Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) was established 1 December 1947 at Marine Base Quantico, Virginia, as an experimental unit tasked with testing and evaluating military helicopters when rotary wing flight was still in its infancy. HMX-1 is responsible for the transportation of the president and vice president of the United States, heads of state, Department of Defense officials, and other VIPs as directed by the Marine Corps and White House Military Office. A Marine helicopter with the president aboard uses the call sign "Marine One". Previously, HMX-1 was also tasked with operational test and evaluation (OT&E). Nicknamed "Nighthawks", HMX-1 is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Virginia, and maintains detachments at Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling in Washington, D.C. and Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility in Maryland.
In 1957, rotary wing movement of the President, Vice President, and other important personnel originated, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower – away on vacation – was urgently needed back at the White House. What would have been a two hour motorcade trip was reduced to a seven minute helicopter ride. On that day, HMX-1 earned its most prestigious of missions – direct support of the President.
The first official presidential helicopter was the VH-34 Choctaw, beginning operations in September 1957, and replaced by the VH-3A Sea King beginning in 1962. In the late 1970s, the VH-3As were retired and replaced by the upgraded VH-3D. The current fleet is made up of the VH-3D, MV-22B "Osprey" and the VH-60N "WhiteHawk", which entered service with the squadron in 1988.The V designates the aircraft as configured for use by VIPs. The Executive Flight Detachment is the only Marine Corps unit to operate these Sikorsky aircraft. The VH-3D is capable of transporting 14 passengers while the VH-60N seats 11. Both helicopters require a pilot, copilot, and crew chief, and the VH-60N's crew also includes a communications systems operator.
Because the VH-60N folds easily for loading into an Air Force C-5 Galaxy or a C-17 Globemaster it is ideal for overseas assignments. The Marines can prepare a VH-60N for a C-5 load in less than two hours. HMX-1 also operates a small number of CH-46 Sea Knights for utility purposes, and recently retired its fleet of CH-53E Super Stallions. These are replaced with MV-22B Ospreys and CH-53Ks by 2017. These support aircraft also share the HMX-1 dark green livery, but lack the white paint at the top of the aircraft (thus the nickname "white tops") that the VIP transport helicopters have.
The Sikorsky VH-92A
New aircraft will replace the VH-3D which entered service in 1978. The Sikorsky VH-92A staged the test landing as part of preparations for the new aircraft to enter service in 2021, replacing the Sikorsky VH-3Ds, which have been in service since 1978, completely by 2023. The VH-92A will accommodate up to 19 passengers when it enters service, and needs only two crew, compared to the four needed for the VH-3D, which has flown presidents since 1978. The new aircraft will make history when all 21 are delivered as the first presidential transport not derived from a model in service elsewhere with the military. The current backbone of HMX-1, the VH-3Ds, are derivatives of the Sikorsky Sea King which saw service in the Navy and Marines from the 1960s into the last decade.
Current Squadron Fleet :
★White Top- VH-3D "Sea King"
★VH-60N "White Hawk”
★Green Top - MV-22B "Osprey".
Source : USMC, Wikipedia
Images : USMC, Wikipedia, White House