Plane Bought Through DOJ Study On Effectiveness Of Light Planes

North Carolina sheriff's deputies have a new set of eyes in the sky: a Sky Arrow 600 light-sport aircraft.

The Greenboro News-Record reports the long-awaited plane landed at Piedmont Triad International Airport late last week. The aircraft -- purchased through a Department of Justice trial program -- was unveiled Monday, and will soon enter a cooperative program among sheriff's departments in four area counties.

Officials in Guilford, Alamance, Davidson and Randolph counties will use the plane for a variety of roles... including surveillance for possible drug fields, searching for missing people, and routine patrol duties.

"A lot of departments like ours can't justify buying a plane and putting a full-time pilot out there," Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes said. "(The partnership) will allow us to do the things we need to do without the expense that goes with it."

The Sky Arrow's reported $85,000 pricetag was paid for through a study by National Institute of Justice, measuring the effectiveness of LSAs in law enforecement roles. All maintenance and fuel costs will be paid through funds recovered in drug busts.

In particular, the study aims to show light sport aircraft can perform traditional aerial law enforcement roles more efficiently than existing fixed-wing planes, which local sheriff's departments had to share with the state.

"We had to do it on their time. If it rained that particular day or for whatever reason, they weren't able to go up, we weren't able to fly," Barnes said. "This is going to enable us to fly when we need to fly and for whatever mission we have."

The low-and-slow Sky Arrow is well-suited for a number of those duties, said Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson. The faster response time will be welcomed by local officials.

"By using this particular airplane, you can also cut down for manpower used for surveillance, and the chances of getting burned by the suspect is a whole lot less," Johnson added.

Each sortie will be flown by one of three pilots checked out in the plane, all from the Guilford County Sheriff's Office. The rear seat of the two-place aircraft will be occupied by an official with whatever agency has commissioned the plane for that mission.

FMI: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij, www.guilfordcountysheriff.com