Post #2914223

@rickf — it's not his idea, as can be told by the fact it's not ludicrous. The existing White House Marine One helicopter fleet (not Marine One as a whole, just the Marine One helos approved for White House landings) is composed of models that first flew in the 1950s (!!)[*]. They're getting long in the tooth and spare parts are becoming hard to come by. The non-WH-qualified Marine One aircraft include VH-92s and MV-22s.[**] Marine One *really really really* wants to ditch the VX-3D and VH-60N, in order to simplify their logistics and run everything on the VH-92/MV-22 pair... but they can't. Those craft are significantly more powerful, which means their engine exhaust will set fire to the White House lawn. So, no WH landings or takeoffs for them. I first moved to DC in 2008 and even back then people were talking about a WH helipad. Prior presidents always considered it a troublesome project: they have to take on the historical commissions and weather bad PR, just so the Marines cam simplify their logistics and use more reliable aircraft? Nonsense: let the next administration take that one on. Well, now we've got a president who could not be paid to give a fuck about historical commissions, and he *loves* flying around in VIP helicopters. So, yeah. A helipad is likely. And you know it's not his idea because it's actually a good one. [*] The VX-3D is a later model of the original VX-3A, first flight in 1959; the VH-60N is a UH-60 in the VIP role, first flight in 1979. [**] First flights in 2017 and 1989 respectively.