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GREENSBORO - Area sheriff's offices will be able to put two sets of eyes in the sky starting this week, courtesy of a small airplane obtained through a U.S. Department of Justice test program.

The 2006 model Sky Arrow 600 Sport lightweight aircraft made its long-awaited landing at Piedmont Triad International Airport late last week and was unveiled Monday.

The plane will be shared with sheriff's offices in Guilford, Alamance, Davidson and Randolph counties for law enforcement functions including searching for missing people, finding drug fields, conducting surveillance and assisting with pursuits.

"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 two-seat plane, which would have cost about $85,000 new, is paid for by a National Institute of Justice study that analyzes how law enforcement agencies can use "light sport aircraft."

Authorities couldn't provide an exact estimate for the maintenance and upkeep costs for the plane but expect such costs to be minimal.

All related costs will be funded through federal forfeiture money from drug seizures, not from taxpayers.

"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," said Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson.

The plane is being donated to the area agencies on an open-ended basis. Whether they keep the aircraft will depend on how much it is used, Barnes said.

Previously, the sheriff's offices would be restricted to using state-owned aircraft to conduct surveillance or search for drug fields, but they were limited by the availability of aircraft.

"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, noting the new plane can be deployed within an hour. "This is going to enable us to fly when we need to fly and for whatever mission we have."

The plane will be operated with one of three pilots from the Guilford County Sheriff's Office, with the backseat used by a representative from the agency using the plane.

One of those pilots is Cpl. Greg Russell of the Guilford County Sheriff's Office. He took an idea from a casual hallway conversation a few years ago and found a way to get a plane for free.

"We did quite a bit of research on what it would take to buy a plane, but by sheer luck ... (I found out) about this Department of Justice program and jumped on the phone immediately," Russell said. "It's a nice airplane to fly, and it's a fun airplane to fly. The visibility we have in this is unbelievable."

Despite being thrilled at having the new tool, Barnes said he has no plans to take to the skies. "If you'll put a saddle on it, I'll be happy to ride it," Barnes said, joking. "I'm real glad to have it, but it's not something I look forward to doing."

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com