N943FL returns to Tallahassee after 25-minute hop from Destin

Ron DeSantis's Cessna Citation Latitude, tail number N943FL, flew from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (KVPS) to Tallahassee International Airport (KTLH) on Monday, October 19, 2026. The flight departed at 19:57 UTC and landed at 20:23 UTC, spending 25 minutes in the air. The aircraft is registered to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and serves as executive transport for the governor.

The great-circle distance between the two airports is 113 nm, or 130 miles. The aircraft reached a top ground speed of 347 kt and a highest altitude of 10,400 ft, with an average ground speed of 269 kt. Our estimates put fuel burn at about 96 US gallons and CO2 emissions at about 926 kg. The Citation Latitude is a super midsize jet with a range of 2,700 nm, a ceiling of 45,000 ft, and seating for up to 9 passengers.

This flight ended at the aircraft's home base, Tallahassee International Airport. In the tracking window from October 1 to October 19, N943FL landed at Tallahassee 16 times, with the previous landing on October 17. The most common destinations in that window were Tallahassee, Pensacola, and Pinellas Park. Before this flight, the aircraft had been on the ground for about 1 hour after a previous landing at Destin. Recent flights include a trip from Pensacola to Destin on the same day, and a longer leg from Austin to Tallahassee on October 17.

The aircraft is a 2019 Cessna Citation Latitude, model 680A, with serial number 680A0234 and Mode S hex code AD18D5. It is powered by Safran Arrius 2B2 turbofans and has a maximum takeoff weight of 30,800 lbs. The jet features a flat floor and G5000 avionics, and it is the best-selling Cessna jet. Its top speed is Mach 0.80, or 446 knots.

Ron DeSantis is the 46th Governor of Florida, first inaugurated on January 8, 2019, and re-elected in 2022. He is a former U.S. Navy JAG officer and U.S. Representative. The state jet has drawn scrutiny in the past, particularly during his 2024 presidential campaign, when tracking showed the aircraft in early primary states. Florida law prohibits using state aircraft solely for campaigning, and the FDLE has said the plane is used for more than transporting the governor.

No public event or official calendar entry tied to the governor was found for this specific flight. The aircraft's usual destinations include Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, along with Washington D.C. and Chicago. This short hop back to the capital fits the pattern of frequent in-state travel seen in the last month.

In the 30 days before this flight, the aircraft used 20 airports in one country and flew about 9,380 nautical miles. The longest leg in that period was from Delray Beach to Philadelphia on October 6, covering 836 nautical miles. The departure airport, Destin-Fort Walton Beach, has a longest runway of 12,004 feet at an elevation of 87 feet. The arrival airport, Tallahassee International, has a longest runway of 8,000 feet at an elevation of 81 feet.

The flight used only 4% of the aircraft's range and burned about 96 gallons of fuel. It is one of 39 tracked flights in the last 30 days, totaling about 29.3 hours in the air. The aircraft remains based at Tallahassee, ready for the next leg of official travel.