Press Releases by the Boulder Airport Association
Mar 13, 2024 - Press Release by the BAA announcing Preliminary Results of Save the Boulder Airport Petition
Feb 28, 2024 - Press Release by the BAA about the Save the Boulder Airport Petition
Press Articles
Mar 14, 2024 - Community shows broad support for Boulder's airport (Boulder Daily Camera)
Mar 29, 2024 - Boulder's rich housing pissibilites negate airport closure (Boulder Daily Camera)
Apr 16, 2024 - Boulder should lead the future of aviation (Boulder Daily Camera)
Click on the thumbnail below to read the April 27, 2023 letter from the FAA to Mayor Brockett and the City Council
Following an enquiry by the City to the FAA to provide "a better understanding of the FAA's position," the FAA responded with a second letter, dated March 20, 2024. This second letter re-emphasized that the City's obligations to the FAA to maintain the airport are perpetual and do not expire after 20 years from the date of grant acceptance.
Produced by the Colorado Department of Transportation
Interview with former airport manager Timothy Head
You can use one of these flyers to promote the airport at your local business / gym / community gathering place etc.
Pick whichever one works best for your audience. The QR codes direct them all to this website, no matter which one you use.
“Many lives in disasters have been saved because of our airport”
“It has saved my home and countless others”
“One of my pilots stopped the fire just before it consumed Gold Hill”
”A perfect location for training”
"Invaluable to train the next generation of pilots”
“My son learned to fly there and is now a captain for Southwest”
”A world class soaring site for gliders, a national treasure”
“It would be a loss to the soaring community worldwide”
“The premier soaring gateway to the Rockies”
"Folks come from all over and rent rooms, dine, and spend money"
"It provides $100M to the city each year and employees 300 locals"
“My job depends on it”
"Gateway to the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast for General Aviation"
"A good location for a stop-over and the town of Boulder is awesome"
“Vital for the future of electric air transportation”
"The community at the airport raised me as part of a family to be the person I am today"
"It is a community and a special place"
“I met my best friends while hanging out at the airport.”
"We fought the Fourmile fire west of Boulder. One of my pilots led the fire bomber under extremely challenging conditions that dropped the retardant that stopped the fire just before it consumed Gold Hill."
"As a fireman and an emergency preparedness first responder, I can attest that general aviation airports… are vital resources. Fires, earthquakes, storms, even civil unrest always damage or restrict access to ground transportation. Airports, however, even if damaged, can still accommodate most medium transport or smaller planes and helicopters with minimal repairs or preparation and provide emergency transport when other means are unavailable. Besides making air transport possible, airports function as safe medevac facilities. They are universally used as coordinating and staging areas for disaster relief and firefighting efforts (especially important in the western U.S.). Aircraft hangars provide large areas of shelter for disaster refugees and depots for relief supplies. No other community resource, not schools or even large sports arenas can provide as much usable shelter as one large aircraft hangar."
"I support the Boulder Airport as it has saved thousands of lives."
"Aerial firefighters staged at the airport saved untold lives and homes during the last three wildfires, including my own. Helicopters flying out of the airport airlifted 1200 residents to safety during the 2013 flood. This included a personal friend of mine.”
"Whenever we have a fire up here in the foothills, big helicopters fly from the Boulder Airport to help stop the fires and protect our homes, you've all seen them. Last time during the Lefthand fire and Cal-Wood fire in 2020. Our homes might no longer be here if it wasn't for those efforts!"
"I watched the people rescued from the 2013 flood land at the airport and walk away from the helicopters that saved them. Then I watched those same helicopters go back into the mountains for more. Don't be foolish--we need our airport!"
"I live in the foothills and have been affected by several wildfires, luckily none of which have burned down my home. I live on Olde Stage Rd, which required helicopter rescues during the 2013 flood disaster. The airport is CRUCIAL to being able to defend from local wildfires and other emergencies quickly and efficiently."
"Supported us during the Calwood fires (And prior fires) for equipment landings/take offs and fuel. If it wasn’t for this airport our homes, pets, and loved ones may not be here today. It has minimal impact to our community."
"I am a wildland firefighter and we have utilized Boulder airport for rescue, fire and evacuation."
"For every upset homeowner there are multiple people whose lives have been saved."
"I live in a burn scar from the Overland Fire in 2003 and can see the burn scar for the Calwood Fire. Having an airport so close to so many communities in big fire danger areas is invaluable. We should support and treasure having the Boulder airport here, not threaten it."
"During the flood of 2013, and the East troublesome and CalWood fire, the Boulder airport was a necessary emergency support venue for emergency crews. Over 17 aircraft were staged at the Boulder Airport during the fires. Established over 90 years ago, this Boulder landmark is yet another reason why Boulder is special. It adds to the character of the town."
"I am in full support of the airport, mainly for its use in assisting in natural disasters such as floods and fires. In both 2020 and 2013 it saved thousands of people and hundreds of homes. Without the airport, help will be delayed and our wonderful community could literally go up in flames."
"The Airport has been a resource to our community of a long time. Having survived many fires and mandatory evacuations, thank you for saving Boulder Airport, we appreciate it."
"We are in a high fire zone. The airport has literally saved us in the past and it is essential to have it here for future disasters."
"The sight of firefighting and rescue aircraft working from the Boulder airport are still vivid in my mind. How much time would be lost basing somewhere else?"
"As a volunteer fire fighter for Boulder Mountain FPD, I have helped fight wildfires throughout Boulder County. Air support in our extremely dry environment can mean the difference between Boulder having a Marshall Fire experience vs a quickly extinguished minor flare up."
"I was a volunteer firefighter for Nederland FD and am personally closely aware of the necessity of having air support as closely at hand as Boulder Airport. I lived in Nederland for 32 years."
