Why were Eisenhower's Constellations called Columbine?

The columbine is the official state flower of Colorado, and that was the origin of the name Dwight D. Eisenhower gave to his Lockheed Constellations. Before reaching the White House, while still a general in the US Army, he had already flown in a Constellation named Columbine. On becoming president he kept up the custom, so the name went on to identify the head of state's aircraft for much of the 1950s.

The Columbine II was a VC-121A, a VIP transport version derived from the civilian Model 749, with Air Force serial number 48-0610. In 1959 it was replaced by the Columbine III, a VC-121E with serial 53-7885, which is now preserved at the US National Museum of the Air Force. The move from one model to the other reflects the evolution of the Constellation itself, which grew into increasingly longer and more capable versions.

The Columbine II also has a place in the history of aeronautical communications. In 1953 there was a call-sign clash between the commercial Eastern Air Lines Flight 8610 and the Air Force aircraft carrying Eisenhower, which was flying as "Air Force 8610." Following that mix-up, an exclusive call sign was adopted for the aircraft carrying the president, and the Columbine II was the first to use "Air Force One."

The aircraft's story did not end with its retirement. In March 2016 it flew from Marana Regional Airport in Arizona to Bridgewater, Virginia, to be restored by the company Dynamic Aviation. Its founder, Karl Stoltzfus Sr., had bought it for less than $1.5 million; after his death in November 2020, the company continued the work with a smaller crew.