By Adrian Nye
By the time Boulder Airport could close in 2040, the reasons that dominate today will likely be significantly improved or even eliminated: noise and leaded gasoline.
It’s crazy but true: Most training aircraft now in use were built in the 1970s, over 50 years ago. They are ancient, loud gas guzzlers that are becoming increasingly expensive to buy, fuel And maintain. Although they are still safe with proper maintenance, they cannot last forever. A new generation is gradually becoming more practical and economical. Journeys Aviation Flight School in Boulder Airport already operates two new, much quieter training aircraft that burn half as much fuel. Next year, the FAA’s MOSAIC initiative will further advance the transition to quieter aircraft. By 2040, I believe almost all training aircraft will be newer and quieterThese aircraft are also ideal for towing gliders.
Boulder is slowing the transition to unleaded gasoline by not accepting federal and state subsidies, but leaded gasoline will be banned by EPA order by 2030, so that problem will soon be solved, too.
We all know that electric aviation will come in the short-haul sector, we Only I don’t know when. It will be quieter and cleaner. What if one day there was a fast shuttle from Boulder Airport to DIA that you could use to catch your vacation flight to Paris? That’s not far-fetched. Let’s Really throw away the only possible location for such a useful service? in the meantime could save lives during the next forest fire or flood.
Let’s bring this back to reality gently – what if everything stayed the way it is now? The four major flight schools at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield and the smaller ones in Boulder, Erie And Longmont uses the airspace between Broomfield and Fort Collins for training. The area is bordered by Denver International Airport airspace to the east and the mountains to the west. Recently the airspace Is There is so much going on that it is difficult to find a safe place to practice. In the search for space, flights are moving further and further north, even though this is costly and time-consuming.
If Boulder Airport were to close, the airspace over Boulder would suddenly become the most attractive training location for most of these flight schools because it’s so close. There could be more planes over Boulder than there are now, not less. Boulder couldn’t do anything about it because the FAA controls the airspace.
Whatever the future holds, closing the airport would be irreversible and inadvisable. Why throw away a permanent asset because of temporary problems that will inevitably be fixed? Boulder could help with fixing rather than spending a fortune on a lengthy legal battle with the FAA. Boulder would spend estimated $40 million over 20 years in maintenance costs for the Airport, because it cannot claim federal and state subsidies if it wants to close the airport. Instead, the airport should be kept open, the subsidies that have always supported the airport should be claimed. self-supportingand help solve the noise problem by spending a tiny fraction of that $40 million to encourage the replacement of noisy aircraft.
Adrian Nye is a former flight instructor and president of the Colorado Pilots Association.