"I worked for MedEvac (helicopter based at Boulder Community Hospital) and heavily relied on the services and facilities that the Boulder Airport offered. Boulder Airport serves a VITAL role for MedEvac."
"The Boulder Municipal Airport is a vital asset to Boulder County. We live in the mountains west of Boulder, and firefighting efforts depend upon the airport."
"It is important for military or medical support for natural disasters (for example, the 2013 flood) [and] for fire mitigation aircraft we may need in the future. Having fire mitigation aircraft in close proximity to Boulder has helped to extinguish various fires between Boulder and Lyons in the past.”
"I am a firefighter and paramedic. Having access to airports is vital for not only travel, but also health and safety of so many individuals. Airports serve so many roles: zones, firefighting options, EMS life flight availability and so many more."
"It is important for military or medical support for natural disasters (for example, the 2013 flood) [and] for fire mitigation aircraft we may need in the future. Having fire mitigation aircraft in close proximity to Boulder has helped to extinguish various fires between Boulder and Lyons in the past.”
"Talk with the people of Gold Hill and Jamestown: they'll tell you how important aerial slurry bombers were (and are) to their survival as historic communities. You can't undo dismantling the airport. Once it's gone, it is GONE."
"The Front Range needs a close airport for any emergencies that require air support. I'm a now retired mountain fire fighter, EMT, and fire chief."
"I lived in Lyons Park Estates during the fire in October 2020. The Boulder Airport helped save my family’s home. If homes in Boulder county burn and the airport isn’t there to help, this will be viewed as one of the worst decisions in Boulder history."
"I know several people who had to be airlifted out following the 2013 floods. This is the closest location to the foothills near Boulder and timing is everything in these situations. Thank you."
"I soloed in 1977 at Boulder and later went on to be hired as one of the first female airline pilots for United Airlines. Thirty-three years later, my 17-year-old son soloed on the parallel runway in a glider and earned his first pilot’s license at Boulder Municipal Airport. He went on to serve at the U.S. Air Force Academy and now flies commercially as an airline captain for American Envoy. There are many people in the field of aviation that I’ve met over the years who have started living their dreams of flying at Boulder Airport. Please keep this dream alive for future generations."
"So many great airline pilots have learned to fly and mastered the challenging weather conditions in the Front Range and now use these skills to keep everyone safe when they board a commercial flight. The airport is a wonderful resource for general aviation. We should be investing in it, not trying to close it."
"I received my first pilot certification flying out of BDU back in 2007. That has sent me on a worldwide public service aviation career from relief work on earthquake in Haiti to the deserts of Afghanistan to the ice fields of Alaska. BDU has been the hallmark for aviation for the last 96 years. We’re not hobby aviators… we have served humanity for decades."
"The airport [was] my second home for my entire high school career. It inspired students in my community and my school to take up flying. Within this group, about 50-60 students have taken aviation or aerospace engineering as their career path, without 5-10 flying out of the Boulder airport. The current and future generations of pilots will benefit from the airport and the glider port just as much, or if not more, than I did."
“My two sons grew up in Boulder, took flight training at Boulder Airport and are now both professionals in the aviation industry. I would not live in Boulder and pay 45 years of taxes if the airport was not here."
"The Boulder airport is a great place to train pilots on mountain flying. Risks and procedures resulting from mountain flying weather conditions are best taught by exposing students to the conditions in a controlled training environment. All are critical for obvious safety reasons."
"Boulder Municipal Airport has been integral to my career as a professional airline pilot. I completed flight training at the airport in my early days. Additionally, my kids started their training at Boulder Airport [and are] also on their way to airline careers. I spend time at the Boulder airport mentoring up and coming pilots. Our EAA Chapter at the Boulder airport builds community, assists youth, and promotes safety."
"It gave me the skills necessary for my work [in] flight data animation, spatial disorientation and next-gen technologies. I had the privilege of working with major airlines, aerospace companies, the military and flight training facilities around the country."
"I served my country in the Air Force, flying the F-16 for nearly a decade, followed by a career at SpaceX, where I am today. None of that would’ve happened if I didn’t fall in love with aviation at the Boulder Airport in high school. Watching the planes fly overhead every day was just as inspiring as a young teen as it is today!"
"Our 16-year-old son learned to fly there after earning two flight scholarships. America has a desperate pilot shortage right now - and that includes firefighter and search and rescue pilots, not to mention general aviation, cargo and military fliers like those dropping relief supplies over Gaza right now. Young pilots don't spring up out of nowhere! They learn their skills and find their passion at small airfields like BMA. Moreover, as much as we in Boulder laud the firefighters who risk life and limb to save our town from wildfire - the firefighting fliers who often use BMA as a base of operations will tell you that it is a critical asset in that fight!"
“It allowed me to fulfill my dream of building my own airplane (as a woman this is pretty rare) and to co-author a book on the subject.
It has also given me the opportunity to give back by helping CU aerospace students with an aviation-based project that they are in the process of completing so that they can get funding for a larger senior-level project."
"Following my tenure as a ground firefighter while concurrently pursuing my training and building experience as a tow pilot in Boulder, I successfully secured a position as a Tanker pilot at CO Fire. I am hopeful that you will carefully consider the significance of the Boulder Municipal Airport in shaping the capabilities and future of our firefighting community."
"I’m a young pilot learning to fly; the Boulder Airport and Journey’s aviation school is allowing me to both learn to fly, maintain my busy schedule, and be with family in times of need. I have a tight schedule and it’s only this airport that is allowing me to further my career goals as a pilot."
"Flying with Mile High Gliding while I was attending school at CU allowed me to follow my dreams and become a US Air Force pilot."
"I learned to fly here and I am a Captain at a major airline."
"I learned to fly at Boulder airport, both gliders & single engine airplanes, then went on to fly F-18’s in the Navy for 20 years & now fly for United Airlines. Boulder airport is where my career in aviation truly began & closing it would be a travesty!!!"
