By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – It will cost millions more than lawmakers budgeted to replace the state plane used to transport the governor and other dignitaries, Oklahoma’s chief operating office said Wednesday.
Lawmakers appropriated $3 million to replace the aging plane, but the purchase is actually expected to cost between $5 million and $5.5 million, said David Ostrowe, Oklahoma’s chief operating officer.
The state plans to use proceeds from the sale of the current state plane and possibly take funds from some other agencies to fill the gap, Ostrowe said.
“It’s slow,” Ostrowe said of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation plane. “It’s an old aircraft. It a1992 aircraft with almost 8,000 hours on it. It’s not conducive to speed, range or safety.”
But Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, said two other state planes will also be sold to make up the difference.
“It was always the intention that those three assets would be sold and then that would cover the gap,” Hall said.
He said he’s not aware of “any talk about passing the hat amongst state agencies.”
Ostrowe, a pilot, said the goal is to purchase the new aircraft this year. Ideally it needs to be able to transport the governor and staff to and from Washington, D.C.
The Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turbo prop, which seats 8 to 10 people, fits the needs of the state, he said. But there is a limited supply of them available, Ostrowe said.
“It’s very fast and super fuel efficient,” he said “It’s a great airplane.”
He said the current aircraft uses a single pilot, while the aircraft being sought could have two pilots on board.
For moving a head of state around, an aircraft with two pilots is preferred, Ostrowe said.
“You have a lot of important cargo in the back, and so my recommendation is as standard operating procedure of the new aircraft be flown with two pilots,” Ostrowe said.
Shortly after beginning his first term, Gov. Kevin Stitt, also a pilot, announced he was selling the state plane that had been used by other governors.
He said he would rely on private flight donations or fly commercially.
That plane fetched $1.27 million in 2019 as part of a broader push to consolidate the state’s aviation fleet and save money.
