Cardinal Mahony Sells His Jet Helicopter
Since his elevation as a Roman Catholic Cardinal, Roger M. Mahony has bowed to advice and grounded himself--selling the $400,000 jet helicopter he has piloted around the three-county Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1989.
Advisers suggested other modes of transportation “might be better,” an archdiocese spokesman said Thursday. Mahony indicated that “with new and increasing responsibilities,” he would not have time to keep current with the “many changes in aviation around Southern California.” When the craft was acquired, some aviation experts questioned whether Mahony, a licensed helicopter pilot, possessed enough experience to fly safely over congested metropolitan areas.
The archdiocese was believed to be the only Catholic entity in the world to own and operate a helicopter.
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