"As an aerospace engineering student here in the 1970s, I took flying lessons and obtained my Private Pilot Certificate at Boulder Airport. Not only did it enhance my career as an aerospace engineer but gave me the "hands-on" feel of an airplane essential to my Ph.D. work at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB.
After returning to CU Boulder, this time to teach, my flying knowledge gave me credibility in the classroom, as someone who not only knew the equations but had the personal experience to explain these equations in terms of aircraft and human response and performance.
We currently have a commercial pilot shortage worldwide. Having a neighborhood airport to support our educational and aviation community and to inspire new pilots is an investment in our future, both locally and nationwide."
"Soaring provides the most economical entry into aviation and can open the door to a career in aviation. I have flown all over the world, flown humanitarian relief to hurricane victims, provided search and rescue. Today I am a Captain for a major airline and it all started with soaring."
"I chose to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder for both my BA and Masters studies specifically because of the nearby and excellent Boulder Airport, where I got my Commercial Pilot and Soaring licenses that enabled me to enjoy a lifelong career in Aviation."
"I worked the front desk at Journeys Aviation, flew for Scientific Aviation, taught students how to fly— all of which led me to my current job as an airline pilot. I saw firsthand the role this airport played during the 2013 flood and various fires. This is a necessary resource for Boulder and the surrounding counties."
"This is where I learned to fly! I'm now studying aerospace engineering at CU Boulder, a career path I probably would never have encountered were it not for the people I met and the experiences I had at the Boulder Airport. The airport's impact on education is undeniable. So many young pilots get their start at tiny local airports like ours. Boulder Airport is a crucial stop along the journey of an entire generation of future pilots, aircraft maintenance techs, engineers, astronauts and anyone else whose horizons are broadened by the power of flight."
"I am the CEO of Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum and we give scholarships to students every year to learn to fly gliders at Boulder Airport."
"I support the Boulder Municipal Airport because aviation is the reason why I pursued an engineering degree in college and have gotten to make amazing contributions to the world such as helping to build a modern supersonic passenger jet.”
"I am a Colorado sailplane pilot and Designated Pilot Examiner for the FAA. The Boulder Airport provides fantastic instruction for a host of new young pilots that the US needs so badly to fill the demand for pilots. It historically is a launching pad for new aviation careers learning from some of the US's finest sailplane pilots. If this airport closes, it eliminates any sailplane training and competition opportunities for a 120 mile gap along the famous Colorado Front range."
"Boulder County airport is where I took my first glider flight when I was 14. I still remember it 30 years later. Today I fly 737s for a major airline. Boulder county airport is essential to our nation’s airspace and infrastructure. Keep the airport open for todays and future aviators!
"I learned to fly there while attending CU Boulder. Then I flight instructed for several years out of Boulder. Then I flew charter out of Boulder. I’m now an A330 Captain for a major airline. I go back to visit often. There is no other airport like it. It would be a tremendous loss to the diversity of options available in Boulder County."
"Growing up near the airport was inspirational. Going to the 1940s ball was a summer highlight. Working at Mile High Gliding helped me achieve my goal of flying F18s for the Navy. I would not be here today without the influence of KBDU."
"I did all my flight training at the Boulder Airport during the late 90s. Years later, [I am] happily employed as a commercial pilot. To think that future generations of pilots would miss out on having a local airport to dream, and train, breaks my heart."
"Many young people begin their training at the Boulder Airport. Removing this avenue to a develop the skills for a career is unconscionable."
"I am a 17-year-old pilot and a student at CU Boulder for aerospace engineering. I believe Boulder Municipal airport is important for my future, the Boulder community, and a critical part of the highly impressive aerospace program at the university."
"Learning to soar out of the Boulder airport and fly gliders in the mountains has done more for my aviation career than anything else, period."
"One of the big draws of Boulder is that the Front Range offers some of the best gliding/soaring arenas in the entire world! Combine that with the amenities and access of a city like Boulder, and you have a one of a kind arrangement. If the airport goes away, the soaring goes away, taking with it one of the components of what makes Boulder special."
"It’s a Mecca for soaring in the US. I regularly visit from California, with my tourism dollars because of that airport."
"Boulder has one of the most vibrant soaring communities, and this is one of the reasons we are considering relocating and starting a new business in Boulder."
"Boulder Airport is a location unique in the world for access to outstanding soaring conditions. I intend to fly out of Boulder Airport in the next year or so, to experience the amazing soaring conditions."
"Truly one of the top soaring locations in the country. Eliminating the airport will certainly negatively impact the economy there."
"Best soaring in America"
"I'm a glider pilot from the UK. Boulder is famous all over the world in the gliding community. It's unthinkable to me that there's a danger of losing this wonderful site, that has flourished for over sixty years, and is what Boulder is best known for (to me anyway!)."
"I am a member of the Soaring Society of Boulder. The airport is the only place with a soaring community within 70 miles."
"My first soaring flight was out of the Boulder airport in 1983. I'm director of glider programs for Civil Air Patrol, Northeast Region. Boulder is renowned the world over for the excellent soaring conditions. It would be an absolute tragedy if Boulder closed this facility. I don't think I would return to Boulder if this happened. Soaring is a gateway to understanding the sky and nature as the birds do."
"Boulder is a unique airport to the Soaring community. It’s long history and ideal location are irreplaceable."
"It is home to world-class soaring and is the only airport in the Denver/Boulder Metro area to soar, especially [for] young aspiring aviators pursuing their aviation dreams. KBDU is truly one of a kind, unlike any other airport in Colorado."
"A great place to fly sailplanes - very scenic with good thermals. Our Omaha club made trips to soar there several times adding to the local economy."
"World class soaring site for gliders, national treasure."
"Soaring in Colorado is a vital part of the world soaring community. Loss of the Boulder Soaring site would be a big impact to the international soaring community."
