Marine One

Marine One is the call sign of any Marine Corps helicopter with the President aboard. Dwight Eisenhower became the first President to fly regularly by helicopter in 1957, and the Army and Marine Corps shared the job until 1976, when the Marines took it over. The helicopters are flown by Marine Helicopter Squadron One, known as HMX-1, based at Quantico, Virginia, whose pilots are among the most experienced in the Marine Corps.

The helicopter carries the President on short trips, most often between the White House South Lawn and Joint Base Andrews, where Air Force One waits, and it is flown overseas on cargo planes for foreign trips. Marine One usually flies with several identical helicopters, which change positions in flight so that observers cannot tell which carries the President. The aircraft have secure communications and defensive systems, and a Marine in dress uniform salutes the President at the steps.

The fleet of VH-3D and VH-60N helicopters, some dating to the 1970s, is being replaced by 23 VH-92A Patriot helicopters built by Sikorsky. A previous replacement program was canceled in 2009 after its costs nearly doubled, and the VH-92A was delayed by problems including heat from its engines scorching the South Lawn during tests in 2018. The Marine Corps says the new helicopters are entering presidential service, while auditors have questioned their reliability and cost.