For safe routes, travel lifeflight mapping

AUBURN — Officials with LifeFlight’s medical helicopter service offered proposals Wednesday night to make flights across the state safer, including better visibility for pilots and easier access for air traffic controllers.

The virtual meeting was the second of three held at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport service center at 49 White Hangar Drive. The first is Tuesday at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport and the third is at Bangor International Airport on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

LifeFlight CEO Thomas Judge and Operations Director David Burr outlined the work being done to improve safety in the flight infrastructure, focusing on better visibility for pilots and easier access to air traffic controllers.

The nonprofit organization’s parent organizations are Northern Light Health and Central Maine Healthcare. LifeFlight Aviation Services is provided by a subsidiary of LifeFlight Aviation Services.

A collaborative effort between LifeFlight, the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration, the new flight plans take into account Maine’s complex topography and weather characteristics.

Maine is one of the most difficult states for pilots in the United States, with the exception of Alaska, which accounts for more than 60% of the state’s area, because of the fog created by the Labrador River, mountainous terrain, and rural landscape. It is the second most rural state after Vermont. Pilots often need to know ice levels and operate below them to ensure safety in avoiding ice.

The new flight plans are in place along major travel routes in the state, including Route 1, I-295, I-95, Route 3 and Route 9.

According to their judge, the most important factor in laying out routes is to make them as predictable as possible for air traffic control. Developing a route structure between known points creates predictability in aviation locations tracked in databases by the FAA.

Weather reporting and increased access to up-to-date weather monitoring equipment are key aspects of the proposed plan, which will allow pilots to adapt to changes during flight.

Lifeflight added 17 new weather stations across the state, bringing the total to 28, making it more stations than the National Weather Service.

Additionally, easy access to fuel and helipads is expected to complement the new infrastructure and promote safe travel between hospitals and often between coastal and inland jungle areas.

“As this system evolves, we need to have new capabilities to be more precise in what we do,” Judge said.

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