Sheriff aircraft to be based in Porterville
Two Cessnas nearly ready for service
The two new Cessna airplanes Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux hopes to soon have flying the skies of Tulare County will be stationed in Porterville, the sheriff said on Friday. Abandoning the small sport aircraft idea, the sheriff said they are about to launch a Cessna 182 and a larger, Cessna 206, giving his department once again eyes in the sky. “It’s time we have these planes back in the air,” he said.
It has been 17 months since the Department’s small plane crashed above Springville, killing the pilot and the observer on board. Even though the sheriff had already ordered a second sport aircraft, that plane has never been utilized and now Boudreaux is looking to utilize slightly larger planes with more capabilities and which can fly higher into the mountains.
The department has already taken delivery of a Cessna 182. That four-seater is being equipped with similar avionics which were on the sport aircraft. Boudreaux said the second plane should be delivered in the next few days and it will also be equipped with the same surveillance equipment. The big difference is the Cessna 206 is a sixseater and will also be used to transport or pick up prisoners out of the area or out of state.
The sport aircraft, made in Germany, had been delivered, but the sheriff said they could never get an oil leak on that aircraft fixed to be able to use it. Now, he has decided to go with the slightly more expensive, but larger, aircraft.
“It gives us a higher altitude platform,” said the sheriff of the Cessnas, especially the 206 which could be used for searches high up in the mountains. The sport aircraft was limited in that respect and officials with the Federal Aviation Administration cited the plane — Sheriff One — being slightly overweight and that being a contributing factor to its going down into a hillside above Lake Success in February of 2016.
Lt. Kevin Kemmerling, commander of the Porterville Substation, said Thursday he is looking forward to having the planes in service.
He and the sheriff said the Porterville Municipal Airport will be a good site to base the planes because it has fewer foggy days than the Visalia Airport or Sequoia Field. The sheriff said they have already leased a hanger.
“This is a nice hub for us,” said Boudreaux.
Kemmerling said both planes will be equipped with modern avionics and with “zoom cameras which can detect a license plate from three miles.”
Money for the Cessna 182 came from the insurance money from the crash. The second aircraft was approved by supervisors a few months ago. Both planes are built in Kansas.
Kemmerling also said all six drones — one at each substation — are now in service.
The lieutenant said the drones will be used like a canine. They will be deployed when needed and can be used when it is not safe for an officer or for overhead searches.
“We’re the first department in California to use drones like that,” he said. “We’re pretty much the tip of the spear on that.”