Mike DeWine's state helicopter makes a 1-minute hop to Ross County

The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Airbus H125, tail N387LJ, was tracked on a brief flight from Pickaway County Memorial Airport to Ross County Airport on June 26, covering just 1 minute in the air. The aircraft departed KCMY at 8:25 AM local and arrived at KRZT at 8:27 AM, a short hop consistent with a quick regional visit.

If Governor Mike DeWine was aboard, the timing would coincide with his public campaign this week to abolish the death penalty in Ohio. On June 19, DeWine held a press conference urging lawmakers to end capital punishment, citing data that it no longer deters crime and noting that executions have been effectively halted since 2018 due to drug-supply issues. The Ross County area is home to the Chillicothe Correctional Institution, where Ohio's last execution took place, and the governor's advocacy has drawn fresh attention to the state's stalled execution protocol.

DeWine has used the ODOT King Air for longer trips, but the H125 is typically deployed for short-range regional visits. The aircraft's prior flight on June 24 connected two Cleveland-area airports, suggesting routine patrol or training movements. This particular hop to Ross County—if carrying the governor—would mark a focused visit tied to his ongoing capital-punishment reform push.