{"id":6828,"date":"2026-08-05T22:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T22:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6828"},"modified":"2026-08-05T22:30:07","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T22:30:07","slug":"white-house-confirms-new-helipad-for-supersized-marine-one-helicopter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6828","title":{"rendered":"White House confirms new helipad for supersized Marine One helicopter"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"cd476d27-b9a3-4973-82c7-7907bc26a37b\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"aerial view of construction on a helipad outside the White House\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a513f625b4c070ec26aac903de175c79b0cb1837\/0_0_6832_4557\/master\/6832.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.15881147540983\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Construction workers make modifications to a new helipad after US President Trump ordered changes to the site on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday.<\/span> Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"cd476d27-b9a3-4973-82c7-7907bc26a37b\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Construction workers make modifications to a new helipad after US President Trump ordered changes to the site on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday.<\/span> Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">White House confirms new helipad for supersized Marine One helicopter<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Changes come after report says Trump unhappy with helipad\u2019s appearance and lawn\u2019s slope<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The White House has confirmed that contractors are redoing a new helipad built on the South Lawn to accommodate a new supersized Marine One chopper recently added to the presidential transport fleet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A White House official said the changes to the circular concrete landing pad were ordered as \u201cwe continue to make improvements as part of the ongoing project to best match the needs of the White House\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Washington Post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2026\/08\/04\/trump-orders-changes-new-helipad-after-weeks-around-the-clock-work\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">reported<\/a> on Tuesday that Donald Trump was unhappy with the pad\u2019s appearance and the lawn\u2019s slope. The paper said construction crews had been working \u201caround the clock\u201d to finish the project, which the president hoped would be completed before the Chinese president Xi Jinping\u2019s visit to the US in late September.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">While helicopters do not strictly require a level surface, the outlet said that downward gradient of the White House lawn, which slopes as much as 20 degrees in some spots, might also have to be changed so the helipad, too, could sit level with the horizon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Last week, a 100ft-wide granite presidential seal that was beginning to take shape was then observed to have been dug up again, the outlet observed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The helipad is the latest in Trump\u2019s controversial improvement projects, including the construction of a White House ballroom on the side of East Wing and a new lining in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Others on the drawing board include a garden of heroes and a triumphal arch complete with a 60ft gilded bronze winged Lady Liberty statue, flanked by a pair of enormous gilded eagles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The new helipad is expected to feature a carved granite presidential seal and cost $5m to $6m, funded entirely by helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. The new Marine One, a militarized variant of the Sikorsky S-92, or VH-92A Patriot, manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft, has exhaust vents that direct heat downward. It is considerably larger and more powerful than the previous Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Security upgrades on the already larger new helicopter meant more weight, requiring the twin jet engines to work harder to take off and land while the vents directing heat downwardmake singeing the lawn more likely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The new VH-92A helicopter has been developed as the new Marine One for more than a decade. In 2024, Joe Biden rode it from Chicago\u2019s O\u2019Hare international airport to Soldier Field. Around the same time, the Marine Corps took delivery of the last of the 21-helicopter fleet \u2013 plus two test versions \u2013 \u201cin support of the executive lift mission\u201d at a cost $4.95bn, or about $215m each.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Currently, Trump is using the Ellipse \u2013 a park south of the White House \u2013 as a landing pad for Marine One.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cFor years, the White House has desperately needed a proper Helipad on White House grounds that will allow the president to land safely and also protect the beautiful South Lawn grass from the fierce exhaust fumes of the incredible Marine One,\u201d the White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He added that \u201cthanks to President Trump, the White House has never looked better, and it will only continue to get better under his leadership\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=White%20House%20confirms%20new%20helipad%20for%20supersized%20Marine%20One%20helicopter&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/05\/white-house-helipad-marine-one-chopper?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Faug%2F05%2Fwhite-house-helipad-marine-one-chopper&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/aug\/05\/white-house-helipad-marine-one-chopper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction workers make modifications to a new helipad after US President Trump ordered changes to the site on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6831,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6828\/revisions\/6831"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}