"This airport is very important for glider pilots all over the country."
"I have had the great fortune of flying gliders there several times over the years with Mile High Gliding both alone and with instructors. Their operation is first-class and I have happily referred many other people to enjoy the spectacular beauty of the area from above. I have traveled several times from Pennsylvania to do this."
"Learning to soar out of the Boulder airport and fly gliders in the mountains has done more for my aviation career than anything else, period."
"I flew for many years out of Mile High Gliding, 1988 - 2011. It is a fantastic soaring site with great beauty and a great gliding community."
"I have visited the Boulder airport and it is home to one of the largest, most active glider clubs in the country. Being right on the edge of the Rockies makes it an excellent spot for soaring deep into the mountains that are more spectacular than any in the nation. Please do not close this wonderful gateway."
"This airport has been in existence since the 1920's and is a mecca for pilots from around the globe that wish to experience epic wave flight. Not to mention a home to a couple hundred pilots."
"It's the only glider port nearby with an extremely active soaring community. Many glider enthusiasts live in or near Boulder specifically because of the access to the Boulder airport."
"The Boulder airport promotes cross country glider competition for the United States. Many pilots have been trained there and contribute to the national pilot resource for commercial and military aviation. Its loss would eliminate an excellent training, cross country flying and emergency airport."
"Boulder is a world-renowned USA premier gliding site. I look forward to visiting the site for gliding."
"Taking away recreational aviation from our youth and community to satisfy the demands of modern society is wrong. Closing down Boulder airport will also close a true soaring experience. The beauty, the spectacle, and the awe-inspiring wonder of gliding must be shared."
"Boulder’s airport provides world class instruction, exceptional conditions, and incredible scenery. The fact that it’s right in town makes it easily accessible and available to anyone here. And for me, it’s specifically the gliding. Gliding is an art form; it’s a challenge; it’s a reason to work hard. Without passion, what’s the point? I moved to Boulder well over a decade ago because of its support for the outdoors, athletics, as well as mind and body health. If Boulder continues to chop at the fun, there’ll be no reason for me to stick around, no incentive to build and to grow within this vibrant, lively community."
"I am a glider pilot instructor and have flown [here] in the past. It is one of the US's prime mountain-soaring locations and a gateway for long soaring flights through the Rocky Mountains. Closing it would be a great loss to the national and international soaring community!"
"Soaring at Boulder is an experience of a lifetime. With no real environmental impact, I’m shocked Boulder is considering closing this operation!"
"I flew gliders out of Boulder for many years. Loss of this spectacular soaring location would be a real travesty. Boulder airport is a very unique soaring location due to its proximity to the mountains and special micro meteorological climate."
"There is a world class glider club operating here, one that pilots learn from nationwide."
"It’s an iconic spot for gliders. My son flies gliders there."
"KBDU is a national icon and one of the most beautiful areas in the world for glider flights."
"Learning to soar out of the Boulder airport and fly gliders in the mountains has done more for my aviation career than anything else, period."
"This would be the end of the 160-member Soaring Society of Boulder as well as the end of the local commercial glider operation Mile High Gliding. It would be a huge blow to soaring in the Mountain West and nationwide."
"One of the best gliding sites in the US"
"I would like to see the long tradition of soaring at Boulder continue! I'm a glider pilot who hopes to one day soon learn to soar in the mountains; where better to do that than out of Boulder?"
"The Boulder Airport is located in an area that has remarkable good soaring conditions. Don't throw away your competitive advantage."
"Losing the gliding opportunities would be a detrimental blow."
"Closure of the airport would constitute potentially the greatest loss to American soaring this century."
"50 years ago I learned to fly gliders at the Boulder Airport. I hope to fly there again someday. It seems a tragic waste to lose a well established valuable resource to a housing development that could be located elsewhere. It seems very short-sighted to me."
"Boulder Airport is a major asset to the community and its loss will be costly to the local community as well as to the world of silent flight. I have witnessed airport closings typically for a developer with an extremely short term planning horizon. With the benefit of hindsight, the closures were terrible decisions. And the cost associated with short term decisions cannot be corrected."
"The glider port is one of the most renowned in the world."
"I have flown out of Boulder Airport with Mile High Gliding. A first class operation and some of the best soaring conditions I've ever had the joy to experience. Keep it open!"
"I fly sailplanes and have flown at the Boulder Airport while on vacation. The commercial and club glider operations are both first class, making this a destination soaring location for all glider pilots across the country. It is a true treasure. Often, young aspiring pilots start with glider training and continue to become a professional pilot, as Capt. Sully Sullenberger did. Keep this valuable, irreplaceable facility in use!"
"I have flown my glider out of the airport many times."
"Aficionados know that access to some of the best soaring and gliding in the world can be found at Boulder Airport. I would say that Boulder is known best for its hiking, rock-climbing, and soaring.
"Boulder is a premier soaring site in the USA"
"It is one of the most important gliderports in the US. From all over the world Boulder is recognized as one of the most prominent locations for exceptional soaring conditions. It serves as a good example of how aviation can go hand in hand with sustainability. As one of the most sustainable air sports, gliding makes an important sustainable contribution to a cleaner environment. That’s why I support Boulder!"
"I come to Boulder to fly gliders in your beautiful mountains. If the airport wasn’t there, I wouldn’t come, and I wouldn’t be supporting your local businesses."
"I am a glider pilot from New England. Boulder is a destination for many soaring pilots. I hope to fly there some time."
"It’s a great airport in a great location with an amazing community and where I began my aviation journey at the Soaring Society of Boulder."
"What people in Boulder do for the international soaring community nobody does in the entire world. From Italy I eagerly follow their work, being webinars, videos or other sort of social media activities. Thanks Boulder"
“This is a unique launching point for some of the best glider/sailplane flying in the world."
