Fly High Aviation Media is proud to bring the following report from the The Freedom Plane National Tour start, which took place at Washington Reagan National Airport (KDCA) on the 1st & 2nd March 2026.

The Fly High Aviation Media team had the opportunity to attend the Freedom Plane National Tour kickoff on March 2nd, 2026 at Washington Reagan National Airport (KDCA). A National Archives traveling exhibition, on board a specially painted Boeing 737-7BC/W BBJ, kindly donated by Boeing Company will bring foundational documents of American history including Washington and Hamiltons Oaths of Allegiance, The Treaty of Paris, and various copies of the Bill of Rights to cities around the United States (see below for a link to that schedule). After receiving a tour of the plane FHAM had the opportunity to interview Boeing Chief Pilot of Executive Flight Operations, Joseph Seymour, to learn more about the historic exhibition. Once the ceremony began, an honor guard from the Coast Guard Air Station Washington loaded the documents aboard the Boeing Business Jet and heard from speakers such as the Acting Archivist of the United States, Jim Byron, and Executive Vice President at Boeing, Jeff Shockey. The ceremony concluded with the departure of the jet and documents to Kansas City.

Fly High Aviation Media would like to give a special thanks’ to Deidre Kuti from Boeing Company, for allowing our media team to attend this prestigious event., a very professionally organized event, thank you for all your help in making this event run smoothly. FHAM.

Editorial By: Jacob Patrick.

For more information follow this link: www.freedomplane.org.

Photography By: Harry Morrow, Gautham Kurup & Jacob Patrick.

#01 – Freedom Plane Boeing BBJ ARRIVES AT WASHINGTON REAGAN NATIONAL DC

Fly High Aviation Media team members were there to capture the arrival of The Freedom Plane, a Boeing Business Jet configured to transport seven original Founding‑era documents, arrived at Washington Reagan National Airport on 1 March 2026 ahead of its formal launch ceremony the following day. According to the National Archives, the aircraft prepared to land at Reagan National on that date as the opening movement of the Freedom Plane National Tour, a nationwide exhibition created for America’s 250th anniversary. 

The arrival marked the beginning of an unprecedented effort to bring rare documents—including items such as an engraving of the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris—out of archival storage and into public view across eight U.S. cities. The National Archives formally inaugurated the tour on 2 March 2026, emphasizing the historic nature of allowing these original materials to travel for the first time. 

#02 – Freedom Plane on the ramp

The morning of 2 March 2026 opened with the Boeing BBJ aircraft set on the ramp at Washington Reagan National Airport, ground crews moving around it as final preparations were made for the ceremony that would formally launch the national tour.

#03 – US Coast guArd on the ramp

The ramp stayed active as preparations continued, and one of the more dynamic moments came when a U.S. Coast Guard MH‑65E Dolphin eased in to land. The bright orange Eurocopter cut through the low cloud and mist, its rotor wash rippling across the wet pavement as it settled onto the live ramp.

#04 – special guests & national anthem

The formal program opened with the arrival of special guests, who gathered at the foot of the aircraft for a brief ribbon‑cutting ceremony. Moments later the national anthem carried across the ramp, bringing the activity to a pause as crews, officials, and attendees stood at attention, marking the official start of the day’s proceedings.

#05 – procession of the dcouments

An honor guard from the U.S. Coast Guard, drawn from personnel based at Coast Guard Station Washington, stepped forward to begin the ceremonial transfer. Moving in measured cadence, they carried the protective boxes containing the archival materials across the ramp and up the airstairs of the Boeing BBJ. The sight of the Coast Guard detail escorting the nation’s founding documents added a solemn, almost reverential pause to the otherwise busy airfield, underscoring the significance of the mission the aircraft was about to undertake.

#06 – speEches, musical postlude & interview

The program shifted into its speaking segment as officials and invited guests gathered near the nose of the aircraft. A brief musical postlude followed, giving the ramp a momentary stillness before the next transition. Among those addressing the media and attendees was Jeff Shockey, who spoke against the backdrop of the Boeing BBJ, outlining the significance of the tour and the role the aircraft would play in carrying the archival materials across the country.

Fly High Aviation Media also took a moment for a quick chat with Boeing’s Executive Operations Chief Pilot. It wasn’t a formal sit‑down—just a few brief questions on the ramp—but it offered a nice glimpse into the aircraft’s role in the tour.

Interviewed by: Jacob Patrick of FHAM

Interviewee Name: Joe Seymour

Title: Boeing Executive Operations Chief Pilot

Question: How long have you been a pilot with Boeing?

Answer: “Coming up on 15 years later this year.”

Question: What are you looking forward to most with this Freedom Plane tour?

Answer: “Just a tremendous amount of pride, comes with being entrusted with the Founding Documents of our great nation. You know they’ve never traveled together in this format before, so to be entrusted with those, it’s just humbling.”

Question: Any particular stop you are looking forward to?

“I think all the stops are going to be really great, they all have their own unique museum that’s going to have the documents on display, and I think it’s just exciting to think about the millions of Americans that will now have access to these documents that they’ll otherwise have not seen.”

#07 – departure & send off

The Freedom Plane’s departure also marked the first public look at its glimmering Boeing 737‑BBJ, wearing what is sure to become an iconic America‑250 celebration livery. From Washington, the aircraft will carry the founding‑era documents to eight cities and museums across the country:

• Kansas City, MO — National WWI Museum and Memorial
• Atlanta, GA — Atlanta History Center
• Los Angeles, CA — USC Fisher Museum of Art
• Houston, TX — Houston Museum of Natural Science
• Denver, CO — History Colorado Center
• Miami, FL — HistoryMiami Museum
• Dearborn, MI — Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
• Seattle, WA — Museum of History and Industry

At each stop, the materials will be installed in a National Archives‑curated exhibition, giving visitors a rare chance to see original documents that are normally kept in controlled vaults in Washington.

The first display opens Friday, March 6 in Kansas City, and the full tour schedule is now available through the National Archives at archives.gov.

As Editor of Fly High Aviation Media, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the Deidre Kuti, Washington Reagan National Airport, Boeing and the National Archives, who made this moment possible. Thank You.

Until next time,
Harry Morrow, FHAM
Editor, Fly High Aviation Media

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