Air medical transport is the primary method to transport critically injured or ill patients to mainland hospitals and trauma centers. Marginal or unknown weather conditions can severely limit these services. There have been several instances on recent years where air transport has been unable to serve Lopez due to weather conditions. Having an automated weather reporting station and an instrument approach are vital for the safety of islanders. The FAA has agreed to fund in 2019 an analysis as to the feasibility to provide these services at Lopez Airport.
Lopez Island, WA