"The soaring club at Boulder is a treasure, and Denver would be a substantially worse place without it. What an awesome piece of culture, in a great spot against the mountains, cool people."
"I have been actively soaring for over 45 years. There are very few soaring sites better than Boulder in the United States. Please reconsider your plan to close this national asset."
"World renowned centre for gliding."
"It’s a world top spot for wave soaring."
"This is an irreplaceable base for soaring along the Front Range and into the Colorado mountains."
"I am a certified flight instructor in gliders and am 23 years old. I’m now in the PhD program at CU Boulder and hope to inspire others in STEM and aviation. The soaring environment in Boulder is one of the main reasons I came here - this is a huge and rewarding part of my life. Soaring is a unique affordable and sustainable way to fly, while presenting a unique mental challenge to cover great distances in the air without propulsion. Boulder is an integral part of our community in supporting and inspiring the next generation in soaring, aviation, and STEM."
"I’m a disabled glider pilot. I flew out of mile high soaring two years ago, and it was the best experience of my life after flying for 30 years with our disabled aviation organization. Soaring is the most incredible sport there is. The city should subsidize the airport as a cherished part of the community. I paid over $3000 dollars while living on $11,000 a year, just to travel to boulder and soar the mountains. After 35 years soaring, it was the favorite flight of my lifetime. Do not rob others of the experience!"
"Learning to soar out of the Boulder airport and fly gliders in the mountains has done more for my aviation career than anything else, period."
“Boulder could be known as The Soaring Capital of the World! This is something the City and County should promote, not squash. Support and promote the airport as a major contributor to the community instead of maligning it as a playground for the wealthy. Future pilots come from Boulder Airport! Let's save this resource and improve it, not destroy it forever."
“This airport is an economic multiplier for Boulder. It brings in people from many places who will spend money in Boulder. That will keep and create jobs in Boulder.”
“My job depends on it.”
"I am a corporate pilot on a private business aircraft. I bring my employer and clients directly to the Boulder Airport which allows us to complete our business locally within one day or an occasional overnight. My direct expenditures in the community average $4500 per visit. I am also a glider pilot. I am particularly familiar with the Boulder flying club. I am also a commercial balloon pilot in the Napa Valley California. I can attest that the ride business, whether it be gliders or balloons is a significant tourist draw to our community. These are outside dollars being directly invested in the city and community."
"I work there on a regular basis. Every time me and my colleagues visit, we stay at a local hotel and visit local restaurants and businesses to name the least."
"I have flown into the Boulder airport to meet friends, spend money in Boulder shopping, and to visit restaurants.”
"Boulder airport is a majestic, beautiful airport that is a good destination for fellow aviators to visit.”
"This airport is what brought me to Boulder and what keeps me coming back. There remains a need for diversity in the city and the region, not a need to build more houses and crowd things even more."
“I am close to people who work there and I don’t want them to lose their job.”
“It is a destination for me to visit Boulder and spend money with my family”.
“Boulder is a destination location and should not be cut off from the aircraft world!”
"The airport is a wonderful community resource. It supports local businesses, EMS, and visitors."
“Flying in local means visitors are likelier to stay local and spend their money in Boulder’s economy, not Denver."
"I lived in Boulder for 5 years and worked at the airport. This airport is vital for the community. Please don’t be short sighted and close it."
“I fly in to visit family and friends who live in Boulder and the immediate area.”
"I have flown my glider from Boulder, and would like to be able to do so in the future. I live in California and have relatives and friends in CO."
“Boulder is a pristine and convenient airport, a gem of the Front Range and place I frequently visit for business and for pleasure.”
“The Boulder Airport is also well-known in the soaring community, and provides a gateway to Boulder for visitors and a launching point for residents."
"I grew up in Evergreen, went to school at University of Colorado - Boulder, and now frequently use the airport to return for booster activities, to visit old friends, and to spend money at all my favorite restaurants.”
"It is a great resource for visitors to the Boulder area, both for travel and recreation."
"We have traveled to Boulder specifically for the unique flying available there. We spent money locally at hotels, restaurants and other local businesses. It is a wonderful place to visit, but without the soaring, we would not travel there again."
“I learned to fly gliders out of Boulder too. It is really world renowned for these activities. I travel to Boulder regularly for these activities and spend money in the county.”
“It puts Boulder ‘on the map’ for pilots all across the world who otherwise would never spend money in Boulder.”
"I was born in Boulder and return often to fly sailplanes at the airport."
"The airport is a beautiful destination airport. I've flown gliders and helicopters over the water on the approach, and they were some of the prettiest, most memorable flights of my life."
"I have flown gliders at Boulder airport while on business trips to the Boulder area."
“I have enjoyed flying to Boulder Airport on a number of occasions. It is a beautiful location and a wonderful destination."
"I come to Boulder every summer to fly my glider."
“I am a regular visitor from the UK and find the airport at Boulder very user friendly and a great tourist asset for Boulder.”
"I have traveled to Boulder because of the glider operation at the airport. In my senior years the presence of a glider operation is central to my decision of where to live. Glider pilots make good residents and spend money at and near airports! Don't send them away!"
“I'm a frequent visitor to Boulder via small aircraft and the Boulder Airport. I have also done some glider flying there.”
“For [the events] that use it like the 1940s ball. Folks come from all over and rent rooms dine and spend money in Boulder.”
"I use the airport several times a year because it’s close to family. This airport also employs and feeds hundreds of people who rely on it for their livelihoods. Airports like this are also critical to emergency response situations and contribute millions of dollars annually to the local economy.”
“I spent several years in Boulder and flying out of here. It is a critical requirement for the aviation system, provides nearly $100M to the city each year, employees nearly 300 locals, and doesn’t cost the Boulder taxpayers a cent!”
