President Reagan cried on a plane farewell to the White House, while President George H.W.

On the last flight to say goodbye to the White House, the former US presidents always have with their families and companions, often the chief of staff, press secretary or communications director, the team at hand.

Traditionally, the president of the United States preparing to leave office will welcome a successor at the White House.

"It was the last day of our administration and the last of the Iran hostage crisis," recalls Gerald Rafshoon, communications director for 39th US President Jimmy Carter.

"Finally, at 12:20 pm, someone came up to say 'You should leave because Mr. Reagan's team is entering the White House'," Rafshoon said.

Failure to handle the 66 US hostage kidnapping in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on November 4, 1979, was an important reason for Carter's defeat to Reagan in 1980. The hostages were released.

According to Rafshoon, Carter once said that the trip to Capitol Hill with Reagan was odd because while he was anxiously thinking about the hostage crisis, Reagan told a joke.

After the inauguration, the retired president was transported by helicopter to Andrews Military Base to catch a flight back home.

"Some of us got on the helicopter to Andrews first. Mr. Carter is not there yet. I remember we got on Air Force One and Hamilton called back to the Situation Room. The operator said, 'I cannot provide information.'

"It's okay, we're talking on a private Air Force One," said Hamilton Jordan.

The other end answered briefly, "Carter is no longer the president and you cannot access this information."

According to Jody Powell, Carter's press secretary, the former US president was the last to step onto the jet.

"We sat on the plane and celebrated that the American hostages were released. But the mood of sadness still prevailed. As he stepped into the cabin, Mr. Carter knew what should have been the sign of victory to us."

In the memory that President Reagan Ken Duberstein's chief of staff still kept, the day Mr. Reagan left the White House, the weather was sunny, the sky was clear and clear.

"As is tradition, on the way to Andrews Air Force Base, retired presidents will take a loop around Washington to say goodbye to the city. We leave the east shelf of Capitol Hill. When the helicopter flew over the White House, President Reagan."

"Everyone has mixed feelings of happiness and sadness," Duberstein said.

"Someone brought out cake and champagne. They all had a toast, didn't know what to say. Someone shouted 'Mr President, mission done,'" recalled Fred Ryan, assistant to President Reagan.

According to Jake Siewert, press secretary for President Bill Clinton, the day Mr. Clinton left the White House, the weather was extremely bad, the rain fell.

"So it was more interesting at the departure time," Siewert said.

"A crowd stood at Andrews airport to say goodbye to us. White House staff, Cabinet staff, a few friends. Everything happened inside the hangar because it was raining outside," Mr. Clinton gave a short statement.

On the last flight of the outgoing president, reporters were also present to report.

"Everything that is not tightly closed is taken away as souvenirs. Notebooks, matchboxes, cigars, blankets, pillows, silverware, napkins, mugs with the presidential imprint," DeFrank said.

According to Margaret Tutwiller, a former State Department spokesman, who was on the farewell flight of George H.W.

"Air Force One had a large conference room and I remember we went there to sing together," Tutwiller said.

In 2017, after the transfer of power to his successor Donald Trump at Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama and his wife boarded a Marine One helicopter and flew to Andrews military base.

Before the helicopter left Washington, it flew around the White House, perhaps President Obama wants to look back at where he worked for the last eight years.

Inside a hangar at Andrews Base, Obama read farewell speeches to his staff, accompanied by words of encouragement.

"This is just a small stop. This is not the end but just the comma in the story of constantly building America," he said.

Obama shook hands with the staff before walking slowly up the steps leading to Air Force One and then turned and waved.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden, then former vice president of the United States, and his wife, Jill, were preparing to board a train to his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.