Small Idaho airport can now handle planes flying blind in bad weather

The Federal Aviation Administration has established new controlled airspace around Challis Airport in Idaho. This means planes can now use instrument flight rules to land and take off there, even when pilots cannot see the runway.

Before this change, pilots could only use visual flight rules at Challis, which meant they needed clear weather to operate. Now, planes equipped with the right instruments can fly in and out of Challis in fog, clouds, or at night. This makes the airport more reliable for all-weather operations.