"I have been flying into Colorado for more than 30 years. In my 2-3 annual trips Boulder is a welcome stop for last minute weather, flight planning, fueling, oxygen before crossing the Front Range. [It’s] an excellent base before crossing to higher terrain, a staging ground for visitors to Boulder and CU [and] patronizing local hospitality businesses. [It’s] every bit as important to your community as keeping US 36 and Co 119 open to traffic and commerce flowing into and out of Boulder."
"I work there on a regular basis. Every time me and my colleagues visit, we stay at a local hotel and visit local restaurants and businesses."
"It is the gateway to the Rocky Mountains and the west coast for general aviation."
"I currently work for Pilatus aircraft and use the airport for work and personal trips on a weekly basis."
"I live in Bend, Oregon and have a Boulder business that is located on Valmont Rd near the airport. It is very convenient and cost effective for me to fly my airplane between the two locations."
"We have a home in Steamboat Springs and friends in Boulder. It is very convenient to be able to fly between these two airports. Green electric aviation will soon be here, and this airport will become increasingly valuable to the Boulder community in the near future."
"This is a unique airport in an amazing location. I have landed there on a number of occasions. It is an asset to the community that cannot be replaced."
"Boulder's location makes it special for transient pilots and soaring pilots like myself. It's a great airport to stop before flying across the Rockies to the west coast. This allows critical preparatory opportunities like refueling and weather checks."
"Local airports are vital to the community. I am a transient pilot and I have flown into the Boulder airport. It's such a great place. So welcoming. I even returned to fly gliders there. It would be a travesty to turn it over to developers. As a patron, I implore you to keep Boulder airport and airport."
"The Boulder airport is one of the few places where you can fly in from another state, visit a wonderful city (and previous home of mine), go soaring along the mountains close by, then fly back out all in one great location!"
"When I vacation in Colorado, I fly into this airport. Without it, Boulder would no longer be a regular destination for me."
"This airport serves a unique region, has a deeply passionate base of aviators, and provides the nation with proximate access to one of the most beautiful regions in our country. Boulder may not support millions of passengers, but it’s not intended to. Community airports should be just as valued to our nation as national parks. Once they are gone, you’ll never be able to replace them."
"I fly into Boulder weekly to support my business."
"It’s the best and most convenient airport to fly our customers who need to get to Rocky Mountain National Park."
"It is the exceptional things about a city that make it fabulous. It isn't the housing or the convenience that make a place special. When a city loses something that is unique it loses a part of itself and to just be another city like all others actually loses its value. Please keep the airport open as a unique jewel."
"We build bike paths to allow bikers to enthusiastically enjoy their sport, rec centers to keep our citizens fit, skate-board parks to keep the young engaged, hiking trails to get people out in nature, dog parks for our furry friends to socialize. It’s crucial now more than ever to support the passions and interests of a variety of groups including aviation. The airport serves the public in many ways including flood and fire safety as well as sports like skydiving and gliding. It was here way before the complainers who bought a house underneath it and now cry about the noise."
"My father learned to fly there, I learned to fly there, I made a living there for many years. Boulder airport is a part of Boulder as much as the mall, Chautauqua and Boulder Creek."
"There's nothing more electrifying than taking a glider flight, especially one over the flatirons. It puts a smile on one’s face, lifts the soul, enlightens one’s dreams."
"It's one of the ever-decreasing numbers of sites that make Boulder distinctive, and the proposal is to replace it with a faceless housing complex."
"Boulder airport has been established for many, many years. It is an important part of our history! In the early 1940s, my mother and her sister used to lie down at the end of the runway and watch planes take off and land overhead."
"This is my home airport and the most iconic Front Range airport of all."
"I love it, my kid loves it. We come here often to watch the various aircraft and gliders fly. If we don’t come to the airport, we stop at the Valmont bike park to ride and watch the planes above us.
"Seeing gliders over Boulder is as unique and wonderful to the town as the flatirons and pearl street!"
"The sight and sound of airplanes and gliders over Boulder has inspired a sense of awe, curiosity and purpose in me since 1994, when, as a four-year-old I looked up and asked my dad how those birds fly."
"Boulder prides itself in supporting so many different communities. The flying community should be no different. Some people like cycling, others like golf, or the libraries."
"I think it's a part of what makes Boulder, Boulder. It's beautiful and serves as great place for sightseeing flights. I Love sitting by it and watching the planes come and go."
"I learned to fly gliders at the USAF Academy, and want to move back to Colorado, specifically to Boulder. Great community, great university, and great soaring right there."
"I grew up in the Boulder area. Sailplanes majestically soaring along the Flatirons and over the city are one of many quintessentially Boulder sights that would forever be lost if the airport were closed."
"I am not a pilot, but I respect that flying is important to many locals. We can’t just seize the land and build housing because most people don’t fly. Why not build homes on soccer fields because most voters don’t play soccer? The airport preceded most current residents. It’s part of Boulder. Leave it."
"When I was young, my father and I would go get donuts every Saturday and then sit on the fence by the Boulder Airport. He used to fly Cessnas and gliders before I was born, so he would tell me all the little details about the planes as we watched them take off and land. It was a special time, made possible by such a special place. It’s one of my most cherished memories from childhood. When I think about Boulder, I think of that airport. It brings sorrow to my heart to think that anyone would want to replace such an iconic and historic site with condos and apartments."
"The airport is an important part of the adventures explorer mindset of Boulder."
"So many reasons, the biggest of all is the sight of gliders over the flatirons. I have taken multiple glider-rides with family and to celebrate major life events. It would be a shame to lose this airport."
“The Boulder Airport's community of sailplane pilots is one of the most venerated in the world. Kicking this community out of town would be another step towards making Boulder a less interesting place with less opportunity for its residents to participate in the fringe activities that made this city interesting to begin with."
"The Boulder Airport is part of what makes Boulder "Boulder."
