State Plane Getting $900,000 Makeover

Kansas budget woes haven’t touched the state’s executive aircraft, which is getting a new paint job, a spruced up interior and upgraded avionics this year.

Along with regular operating costs, the improvements will cost taxpayers nearly $900,000.

The Kansas Highway Patrol, which oversees aircraft operations, says the work on the 15-year-old plane is needed for aesthetic and safety reasons. The nine-passenger plane has the original paint, interior and avionics it had when it was purchased new in 2001, and the aging plane is now showing wear.