Budget Cuts Eliminated Aviation Unit

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources lost its aviation unit to budget cuts this year, so the state-owned Bell 206 BII Jet Ranger has gone on the online auction block.

Bell 206 File Photo

HometownAnnapolis.com, an online edition of The Capital newspaper in Annapolis, reports that the helicopter is being offered with about $65,000 in spare parts, and other aviation items are up for auction as well. "Natural One" comes equipped with radar altimeter, tactical radio, and a high powered searchlight, according to the auction site.

Maryland officials told the paper that they've used online auctions to sell everything from lawn mowers to a Zamboni machine. The helicopter auction has proven popular, drawing 608 hits on a pre-auction web site.

The DNR aviation unit worked with law enforcement agencies to catch fish poachers, and illegal hunters, as well as perform SAR missions in rural counties. It had three helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft. Only one of the two other helicopters was operational when the budget was cut. They were part of a federal program for surplus military aircraft, and were returned to the federal government. The airplane will be sold online through the state Department of General Services. The pilots in the aviation unit have been reassigned to other positions within the DNR.

The minimum bid for the Jet Ranger is $125,000. But the DNR's Gene Deems, who oversees the auctions, said the agency will consider any "reasonable" offers.

FMI: www.dnr.state.md.us/auction