"Boulder airport has always been a rich part of the Boulder tradition. Sailplanes flying overhead, it’s close into town and a fun aspect of the town. Leave it alone. Please!"
"Seeing the gliders soaring around Boulder has always been a staple for the Boulder airport. Boulder County would not be the same without them."
"Hello, my name is Sophie [last name removed to protect privacy]. I am 19 years old and most of my childhood was spent at the Boulder Airport. The community at the Airport essentially raised me as part of a family to be the person I am today. I hope to finish getting my education, and one day soon get my private license; a dream I've had since I started going to the airport with my father. I can only hope that people can appreciate what the airport has done for the community."
"The airport is an incredible resource for Boulder. It offers so many opportunities to people of all ages to learn about aviation, engineering, flight history and so much more. The clubs available at the airport provide an amazing sense of community. Without this space Boulder would fall behind in innovation, technology and so much more. As a progressive city, we need the airport."
"Aviation is landmark human achievement with a rich history of grassroots participation by everyday people. Local municipal airports … continue to be an inspiration for children to become scientists and engineers and for those adults who opt to spend their free time tinkering, thinking, and exploring the freedom. … I have no aerospace background but learned how to fly and earned my private pilot license at the Boulder airport and am now hand-building a backcountry airplane that I hope to fly for the first time at the Boulder airport. The people who advocate for closing small local airports don't understand the role they play in enabling access to a world of engineering and exploration.”
"After I graduate from CU in May, I will be heading to the United States Navy to serve as a Naval Aviator. The Boulder Airport allowed me to join an outstanding flying community filled with some of the most hard-working and amazing people I have ever met. General aviation offers an amazing opportunity, not just for the wealthy, but also for citizens of the lower-middle class with big dreams such as myself."
"I worked at the glider port when I was in middle school and high school, flew my first solo from the Boulder airport, and took my parents for their first glider flights when I was 16. My experiences at the Boulder airport shaped who I am today, and the people I met there still serve as inspiration."
"The Boulder airport ... has been at the center of my journey in aviation and much of the reason I call Boulder home. It truly is the trailhead to the open space in the sky, a one-of-a-kind asset for our community."
"I am 20 years old and just completed my first solo flight. When I moved to Boulder to attend CU, I was relieved to find the community at Boulder airport. To have found out that there was even a debate to close this airport left me speechless. To me, an airport isn't just a business center, it's a safe haven and a place where people can explore what they love. The destruction will be a loss to the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and the countless people who value this community."
"The airport is a center for STEM based youth education and will serve in the future as Advance Air Mobility comes to fruition. Boulder's airport can and should be on the cutting edge of aviation including electrification of aircraft, sustainability, unleaded fuels, and transportation mobility of the future."
"The Boulder Airport is a community hub where aviation enthusiasts congregate to learn, share their passions, and enrich our community. Young Eagles gives children access to flying with experienced pilots to ignite their own passion in flying and planes. Our community needs more opportunities to connect with each other and expand the minds of our youth in meaningful ways.”
“The Soaring Society of Boulder is an incredibly vibrant club focused on exploring the scenery of the Rocky Mountains with nothing but wind current. Eco-conscious travel and community connection are some of foundational components of the Boulder I've known and loved, and the airport should be elevated in local recognition for its efforts.
"The Civil Air Patrol, a community service-based program [at the airport] has provided me and numerous other young people with leadership, community service, and access to exploration of military and related aerospace careers."
"This airport has been a huge inspiration. Starting from my father flying gliders throughout my childhood and leading up into myself taking glider lessons. I volunteered at the glider club and got involved with the aviation community. This community is what solidified my decision to become a pilot and mechanic. The support and commitment to the next generation is beyond words."
"I have lived in Boulder since 1964. The airport has always been there for me; I rode minibikes around it when I was a child, and I still love running by it on Independence Road. Leave our wonderful airport alone!"
"I grew up in Boulder County and I saw what participants gained from being a part of the airport community. The airport goes beyond just the sight of planes and runways, it is a source of education, community engagement, career development, remembering history, and societal growth."
"The Boulder Airport ignited a love of aviation and aerospace in me that has lasted well into my adult life. I met some of my best friends while hanging out at the airport watching planes in high school.”
"I love taking my daughter to watch airplanes land/take off and teach her about science and engineering. We are extremely lucky to have a beautiful airport so accessible to us. The proximity to our airport was a big draw for moving to North Boulder."
"As a 30+ year educator of Boulder Valley kids, the airport provides many educational opportunities for local youth. It is simply one of the best experiential learning venues in our community."
"The community that exists in and around the Boulder Airport is one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of belonging to. The value of this place is beyond measure when it comes to education, historical preservation, and the community involvement."
"The airport is and always has been a gathering place. It is historically significant for the community. It is a place for people to find their passion, learn something new, enjoy unique experiences, meet new people, socialize and just sit outside and enjoy watching the planes take off and land."
"I spend 5-7 days a week at KBDU and cannot imagine what my life would be like without it!"
"I am a college student at CU. KBDU [hosts] the EAA Young Eagles program where private pilots volunteer their time and airplanes to take children for a ride. That exposure has inspired and emboldened so many children to become pilots and try new things that they may not have before."
The Boulder airport is a great community space for the citizens of Boulder with events like the 1940’s Ball, watching the glider club soar above the flatirons and aviation enthusiasts meeting on the airfield to talk about their aviation adventures. It would be absolutely heartbreaking to the Boulder community to close the Boulder airport."
"The city of Boulder has an opportunity to write itself into the future of sustainable aviation through research and development at this community asset rather than writing itself out of the future of transportation by closing the airport to eventually build housing that could be built elsewhere."
“The aviation industry will be converting to electric power over the next 10 years with electric air taxis becoming a reality. It would be terribly short sighted to convert this facility for other uses when we have no idea what Boulders transportation models will look like in 20 years.”
