General aviation pilots in Colorado have stepped up to transport patients impacted by the closure of the U.S. Highway 50 bridge across Blue Mesa Reservoir in Gunnison County.
According to a story in The Daily Sentinel, the bridge has been closed since April 19, 2024, when a safety inspection found a crack in the bridge girder. The two detour routes are more than 300 miles, which can take more than six hours, according to the story.
Grand Junction-based pilot Steve Menzies said people in communities east of the closure that need to get to a hospital or medical office in Montrose or Grand Junction are left with few good options because of the closure.
The eight pilots have volunteered to transport patients using their own planes and fuel. Some are also volunteering with Angel Flight West, a California-based nonprofit that pairs volunteer pilots with patients in need of transportation.
“I saw a need,” Menzies told reporter Dan West. “We have the ability to do it and it gives back to the community and to people in need. You know, we’re pilots. We like to fly and we just thought why not volunteer some of our time and do it and see what happens.”
You can read the full story here.
Glad those pilots are helping. The neighbors should be happy they did not tried to close the airport because of noise. News like this are good to spread the word about how small airports and GA planes are a good thing.