Butte Aero Heliport

The closure was administrative rather than operational. The heliport was not a standalone facility but a designated helicopter landing area at the main Bert Mooney Airport (KBTM), associated with the Fixed-Base Operator (FBO), Butte Aero. The likely reason for its removal from databases was a consolidation of airport services under the single ICAO identifier KBTM, rendering the separate heliport code redundant. There is no evidence of closure due to economic failure, accidents, or military conversion; helicopter operations at the physical location never ceased.

The physical site of the former heliport, located at coordinates 45.9533, -112.497002, is the active aircraft parking ramp for the Butte Aero FBO at the fully operational Bert Mooney Airport (KBTM). The site is in continuous use, servicing both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters daily. While the specific 'US-10817' identifier is no longer used, the location continues to function as the de facto helicopter servicing area for the airport.

When active, the Butte Aero Heliport served as the primary, designated service point for helicopter traffic at Bert Mooney Airport. Operated by the Butte Aero FBO, it was vital for a range of rotorcraft operations in the mountainous region of southwestern Montana. It handled services for:
- **Emergency Medical Services (EMS):** Supporting life-flight and medical evacuation helicopters.
- **Government and Utility:** Facilitating operations for the U.S. Forest Service for firefighting, as well as for power line inspections and resource management.
- **Commercial and Industrial:** Providing essential support for the region's significant mining and exploration industries.
- **Charter and Private Aviation:** Servicing private and chartered helicopters for tourism and transport.

The concept of 'reopening' is not applicable in this case. Since helicopter operations never stopped at the location, there is no facility to reopen. Helicopter services are fully available at Bert Mooney Airport (KBTM) through the Butte Aero FBO. There are no known plans or needs to reinstate the separate 'US-10817' identifier, as all operations are managed effectively under the main airport's designation.