Latest news with #Gulfstreams
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House Democrats demand answers from Noem on plans for $50M jet
Democrats are demanding answers about a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to purchase a new $50 million jet for Secretary Kristi Noem. The jet, slotted in as a line item to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) budget, comes as the department argues its current plane is beyond its operational usage hours. 'Reports indicate this jet would cost $50 million and replace one of the two Gulfstream jets already at your disposal. Funding the acquisition of this new jet would come at the cost of other USCG investments, including sorely needed modernization of the USCG's aging aircraft fleet used by service members for search and rescue and other critical missions,' Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote in a letter to Noem alongside Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.). Both Democrats sit on the House Homeland Security panel. Thompson is the panel's ranking member. 'Simply put, your purchase of a new jet would directly diminish the availability of other USCG aircraft to carry out critical missions,' the two wrote. The letter from the two lawmakers describes an aging fleet of Coast Guard aircraft, noting that many entered service in the 1980s and 1990s, in contrast with the current Gulfstream used for Noem's travel, which was purchased in 2002. They also point to a Government Accountability Office report finding that the Coast Guard has had trouble securing parts for its helicopters as the manufacturer no longer produces them. The letter asks DHS to detail flights taken by Noem on two existing jets used for travel as well as a breakdown of all Coast Guard aircraft that 'have a service life expiration date' prior to the two Gulfstreams. The DHS did not immediately respond to request for comment Friday but has previously defended the need for the jets. 'The current CG-101 G550 is over twenty years old, outside of Gulfstream's service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,' Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement when news of the budget request was first reported. 'This is a matter of safety. Much like the Coast Guard's ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard's aircraft are too,' she added. 'This Administration is taking action to restore our Nation's finest maritime Armed Service to a capable fighting force.' DHS has defended the need for the jets. 'The current CG-101 G550 is over twenty years old, outside of Gulfstream's service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for government aircraft,' the agency said in a Friday statement. 'This is a matter of safety. Much like the Coast Guard's ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard's aircraft are, too. This Administration is taking action to restore our Nation's finest maritime Armed Service to a capable fighting force. DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels.' Coast Guard Adm. Kevin Lunday was grilled about the request when appearing before the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month. 'I was horrified last Friday when we received a last minute addition to your spend plan for fiscal '25, a new $50 million Gulfstream 5 for Secretary Noem's personal travel coming from the Coast Guard budget. She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, this is a new one,' said Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the committee's Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Lunday described the plane as 'old, and it's approaching obsolescence and the end of its service life, the avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable, and it's in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet.' Thompson and McIver said the bid for a new plane for Noem echoes President Trump's efforts to secure a new Air Force One from Qatar. 'We know President Trump has set a high bar for wasteful luxury travel by government officials with his unconstitutional attempt to personally acquire a $400 million jet from a foreign government. That does not mean members of his Cabinet must follow suit,' they wrote. 'Your desire to travel in luxury should not eclipse the need for USCG service members to fly safely and conduct lifesaving missions.' Updated at 12:28 p.m. EDT Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
House Democrats demand answers from Noem on plans for $50M jet
Democrats are demanding answers about a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plan to purchase a new $50 million jet for Secretary Kristi Noem. The jet, slotted in as a line item to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) budget, comes as the department argues its current plane is beyond its operational usage hours. 'Reports indicate this jet would cost $50 million and replace one of the two Gulfstream jets already at your disposal. Funding the acquisition of this new jet would come at the cost of other USCG investments, including sorely needed modernization of the USCG's aging aircraft fleet used by service members for search and rescue and other critical missions,' Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) wrote in a letter to Noem alongside Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.). Both Democrats sit on the House Homeland Security panel. Thompson is the panel's ranking member. 'Simply put, your purchase of a new jet would directly diminish the availability of other USCG aircraft to carry out critical missions,' the two wrote. The letter from the two lawmakers describes an aging fleet of Coast Guard aircraft, noting that many entered service in the 1980s and 1990s, in contrast with the current Gulfstream used for Noem's travel, which was purchased in 2002. They also point to a Government Accountability Office report finding that the Coast Guard has had trouble securing parts for its helicopters as the manufacturer no longer produces them. The letter asks DHS to detail flights taken by Noem on two existing jets used for travel as well as a breakdown of all Coast Guard aircraft that 'have a service life expiration date' prior to the two Gulfstreams. DHS did not immediately respond to request for comment Friday but has previously defended the need for the jets. 'The current CG-101 G550 is over twenty years old, outside of Gulfstream's service life, and well beyond operational usage hours for a corporate aircraft,' Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs, said in a statement when news of the budget request was first reported. 'This is a matter of safety. Much like the Coast Guard's ships that are well beyond their service life and safe operational usage, Coast Guard's aircraft are too,' she added. 'This Administration is taking action to restore our Nation's finest maritime Armed Service to a capable fighting force.' Coast Guard Adm. Kevin Lunday was grilled about the request when appearing before the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month. 'I was horrified last Friday when we received a last minute addition to your spend plan for fiscal '25, a new $50 million Gulfstream 5 for Secretary Noem's personal travel coming from the Coast Guard budget. She already has a Gulfstream 5, by the way, this is a new one,' said Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.), the top Democrat on the committee's Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Lunday described the plane as 'old, and it's approaching obsolescence and the end of its service life, the avionics are increasingly obsolete, the communications are increasingly unreliable, and it's in need of recapitalization, like much of the rest of the fleet.' Thompson and McIver said the bid for a new plane for Noem echoes President Trump's efforts to secure a new Air Force One from Qatar. 'We know President Trump has set a high bar for wasteful luxury travel by government officials with his unconstitutional attempt to personally acquire a $400 million jet from a foreign government. That does not mean members of his Cabinet must follow suit,' they wrote. 'Your desire to travel in luxury should not eclipse the need for USCG service members to fly safely and conduct lifesaving missions.'
