Aircraft Helicopters

Retired Marine One Arrives at Secret Service Training Center

Authentic helicopter joins agency’s fleet, offering agents hands-on experience with a presidential icon.

Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 03:00 PM ET

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U.S. Secret Service training helicopter [Credit: U.S. Secret Service]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Secret Service has acquired an authentic, decommissioned Marine One helicopter (VH-3D 351) for its James J. Rowley Training Center in Maryland.
This acquisition significantly enhances protective training capabilities for agents, providing a realistic, hands-on environment to practice presidential security scenarios.
The new helicopter, which transported presidents for 50 years, replaces an aging, non-authentic predecessor, allowing for accurate interior and exterior training, including complex movements between aircraft.

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The U.S. Secret Service has recently acquired an authentic Marine One helicopter for its James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Laurel, Maryland, enhancing protective training capabilities for agents preparing to safeguard the president and vice president.

Authentic Presidential Aircraft Enhances Training

The newly acquired VH-3D 351 model, which arrived June 24 on a flatbed trailer, represents a substantial upgrade from the aging helicopter previously used at the facility.

Ryan is Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group, overseeing a portfolio that includes FLYING, AirlineGeeks, AVweb, Plane + Pilot, KITPLANES, and AircraftForSale.com. He founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has more than a decade of experience across aviation media, airport operations, airline workforce planning, and Part 135 regulatory compliance. His experience ranges from time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing aviation industry executives. Ryan holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and is an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.