From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeighKentucky State Auditor Crit Luallen is calling for better management of part of the state’s aging air fleet.Six of the state’s 16 aircraft, including a helicopter and five fixed-wing aircraft, are managed by a division of the Department of Aviation. But State Auditor Crit Luallen is critical of the division’s management.She says state auditors couldn’t find the purpose of 15 of 39 flights sampled during the administration of former Governor Ernie Fletcher.“There had not been adequate follow-through on a requirement that forms be filled out in detail explaining who’s on the flight and what the purpose of the flight is,” Luallen said.The audit recommends better record keeping, scheduling, billing and passenger identification, and centralization of the state fleet.It also recommends the Transportation Cabinet conduct a thorough review of state aviation needs in light of the age of the state’s air fleet, which is older than those in seven contiguous states.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.