STAR-LEDGER: Gov. Chris Christie arrived at his son’s baseball game [yesterday] afternoon aboard a State Police helicopter. Right before the lineup cards were being exchanged on the field, a noise from above distracted the spectators as the 55-foot long helicopter buzzed over trees in left field, circled the outfield and landed in an adjacent football field. Christie disembarked from the helicopter and got into a black car with tinted windows that drove him about a 100 yards to the baseball field. During the 5th inning, Christie and First Lady Mary Pat Christie got into the car, rode back to the helicopter and left the game. During a pitching change, play was stopped for a couple of minutes while the helicopter took off. Christie was ferried to the field in a brand-new AugustaWestland helicopter, purchased at a cost to taxpayers of $12.5 million. MORE
HELIS.COM: There is no doubt that the acquisition and annual operating costs of a helicopter will be more than any other form of transport of similar capacity. Only the owner can make the judgment as to the viability of his helicopter operation, and this can be arrived at by comparing the actual cost with the service it provides and the time it saves. MORE
RELATED: WHY ARE HELICOPTERS SO EXPENSIVE? The helicopter is a very complex aircraft with many moving parts. Also, it requires a great deal of engineering and research to design a helicopter. There is a very strict maintenance schedule to assure maximum safety and reliability. The production rate of a helicopter is low due to it’s complexity, which keeps the price of each aircraft much higher than that of a mass produced vehicle such as the automobile. MORE
PREVIOUSLY: “Today we must make a pact with each other to end this reckless conduct with the people’s government.” — Chris Christie