Onondaga County advances $7.4 million plan to replace sheriff helicopter

The Onondaga County Legislature moved a step closer Wednesday to replacing Air 1, the sheriff’s helicopter that has been flying for 27 years, with a plan that could cost taxpayers as much as $7.4 million. The Ways and Means Committee approved bonding for the aircraft, but the full Legislature still must vote before the purchase can move ahead.

The committee-backed resolution set a maximum estimated cost of $7.4 million and authorized up to $7.075 million in bonds. County Executive Ryan McMahon had previously proposed $6 million in the 2026 budget to replace the Bell 407, and said the county might receive about $2 million for the current helicopter, which would bring the net cost down to about $4 million.

Sheriff Tobias Shelley has argued that the aviation unit does work that is difficult to duplicate from the ground, including search and rescue, surveillance, and other missions where speed and visibility matter. The sheriff’s office says the helicopter is used by federal, state and local agencies, along with fire and EMS, and that the aviation unit includes one chief pilot, two pilot/deputies and two flight observer/deputies. The aircraft is equipped with Night Sun lighting, FLIR, and video downlink and videotaping capabilities.

The county’s own records show why the helicopter remains a major budget question. WAER reported in 2024 that Air 1 had responded to nearly 1,000 calls over the previous ten years. Earlier reporting put the cost of keeping the helicopter flying at about $595,000 a year. In 2012, coverage said the aircraft responded to police and rescue calls in other counties 28 times a year, and in 2009 it transported 24 medical patients, including 17 from outside Onondaga County.

The decision now moves from committee review to the full Legislature, where lawmakers will have to weigh public safety against the price of a new aircraft. The sheriff’s office has long treated Air 1 as a regional emergency tool, but the replacement fight is also a test of how much Onondaga County is willing to spend on a single piece of equipment when cheaper alternatives and other capital needs are always competing for the same tax dollars.