White House Helipad is Trump’s Latest Construction Project

New infrastructure could mitigate the Sikorsky VH-92A helicopter’s penchant for charring the South Lawn.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, July 01, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

Sikorsky’s VH-92A, a variant of the manufacturer’s S-92, is one of several helicopters that bears the call sign Marine One when carrying the president. [Credit: Naval Air Systems Command/ Owen Hoffmann]

Key Takeaways:

The White House South Lawn is being renovated with a new helipad to prevent modern Marine One helicopters (VH-92A Patriot) from charring the grass with their exhaust.
The new VH-92A Patriot helicopters have been unable to land at the White House due to this issue, necessitating the new construction project.
President Donald Trump initiated the helipad project, which was reportedly funded by a $5 million donation from Sikorsky parent Lockheed Martin.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The White House’s picturesque South Lawn is reportedly getting a renovation that would stop helicopters from charring the grass.

The Washington Post on Tuesday reported that, overnight, crews descended on the South Lawn to begin building a new helipad near the traditional landing spot for Marine One, the call sign for whichever helicopter is carrying the president. One of these rotorcraft, Sikorsky’s VH-92A Patriot, has never lifted off from the White House due to its penchant for torching the lawn.