A retired Marine One helicopter that once ferried U.S. presidents is getting a second life — not in the skies, but as a key training tool for the U.S. Secret Service.
This week, the Secret Service shared footage of the historic helicopter, officially known as Bureau Number 159358 (BUNO 358), arriving at the agency’s Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Maryland. Delivered atop a flatbed trailer, the aircraft will now be used to train agents assigned to protect the president and vice president.
The aircraft is a Sikorsky VH-3D, which was officially decommissioned in 2023 after nearly five decades of service. Its first presidential mission dates back to 1976 during the Gerald Ford administration. Over the years, it carried every sitting president and vice president, becoming a central piece of American executive transport history.
“For over the past 50 years, this aircraft has flown every president and vice president around the world,” said Troy Sarria, Deputy Special Agent in Charge at the Secret Service. “It’s a genuine piece of presidential and Secret Service history.”
While no longer flight-ready, the VH-3D retains the same internal configuration as the newer VH-92 model that currently serves as the official presidential helicopter. This makes it a highly realistic training environment for agents preparing to serve on presidential or vice-presidential protective details.
“This allows our basic special agent classes to receive more advanced and hands-on protective training,” Sarria explained. “To get a newly decommissioned Marine One helicopter — it goes beyond any of our imagination.”
The transfer of the helicopter was made possible by the Presidential Helicopters Program Office, which donated the aircraft to the Secret Service.
Until now, the agency had relied on a far older model — a 1963-era U.S. Navy helicopter — for training purposes. That aircraft had deteriorated significantly. “The old helicopter’s doors were corroded and often stuck,” the agency noted in its release. “Without frequent use, the interior and several body panels had become home to a number of stinging insects and animals from the nearby woods.”
That older aircraft has since been shipped to Arizona for dismantling and recycling.
In addition to the new helicopter, the Secret Service also uses a specialized training mock-up of Air Force One, dubbed “Air Force One Half,” which includes the front section of the presidential plane. It’s used for training agents in airport procedures and boarding operations.
The addition of the retired Marine One is expected to enhance the realism and quality of training for new agents, particularly those preparing for assignments on the president’s detail — one of the most demanding roles in federal law enforcement.