Sikorsky Helicopter That Flew Presidents Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford Gets Full Restoration

As the Nixon Library prepares to make a big announcement, a famous aircraft used by multiple presidents is getting a makeover.

On Monday, June 29, the library located in Yorba Linda, Calif., is scheduled to formally announce and reveal plans to build a new educational center on its campus. That news coincides with a grand sendoff of the six-ton Sikorsky VH-3A “Sea King” presidential helicopter as it temporarily departs the campus for a complete restoration at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, Calif.

That completely-restored helicopter is slated to return in 2028 as a centerpiece of the new building. The Sikorsky model served from 1961 to 1976 as what the library described as a “flying Oval Office” for Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. It also transported multiple heads of state, vice presidents and other guests of note to cities throughout the United States and across the globe.

“This is by far one of the most historic helicopters to have ever taken to the skies. … Its full restoration will ensure that this important piece of history is properly preserved with its doors open to visitors, and it is fitting that this restored helicopter will serve as the centerpiece of a new, interactive learning center dedicated to teaching younger generations about our country’s systems of government,” Jim Byron, president and CEO of the Richard Nixon Foundation, told Military.com.

The American twin-engine anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, designed and built by Sikorsky Aircraft, was one of the first ASW rotorcraft to use turbo shaft engines.

When transporting presidents, the aircraft was designated under the call sign Marine One when operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, and Army One when operated by the U.S. Army.

While the VH-3A has been relegated to historical display, newer and updated models in more recent decades—such as the VH-3D and VH-92A platforms—have become common.

History and Restoration

President Richard Nixon flew aboard this specific Sikorsky helicopter on 181 missions, including to the Giza Pyramids in Egypt and into Vatican Square, where it was blessed by Pope Paul VI, according to the Nixon Library.

The helicopter was retired from presidential service in 1976 and then used for Secret Service training. Currently, the helicopter—which has been visited and viewed by countless guests the past two decades—is on long-term loan to the National Archives and Records Administration from the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Va.

The Nixon Presidential Library and March Field Air Museum first partnered 20 years ago to transport the presidential helicopter from a boneyard in Rhode Island to March Field Air Force Base. Later, it found itself at the adjacent March Field Air Museum for restoration facilities.

The “Sea King” helicopter was completely restored to museum-quality condition and delivered for display at the Nixon Library, where it has been on site and accessible to the public ever since, per the library. It’s a full-circle moment as now, 20 years later, the helicopter is returning to the same restoration hangar at March Field Air Museum.

The Nixon Library said the restoration is made possible through the generous support of Charles Keller, as part of a gift to the Richard Nixon Foundation’s American Civics Campaign to honor his great-grandfather—a general in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War I and a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Gordon Ponsford, of Ponsford Ltd., has about 50 years of field experience and will lead the helicopter restoration team. His career includes more than two decades as a conservator at Arlington National Cemetery and aircraft restoration projects at Hill Air Force Base, Robbins Air Force Base, and Fairchild Air Force Base.

The June 29 ceremony begins at 10 a.m. PT at the Presidential Helipad, where the helicopter has been on display outdoors since 2006. During the ceremony, the helicopter will “take flight” as it is lifted by crane for transport to March Field Air Museum, escorted by Orange County Sheriff’s Deputies.

The ceremony will include remarks from Brig. Gen. Matthew Tracy, commanding general of the Marine Corps Education Command and president of the Marine Corps University; Jim Byron; and Michael Ellzey, director of the March Field Air Museum.