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The groups argue seaplanes deserve equal access to public waterways and have proposed measures to address environmental concerns.

Although some seaplane operations are allowed on Kenney Reservoir in western Colorado, flying seaplanes in the state has been a challenge since the 1980s when Colorado Parks and Wildlife prohibited them on waters controlled by the agency. Other agencies including the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) jumped on board with similarly discriminatory prohibitions.

Buena Vista, CO – June 7, 2025 – Mountain West UAS (MWUAS) is pleased to announce the first Public Safety presentation on how Chaffee County Fire & Rescue uses drones in its operation.

Drones are very useful when fighting wildland fires because “it’s better to put a drone at risk and not a human being. Drones can be used to identify the easiest ways to reach a fire instead of having firefighting teams bushwack up mountains.

The June 7 meeting at the Drone Training Park will begin at 9 am, ending at 10:30 am and will be followed by an Open House from 11 am to 3 pm.

At the request of USBR Upper Colorado Region Director Wayne Pullan and the Colorado Seaplane Initiative, national and state aviation advocacy organizations jointly urge a Resource Management Plan (RMP) revision to permit seaplane operations on Navajo and McPhee Reservoirs. Representing hundreds of thousands of aviators, they highlight seaplanes’ century-long service and benefits to public safety, emergency response, and recreation. Seaplanes are trained to avoid conflicts with other water users and have significantly lower fatality rates than boating. With only 200 seaplanes in Colorado versus over 500,000 boats, their impact on aquatic invasive species is minimal. The Seaplane Pilots Association also offers targeted AIS inspection training. Denying access to seaplanes, unlike other recreation, is unwarranted and discriminatory. The groups respectfully request that USBR revise the RMP to restore fair and safe access for seaplanes on these public waters.

The undersigned national and Colorado aviation advocacy organizations, representing nearly 10,000 Colorado members, urge Longmont city leaders to carefully reconsider proposed landing fees at Vance Brand Airport. While framed as supporting airport sustainability, such fees often deter general aviation activity, reducing overall revenue and economic benefit. FAA policy views landing fees as a last resort, and most U.S. airports avoid them due to their negative effects. Noise complaints, cited by fee advocates, come overwhelmingly from a small number of residents, and recent studies show no detectable lead pollution from piston aircraft. Based aircraft already contribute financially through fuel, taxes, and leases. The airport supports 448 jobs and $73.6M in business revenue. Alternative revenue sources should be explored first, including hangar utilization, leases, and events.

Earlier this year, the Colorado Division of Aeronautics established VFR GPS waypoints throughout key mountain passes in the state. The initiative was spurred by a similar program in Alaska. But while Alaskan pilots are challenged by flying under weather through lower, longer passes, mountain flying in Colorado is more likely to involve different techniques due to higher and shorter passes. Pilots there are trained to use orographic winds and thermals, crossing the passes at a 45-degree angle.

Since rolling out the technology in Alaska, the FAA has expanded weather camera coverage to include hundreds of locations spanning 24 states. At each location, a cluster of up to four cameras upload images on a 10-minute cycle, allowing pilots to observe visibility and precipitation at a given location from anywhere in the world.

Bigger social media presence, a new communications director and more town halls all part of RMMA’s public relations strategy

Aircraft owners who value their privacy and oppose ADS-B-based landing fees are encouraged to join AOPA in supporting the recent FAA update enabling aircraft owners to request that their name and contact information be withheld from public dissemination.

Please find a copy of our 2024 Division of Aeronautics Annual Report

What initially began as complaints about airport noise suddenly has become a pitched battle over saving one of Boulder’s most valuable transportation, public safety, scientific research and economic vitality resources … all in pursuit of a red herring.

Brad Walker, a longtime pilot at Jefferson County, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Municipal Airport (KBJC; also known as “Jeffco”), has actively challenged efforts by homeowners to sue the county over noise and lead pollution associated with the airport. Most recently, he filed a request under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) statute (similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act) to acquire a noise study commissioned by his hometown of Superior, Colorado, which abuts the airport property. His request had been denied, based on attorney-client privilege, but Walker recently acquired a copy of the report and shared it with AVweb.

Notwithstanding the lack of detectable lead in air and surface samples taken in three Colorado communities near Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in 2023 (findings that came to light only after pilots obtained the reports via freedom of information requests), the legislature is now considering a nakedly anti-aviation bill that AOPA will vigorously oppose.

A series of studies commissioned by the town of Superior, Colorado, found virtually no evidence of airborne and surface lead contamination in three towns nearby Jefferson County’s Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (KBJC – also known as Jeffco Airport). But it took a Freedom of Information request to bring the test results to light. In all but one case, the levels found at the sites were too low to register. Air and surface swab samples were taken from indoor and outdoor locations in Superior, Louisville, and Lafayette, Colorado, between May and November last year.

Denver, Colo. – The Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA) and Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) released the following statement welcoming the findings of no lead contamination in communities near Rocky Mountain Metro Airport, and reaffirming the commitment of the aviation industry to safely replace leaded aviation gas by 2030:

The FAA recently updated its ADS-B Privacy International Civil Aviation Organization Address program, also known as PIA, with changes designed to streamline the process for pilots to opt out of real-time ADS-B flight tracking.