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jet-Set Kash Patel Took FBI Plane to NHL Game and GF's City
If the FBI offered frequent flier miles, Director Kash Patel would have plenty. Patel, 45, has been jet-setting around the United States since he was sworn in as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Feb. 21, including a trio of trips to Nashville—where his 26-year-old country musician girlfriend lives—and a flight to Long Island to catch an NHL game. The New York Times broke the story on those flights on Sunday, noting that Patel's position bars him from flying commercially because he requires around-the-clock access to secure communications equipment that is typically on government jets. Trump loyalist Patel has conducted no high-profile arrests of the president's adversaries—yet—as some hoped he would, but he has found the time to attend two NHL games to watch Alex Ovechkin tie Wayne Gretzky's all-time goal scoring record in Washington on April 4 and to break that record days later on Long Island, where Patel is from, on April 6. Flight records show that a Boeing 757 owned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) flew to John F. Kennedy International Airport on April 6, arriving shortly before a game between the New York Islands and Washington Capitals. The plane departed back to Washington, D.C., shortly after it ended. Records also show a trio of round-trip flights to Nashville on a DOJ-owned Gulfstream, the Times reported. That is where Patel's girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, lives. Patel reportedly conducted official business on at least one of those Nashville trips, visiting the local FBI office and meeting with Tennessee's Republican senators and local law enforcement. It is unclear what business was conducted during the FBI's other visits to the Volunteer State, however. Directors are required to reimburse the government for the use of planes, but only have to do so at the price of a commercial ticket, which is, of course, much less than the cost of operating a private jet. The Justice Department operates a small fleet of planes that are available for use by Patel as director, including two Gulfstreams and two Boeing 757s. That apparently is not enough for the Trump administration, however, as the FBI has recently issued a request for information about purchasing another jet for 'required-use executive travel.' Patel has been among the most visible FBI directors in its history. Opposed to working quietly behind the scenes, like his more recent predecessors, he has actively posted about the bureau's early wins and even got dolled up in a camouflage vest, gray windbreaker, his signature sunglasses, and a matching camo baseball hat for a photo op last month that he posted to X. Patel also flew to Miami to sit ringside with President Donald Trump at a UFC fight night on April 12.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Marshall Mitchell: Mitchell Municipal Airport could expand with new hangars
Feb. 28—MITCHELL — The Mitchell City Council is considering adding four hangars to the Mitchell Municipal Airport, but will the rent from the hangars outweigh the expense of building them? The city's airport revenue includes hangar rent, fuel, and gate card fees. The city's 2025 budgeted airport revenue is $163,742. However, current airport expenses exceed airport revenue and the city plans to subsidize 2025 airport operating costs in the amount of $241,704. Projected rent from the four proposed new hangars is $12,000 per year. It would take eight years for the city to start making money on the new hangars, according to Mitchell Public Works Director Joe Schroeder. The current hangars at the airport are full, and the city believes the proposed hangars will be filled and not sit vacant. "We've had quite a few inquiries about them already," Mitchell Airport Manager Dan London said. The city owns one hangar at the airport and leases land for the other 23 hangars. Most fit one plane. During its regular meeting on Feb. 18, the Mitchell City Council rejected all bids for a revenue producing hangar construction project at the Mitchell Municipal Airport. Staff recommended the bids be rejected because the two lowest bids did not meet the criteria of the bidding process, which is managed by Helms and Associates. The project will go through the bidding process again and then be presented to the council. The city has contracted for professional services in the amount of $202,251, with a projected budget of $1,621,129 for the hangar project. The engineer's estimate for the project is $1.188 million. The city has $1,383,800 in grant support toward the hangar, so the city will be responsible for any amount over the grant once a bid is awarded. Schroeder requested an additional $100,000 to bring the project from three hangars to four in hopes to meet the demand. The city has Federal Aviation Administration grants under the Airport Improvement Program. Airport aid includes a grant for airport hangar design, and $209,375 towards reconstruction of the airport runway, and $190,000 for pavement maintenance at the airport. The last two figures are annual grants based on the population of Mitchell. During peak hunting season, there can be anywhere from 15 to 20 planes parked outside at the airport. Most of them are Gulfstreams. "During pheasant season, we have quite a few planes, and they just tie them down outside," said London, who has been airport manager since August 2024. SPN Helms engineer Brooke Edgar considers the Mitchell Municipal Airport to be up for the task of handling cargo traffic. "It's very stout, well designed, well maintained. They've got two runways that any type of cargo aircraft could use," Edgar said. The Mitchell Area Development Corporation (MADC) would like to see more cargo planes utilize the airport, and for the Mitchell Municipal Airport to be a regional distribution point. "Mitchell has an airport that can take big planes, and (carriers) don't have to compete with commercial passenger flight times to fly in and out," MADC CEO Mike Lauritsen told the Mitchell Republic. Along the airport's secondary runway, there is room for cargo carriers to lease land from the city to build their own hangars or distribution buildings. "And our leases are cheap, which is how airports operate. It's an industry standard that they're relatively inexpensive," Schroeder said.
