By Paul Sylvain

A big, blue sign at the Route 1 entrance to the Machias Valley Airport access road boasts, “A Runway That Saves Lives.” That may be true for med-flight helicopters, but the airport’s 2,900-foot by 60-foot asphalt runway comes up 1,400-feet short for LifeFlight of Maine to safely land its fixed-wing flying ambulances on it.