White House Tapes . Presidential Recordings Program

These tapes were recorded on November 22, 1963, and consist of calls to and from SAM 26000 (Air Force One) and to and from SAM 86972 (a VIP plane carrying Kennedy Cabinet members to Tokyo). The calls were routed and recorded by the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Transcripts

Transcripts of the complete Air Force One series have been published in The Presidential Recordings: Lyndon B. Johnson, volumes 1-3: The Kennedy Assassination and the Transfer of Power (New York: W.W. Norton, 2005).

Download Sound Files

Users should consult the Johnson Library's finding aid or The Presidential Recordings: Lyndon B. Johnson, volumes 1-3: The Kennedy Assassination and the Transfer of Power (New York: W.W. Norton, 2005). An online version of the accompanying multimedia DVD, which includes the Air Force One tapes, is available here.

Which Audio Format?

The sound files can be downloaded in two formats: FLAC and MP3. Each has benefits for different uses.

MP3: good sound reproduction, smaller files, universally compatible. Very good for telephone or Dictabelt recordings and for general listening. If in doubt, try the MP3 versions first.

FLAC: excellent sound reproduction, larger files, growing compatibility. Recommended for meeting recordings and transcribing where the highest sound quality is required. In terms of sound quality, FLAC files are identical to WAV or AIFF files.

More detailed information is available here.