Page 17 - Dec24

“I had been with the Sheriff’s Office for 15 or 16 years, and they were having a hard time finding pilots,” she said. “So instead of trying to hire a pilot who already had their certifications, they took a deputy and sent them up to pilot training at Kansas State University in Salina. I was in Salina for about 14 months earning all my certifications.”
She added: “I was in the military and I was on flight crew, but I was in the back. Never in a million years did I ever expect to become a pilot. When the position came open, I thought it was an opportunity of a lifetime so I figured why not put my name in for the spot. It was a long process, but I got selected and I’m very happy. It’s the best job in the department.”
Sherwood started flying the county’s Commander in 2019. Lay had previously flown King Airs, too. Both pilots attended FlightSafety in Wichita in July 2023 to get their King Air type ratings in advance of the county taking ownership of the King Air in December 2023.
Before the pandemic, Sherwood said, the office was flying nearly 500 hours every year. Today, it is about 275 hours per year. Flight hours are steadily increasing and she expects they will return to pre-COVID use within the next couple of years.
“Our King Air is primarily used for inmate transport. When we have inmates arrested in other states on our warrant, we have to go get them and extradite them back so they can go to court,” said Sherwood, who has accumulated nearly 1,400 total hours. “By policy, the plane
The 350 flown for the rescue mission is operated by the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office.
DECEMBER 2024
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 15
Pilot/deputy Lawrence Lay.
Pilot/deputy Shauna Sherwood.