FBI Chief Mueller Often Uses FBI Jet Bought for Counterterrorism

The Washington Post ^ | June 12, 2007 | John Solomon

[billhilly]

Thanks for your reply, Hillary.

[antiRepublicrat]

Muellers' a senior executive with international scope and thus the need is justified. Note, further in the story, he logs 180Hrs/year

Gulfstream V operating cost: math from the article, $4,000 per hour, his share, $720,000.

Cessna Citation operating cost: about $1,500 per hour, cost to fly 180 hours, $270,000.

Annual savings to the taxpayer should he fly the Cessna like he's supposed to: $450,000.

[Daus]

Annual savings to the taxpayer should he fly the Cessna like he's supposed to: $450,000.

Add to that.... Who is flying in the Cessna now? Which mid-level flunkie graduated from flying commericial to flying in the Cessna because it wasn't busy flying the Mueller? :)

[SubGeniusX]

Thanks for your reply, Hillary.

WTF?

I was responding to your (inane) comparassion of this this plane to Air Force 1...

AF1 sole purpose is to transport the President...

If this plane had been obtained with the purpose of ferrying the Director around then it would not be an issue.

The "stated" purpose of this plane was for CT purposes, not transporting the FBI director to speaking engagements ... if thats not co-opting it's intended use what is?

[SubGeniusX]

In that scenario, it is liekly that there may well be a few hours spent before approval for a FBI team was granted and it is unlikely that there would be any significant time lost. If there was, then this issue certainly could be revisited.

I would think that, "revisiting" that type of situation would be a defininte case of "too little, too late".

Why even risk it?

[antiRepublicrat]

Add to that.... Who is flying in the Cessna now?

Good point, I didn't think that far down. So it's not just $1,500 vs. $5,000.

Let's take four hours of flight in the "public servant" world. Flunky takes commercial: $300. Mueller takes Cessna: $6,000. Gulfstream sits idle. Total: $6,300.

Now for the "executive privilege" world: Flunky takes Cessna instead of commercial: -$300 + $6,000 = $5,700. Mueller takes Gulfstream: $16,000. Total: $21,700.

Four hours blew $15,400, so 180 hours is: $693,000.

[Daus]

Isn’t it true with these expensive jets that they are really only cost-effective if they are used as much as possible?

They are only more cost-effective if they are full. If Mueller is flying by himself or with only a few staff, it's a horrendous waste. If he has 15 people who would have flown commerical, than you might have some savings.

[Jeff Head]

My guess is, that when they talk to the operations group regarding the scheduling, they take the rsiks and the conditions into account. They then get approval from their superiors.

I have no problem with that course of action as long as they listen to the operations group and as long as the operations group takes into account the concievable risks and allows for them, without feeling that somehow they have to accomodate the Director.

There has been no allegation that any thing of that sort is going on.