A small North Carolina hospital heliport gets its own controlled airspace

The Federal Aviation Administration proposes to expand controlled airspace around Kinston, North Carolina. This change adds a new heliport to the existing controlled area, ensuring safer instrument flight operations for helicopters.

Controlled airspace means pilots must follow specific rules and communicate with air traffic control. Adding a heliport to this protected zone means helicopters flying to and from Lenoir Regional Hospital will have a clearer, safer path, especially in bad weather. This is a small but concrete step to integrate hospital air transport into the national air traffic system.