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's South Lawn is undergoing a renovation to construct a new helipad.
This project aims to accommodate the new VH-92A Patriot helicopters, which serve as Marine One but previously couldn't land on the lawn due to their exhaust charring the grass.
Initiated by President Donald Trump, the helipad construction was reportedly funded by a $5 million donation from Lockheed Martin, parent company of Sikorsky.

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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.