Former ABLE helicopters may be heading north
Police helicopters once jointly owned by the cities of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa may soon depart.
The board for the Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) tentatively agreed during a Tuesday meeting to sell the dissolved program’s three Eurocopter EC-120 “Eagles” for $1.2 million to a Canadian, said Costa Mesa police Capt. Les Gogerty.
Nothing was finalized in the decision, however, and the Canadian buyer still needs to inspect the merchandise and confirm whether it is airworthy before the deal is finalized, Gogerty said.
The helicopters will not be used for law-enforcement purposes in Canada, Gogerty said.
The choppers may take as long several weeks to reach their new home.
Jack Schafer Aircraft Sales is responsible for brokering the sale of the aircraft, and Alabama-based GovDeals is responsible for the equipment, although the new owner may want some of the helicopter equipment owned by the cities.
ABLE was dissolved in cost-saving move by both Costa Mesa and Newport for the 2011-12 fiscal year. Both cities currently contract out for police helicopter service from Huntington Beach.
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