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U.S. President Donald Trump inaugurated a new aircraft facility at his official residence, the White House, yesterday.
For years, the iconic VH-3D Sea King presidential helicopters—which use the call sign "Marine One" when transporting the president—have used the White House South Lawn for takeoff and landing maneuvers while transporting recent U.S. presidents from their official residence to Joint Base Andrews, the base of operations for the two VC-25 presidential aircraft known by the call sign "Air Force One" that they use when one of them transports the president.
In May 2014, the Obama administration commissioned a new presidential helicopter, the Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot—an executive transport variant of the civilian Sikorsky S-92 model, which was developed from the Sikorsky S-70 (the civilian designation for the famous UH-60 Black Hawk). The VH-92A made its maiden flight on July 28, 2017, a few months after Donald Trump assumed the U.S. presidency for his first term.
The VH-92H program cost $5 billion for a total of 23 helicopters: 2 test units and 21 production units. The VH-92A has the same passenger capacity as the VH-3D: 14 seats. It has a four-person crew: pilot, co-pilot, communications operator, and crew chief. The VH-92A features more modern avionics than its predecessor, has a slightly longer range (998 km compared to the VH-3D's 965 km), and is faster (306 km/h compared to the VH-3D's 270 km/h). The VH-92A is the largest presidential helicopter used by the U.S. and the first to feature a rear ramp. The last of the production VH-92As was delivered on August 19, 2024.
Although the fleet of the new model was completed two years ago, the White House has continued to operate the VH-3D from the South Lawn because, during its first flight to the White House, the VH-92A scorched the lawn in the landing zone—not only due to engine exhaust heat redirected toward the ground by the main rotor but also because of fluid discharges. That occurred on September 22, 2018. According to an official report, issues with mission communication system instability and cabin interior malfunctions were also detected; these factors, combined with frequent maintenance inspections and problems with the rear airstair door components, resulted in low aircraft availability.
Construction of a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House began in July, at a cost of between $5 million and $6 million, funded by the manufacturer of the VH-92A. Donald Trump explained it this way: "SSikorsky is paying for it. You know why? Because they didn't tell us how powerful these helicopter were and they felt a little bit guilty."
On Monday, September 21, the White House announced the inauguration of the helipad, marked by the first takeoff of a VH-92A carrying Donald Trump to Joint Base Andrews. The first VH-92A to take off from the White House helipad is aircraft 169188, with construction number 92-0336.
The helipad has been constructed using special white granite quarried in California. During the unveiling, Trump asserted that the granite has a lifespan of one million years: "It will never break. It will never leak." Trump also stated that the stone can withstand approximately 35,000 pounds per square inch of pressure, compared to the 5,000 pounds per square inch that heavy-duty concrete can withstand.
The U.S. President noted that work on the helipad was delayed by a week due to the slope at which it was initially being built. The helipad is accessible from the Diplomatic Reception Room on the ground floor of the White House, and a path—also made of white granite—has been constructed to connect the two.
You can watch a video here of the first flight of a VH-92A from the White House helipad, broadcast by Magno News:
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Main photo: U.S. Marine Corps / Sgt. Hunter Helis. A VH-92A Patriot during tests conducted at the White House on September 22, 2018.
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