not to
mention the overtime, cancelled vacations, realignment of staff, etc.
The real costs would be staggering if it could be calculated.

Here's a funny observation. When I was finally able to leave the
downtown area, I got onto the interstate, which runs through Indy, and
there were cops stationed along the President's route... in the grassy
knolls!!! :)

But you're right, the total cost must run into the millions for each trip.