FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2026

NIXON LIBRARY TO ANNOUNCE NEW EDUCATION BUILDING, BID TEMPORARY FAREWELL TO PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER FOR RESTORATION 

The restored helicopter will be permanently showcased inside the Nixon Library’s forthcoming Center to advance American Civics Education

YORBA LINDA, CA —On June 29 at 10:00 AM PDT, the Nixon Library will announce and reveal its plans to build a new educational center on its Yorba Linda campus and kick off those plans with a grand sendoff for the Presidential Helicopter as it temporarily departs the campus for a complete restoration at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. 

The completely-restored helicopter will return in 2028 as a centerpiece of this new building. The six-ton Sikorsky VH-3A “Sea King” served from 1961 to 1976 as a flying Oval Office for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

The new building will serve as the home of the Nixon Library’s Center for American Civics Education, an educational initiative of the Richard Nixon Foundation with interactive programs aimed at encouraging a broader understanding of our country’s systems of government. 

The ceremony begins at 10:00 AM PDT 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: 

  • Brigadier General Matthew Tracy, Commanding General of the Marine Corps Education Command and President of the Marine Corps University 
  • Jim Byron, President and CEO of the Richard Nixon Foundation
  • Michael Ellzey, Director of the March Field Air Museum



The ceremony is free and open to the public.

The helicopter’s restoration is made possible through the generous support of Charles Keller, with 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. will lead the helicopter restoration team. With roughly 50 years in the field, Ponsford’s 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. 

President Nixon flew aboard this helicopter on 181 missions, including to the Giza Pyramids in Egypt and into Vatican Square, where it was blessed by Pope Paul VI.  This helicopter flew under the call sign Marine One when operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, and Army One when operated by the U.S. Army. The helicopter was retired from presidential service in 1976 and subsequently used for Secret Service training. The helicopter has been a highlight of every Nixon Library visitor’s experience for two decades. It is on long-term loan to the National Archives and Records Administration from the National Museum of the Marine Corps at Quantico, Virginia.

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, and on to the restoration facilities at the adjacent March Field Air Museum.  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.  Twenty years later, the presidential helicopter is now returning to the same restoration hangar at March Field Air Museum for a complete restoration.

About The Richard Nixon Foundation 

The Richard Nixon Foundation is a privately supported, nonprofit, nonpartisan institution that advances President Nixon’s legacy of visionary leadership, international grand strategy, public service, and a more just society for all Americans. The Foundation is based at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, and works throughout the country and online by actively encouraging and supporting scholarship, sponsoring programs that engage the public with American civics, creating and promoting educational exhibits rooted in American history, and fostering discussion and debate about America’s 37th president. For additional information, visit www.nixonfoundation.org. 

 

About the March Field Air Museum 

March Field Air Museum – where every day is an air show – is located on the edge of the active flight line at March Air Reserve Base, one of the oldest active military airfields in the United States.  The Museum provides a comprehensive look at advancements in military and civil aviation and displays a curated collection of over 120 aircraft and thousands of non-aircraft artifacts spanning more than 120 years of aviation history.  At March Field Air Museum, you will see the world’s fastest manned air-breathing aircraft (the SR-71 Blackbird); the cutting-edge Predator drone; and a broad collection of America’s most iconic military planes, including World War II bombers, Cold War and Vietnam-era aircraft, modern fighter jets, and exhibits on space travel.  There’s something for everyone at March Field Air Museum, where visitors will experience both the full evolution of flight and an unparalleled view of the most modern aircraft in the United States Air Force.  March Field Air Museum, located on Highway 215 at Van Buren Boulevard, is a must-visit destination for aviation enthusiasts and families alike.  The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.marchfield.org or call (951) 902-5949. 

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