[Long-time lurker, first time poster]
Two paths diverged in the woods and I took the third.
It occurrs to me that there might be another way to meet (or even exceed) AHEC's needs while also preserving land and avoiding a protracted debate and a souring of town-gown relations.
So far the paths being argued are: 1) Build a new airport in the county or 2) Base all operations from RDU. I believe there is a third path that hasn't been considered.
In short, build a heliport. Let that sink in for a minute and then read on for more...
We all know helicopters don't need much space to operate, so this is an easy one. In fact, it could even be sited on the existing Horace Williams airport while still allowing for plenty of space for the new campus.
Drastic reduction in trip time for AHEC physicians. Not only could AHEC potentially keep helicopter or tilt-rotor aircraft at UNC Hospitals, but it could deliver passengers directly to many of the hospitals they service throughout North Carolina instead of landing at their regional or local airports and then driving to their ultimate destination.
