Trump Tours Aug. 24 White House Helipad Site With Families

Q: What specific new presidential aircraft necessitate this massive, eagle-adorned landing pad in the heart of Washington?

The landing pad is being built for the new Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot helicopters, the next-generation aircraft used for the Marine One mission. Reporting from the White House and the Associated Press says the administration argues the VH-92A’s stronger downwash and downward-directed exhaust can scorch and tear up the South Lawn grass, making a permanent hard-surface helipad necessary. Trump has said the older presidential helicopters long used at the White House can be retired once the new aircraft can routinely land there. The VH-92A is the replacement for the aging presidential fleet, particularly the VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk. Sikorsky completed delivery of 23 VH-92A aircraft in 2024, and the type has already begun entering presidential service. The issue is not a new fixed-wing aircraft such as Air Force One; it is specifically the newer Marine One helicopter fleet. The eagle-adorned granite pad is therefore meant to accommodate the VH-92A Patriots safely on the White House grounds without repeated lawn damage.

3 articles · Updated · Honolulu Star-Advertiser · Aug 24

Families attending a back-to-school-themed White House event joined President Donald Trump on Aug. 24 for a walk-through of the helipad under construction on the South Lawn.
Linda McMahon and Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen accompanied Trump during the tour, which turned the construction site into a public-facing stop for visiting families.
Reuters images showed the unfinished helipad, Secret Service agents nearby and the Washington Monument in the background, underscoring that work is actively underway at the White House.