Published Jun 27, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
A June 29 ceremony for a new education center coincides with a project to spruce up a classic aircraft.
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Published Jun 27, 2026, 5:00 AM EDT
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.
