Helicopter Landing Zones
The helicopter landing pad on Monocan Drive next to the Stoney Creek fire station is for medical emergencies. The road is blocked by emergency services for landings and takeoffs. Four different helicopters service Wintergreen.
The Wintergreen Property Owners Association maintains two formal landing zones for helicopter use. The mountain zone is a large paved pad located on Laurel Springs Drive. The Stoney Creek valley zone is next to the Fire and Rescue Station on Monocan Drive. Medical emergencies are the primary use of these landing zones. Additionally, utility work such as power line maintenance and gypsy moth spraying are coordinated from these sites. From time to time, government officials may commute to Wintergreen via helicopter and therefore use these landing zones.
Use of these zones by private helicopters is discouraged. The preferred landing zone for private helicopter operations is the grass field adjacent to the Farmers Market area in Stoney Creek. Overnight tie-downs in this field are permitted, however doing so is entirely at the helicopter owner’s risk. Tie-downs at Laurel Springs can only be granted in the grassy area and again, entirely at the helicopter owner’s risk.
Prior to granting permission for a private helicopter to land at Wintergreen, the Chief of Fire & Rescue, or his designee, must approve the landing using the following criteria:
Verify that the pilot is a licensed commercial pilot with at least 1,000 hours of experience.
Obtain the tail-number for the aircraft and verify that it is not licensed as experimental.
Exchange emails with the pilot which include satellite photos of our zones, coordinates, hazards, visual cues, etc.
Exchange cell phone contact information with the pilot and advise him/her to call with an estimated arrival time at liftoff.
Visit the site days ahead of the scheduled landing as well as hours ahead of the landing to make sure it is free of hazards such as staged building supplies, equipment, etc.
Notify the Wintergreen Fire & Rescue Shift Captain of the pending arrival.
When possible, stage a fire engine at the landing zone for the arrival.
Mountain landings when the ceiling is less than 4,200 feet are not permitted.
The Blue Ridge Overlook on Devils Knob Loop is also used as a helicopter landing zone when there are medical emergencies.
-updated 2014