United States President Donald Trump has launched construction of a circular granite helipad on the South Lawn of the White House.
The construction project, estimated to cost between 5 million and 6 million dollars, is designed to resolve severe lawn damage caused by the new presidential helicopter. Trump presented the ongoing construction work to journalists on August 19 while wearing a hard hat at the site.
Official inauguration of the landing platform is scheduled in less than a month. Trump wants the facility fully operational ahead of a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24.
Helipad specifications and features
The new landing pad is being constructed from California granite and will feature the presidential seal engraved at its centre. It measures 30 metres in diameter and 10 centimetres in thickness.
Trump said the platform was a first-class helipad capable of accommodating any helicopter in the world, regardless of its size, power, or durability.
The entire project is being funded by Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of aerospace defense contractor Lockheed Martin. Sikorsky has supplied presidential aircraft to the United States government since 1970.
MMA event and lawn damage
The decision to build a permanent structure followed a major mixed martial arts event held on the executive mansion grounds. On June 14, the White House hosted UFC Freedom 250, an event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that involved building a massive cage and seating grandstands on the South Lawn.
The fighting event left the presidential grass in a severely degraded condition. Although event organizers offered 700,000 dollars to repair the lawn, Trump chose to decline the money and proceed with building a permanent helipad instead.
The helipad project follows another major construction initiative at the executive mansion. Trump previously ordered the construction of a 400 million dollar ballroom, though that project was recently halted by court decisions.
Exhaust heat from new Marine One
The condition of the lawn had already been worsening due to operational changes with Marine One, the call sign designated for any United States Marine Corps aircraft transporting the president. Pilots previously landed on temporary aluminum plates laid over the grass because the South Lawn lacked a dedicated landing pad.
In 2024, the federal government retired the aging Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N White Hawk helicopters that had served the presidential fleet for decades. They were replaced by the newer Sikorsky VH-92A Patriot model.
The new VH-92A Patriot weighs 7 metric tons when empty and inflicts heavy thermal damage on the grass during landings. Unlike the older Sea King and White Hawk models, which featured horizontal exhaust nozzles pointing toward the rear, the VH-92A Patriot directs its engine exhaust nozzles downward. The powerful downdraft from the main rotor forces exhaust heat reaching several hundred degrees directly onto the ground, scorching the lawn.
Work on the new granite surface is progressing rapidly to ensure the South Lawn is prepared for the arrival of President Xi Jinping next month.
