No, that wasn’t Air Force One spotted Monday at the Portland jetport

 Portland International Jetport. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer) Visitors to Portland International Jetport and others who may have had their eyes to the sky Monday likely caught a glimpse of a massive aircraft with “United States of America” painted on the side. Video posted on social media by the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) division of the Portland Fire Department stationed at the jetport shows an Air Force C-32A plane, the military version of a Boeing 757, performing a series of touch-and-go landings. Sean Donahue, spokesperson for the city fire department, said the department had its usual unit of three firefighters stationed nearby. Some took video as observers, but they did not get any additional information, he said. The Air Force has four C-32A aircraft in its fleet and they are used to carry top government officials, including the vice president. No officials were believed to be on board Monday and the vice president, JD Vance, was in policy meetings at the White House throughout the day. The plane originated from Joint Base Andrews, an Air Force facility in Maryland. Zachary Sundquist, assistant director at the Portland jetport, said he was not aware that the plane would be using the facility but said that’s not unusual. Air traffic controllers work directly to introduce military aircraft into the schedule when they are notified a plane is nearby. The Portland jetport gets occasional military traffic, but Bangor International Airport, which includes an Air National Guard base and refueling wing, is a frequent stop for government and military flights returning from overseas. Vance [flew into Bangor last month to attend a rally](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/14/jd-vance-says-46-million-in-improper-mainecare-payments-tip-of-the-iceberg/) on alleged Medicare fraud with former Gov. Paul LePage, the Republican now seeking the 2nd Congressional District seat. Related [JD Vance says $46M in improper MaineCare payments ‘tip of the iceberg’](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/14/jd-vance-says-46-million-in-improper-mainecare-payments-tip-of-the-iceberg/) The exact reason for the government plane’s presence in Maine this week is not known. An Air Force spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions. Copy the Story Link [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo) [Charley DiAdamoStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo) Charley DiAdamo, from North Andover, Massachusetts, is a rising senior at Colby College. She writes a food and humor column for The Colby Echo and is a freelance contributor to The Maine Monitor. She is. [More by Charley DiAdamo](https://www.pressherald.com/author/charley-diadamo)