Even as officials of the North Carolina Department of Transportation celebrated the centennial of manned flight at ceremonies on the Outer Banks on December 17, a state audit issued three weeks earlier was recommending some extensive cost-cutting measures with regard to the state’s aircraft operations.
Various North Carolina agencies operate 68 aircraft owned by the state. Six more medical emergency aircraft are maintained and supported by the state for the University of North Carolina’s Area Health Education Centers. The airplanes range from a Cessna Citation Bravo operated by the executive aircraft division to a fleet of 11 Bell JetRangers assigned to the Highway Patrol. The largest fleet operated by the state by far belongs to the state’s division of forest resources, which has 37 aircraft–a mix of smaller airplanes and helicopters. The total value of the aircraft owned and supported by the state is approximately $26.98 million, and annual operating costs are estimated at $8.191 million.
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