"In 10-15 years, the airport will be used as a transport hub for the population at large. It will be an even greater resource than it is today. We need to have some vision."
I envision a future not so distant where electric flight aircraft can make my commute to DIA much easier utilizing this airport! The positive impact that could have on congestion and pollution in the region I think is real. And I desperately want to fly out of this airport! We all should!"
“Numerous companies are working to make electric aircraft a reality. Northern Colorado is already a hotspot for tech development. Why wouldn't the city of Boulder want to be an active part of promoting this exciting type of clean, efficient, quiet aviation?”
“In the near future, air taxis will need better trained pilots, and places to base operations.”
"Save the airport for the future of electric air transportation. We need the airport, it is a safety feature of Boulder and a precious resource we need to preserve."
“I envision a future not so distant where electric flight aircraft can make my commute to DIA much easier utilizing this airport! The positive impact that could have on congestion and pollution in the region I think is real. And I desperately want to fly out of this airport! We all should!"
“In the future the airport can be a hub for sustainable transportation - electric airplanes transporting people and connecting them to electric buses and vehicles thereby minimizing the emissions and fossil fuel use.”
“Several sailplanes on the field are electric self-launch and more are being ordered.”
“We need to think forward and plan for the future, we should not be narrow minded and kill the future of air transportation for Boulder by closing the airport."
“Why not have the city support an initiative to bring electric training aircraft to the airport, and be at the forefront of the aviation energy transition? Quiet aircraft with no emissions, this would solve a lot of the issues that the community currently has with the airport.”
“Future use for electric short haul aircraft.”
“I have accepted a position as associate professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Smead School of Engineering at CU Boulder. The access to aviation programs and STEM related activities is key for the future of our Aerospace industry and the students who will enter our workforce."
"Quiet, electric Air Taxis are being certified this year and will begin passenger operations very soon. That could allow anyone to take a quick and cost effective flight to Denver, Centennial, Colorado Springs or some ski resorts in just a few minutes - rather than spending hours in a car and adding to the congestion on our highways.
“There will be options for air taxis and local commute via aviation which will require small airports.”
“In the future it [will be needed] for electric air taxis and planes”.
"This is the air age, and it is badly needed, both now and for the future."
"I love the Boulder Airport! I live just down the street in the Vista Village Manufactured Housing Community. I enjoy the gliders, parachute jumpers, the 40's ball, BIFF drive in movies, public meeting space. It's a gift to our community."
"I live right next to it and it’s never bothered me. We enjoy the planes that fly by and the last thing I want is more housing in our overly crowded part of town."
"We live under the departure path of the airport and the noise is less bothersome than the pelotons of cyclists yelling to one another."
"I live in Vista Village, directly next to the airport. The airport does its own thing, poses no problems, helps with wildfire and saved lives during the flood. The last thing our neighborhood needs is additional housing and legal problems with the FAA. The condos that were built on airport are less than half full. They had affordable units, fill those."
"The Boulder Airport is a critical piece to our city. As a local that is born and raised in Boulder and that lived half a mile down the road from the airport I have experienced and witnessed the critical times when the airport has come into play during wildfires in the Boulder area, 2013 Flood, and many other times."
"I live right beside it and it's no problem ever."
"As a Boulder native, and living very close to the airport, I absolutely support keeping this airport open as a vital part of our community. This airport is key to emergency services, pilot and industry education and training, and we are fortunate to have it. The hours of operation are very reasonable and keep our airspace secure for Boulder and its use."
"I was born and raised in Boulder, and it is has been a staple of our community for all of my life. I have had the opportunity to learn to fly planes there that I would never have experienced if our community didn't have a public airport. I lived down the street from the Airport for many years and never once was bothered by any noise pollution from the planes."
"The airport helps keep our community safe by enabling wildfire and flood protection operations. It also adds to the unique feel of our community. My family and I have lived immediately east of the airport for 13 years and love to watch planes flying overhead. It would be a tragedy to lose our community airport."
"I've lived under the flight path next to what used to be a cow pasture, and are now soccer fields, going on almost four decades now. I love watching the planes flying overhead from my dining room and kitchen windows as they prepare to land at the airport."
"For its needed benefit for emergency services, for its convenience because an active town of our size should have a small airport, for the history and charm. From a 21-year homeowner/resident 1/2-mile from the airport. In Boulder 45 years."
"I love how flying has evolved over the years and how well-mannered Boulder Airport pilots behave. We live about two miles away."
"The airport is a vital part of our town and its history. We need that airport more than we 'need' another housing development. The planes towing gliders transect my neighborhood--they are not an issue. I rather enjoy watching the gliders and the hang gliders; they add to the diversity that is Boulder."
"I lived for many years on Rustic Knolls Dr. by the airport. The noise is minimal compared to what building homes would bring. The airport, on the other hand, serves a very useful purpose. Remember the 2013 flood and how many people were airlifted out of danger?"
"It is essential for Boulder to have a great local airport. I live DIRECTLY under the landing flight plan and its never noisy. The trains that run near the airport are 10x as loud. People forget WAY to easy that we have really bad fires every year and having an accessible airport is so important. It also supports young flyers to go into the industry when we need more pilots."
"I have lived in Boulder since 1963 and have experienced fires and the flood of 2013. Lifesaving aircraft were able to use the Boulder Airport to save lives. I live about a mile from the Airport and am not bothered by airport noise. It would be intelligent to keep the Airport. Boulder will experience more fires and possibly devastating floods in the future. Save the Airport!"
"I've lived on the north side of the airport my entire life. They evacuated children and families from Calwood and surrounding areas during the flood and brought them to town by helicopter to the Boulder Airport. The airport is used as a base for firefighting and extinguishing the many wildfires we have had over the past several years. I enjoy walking by the airport on a daily basis, picking up trash with my elderly father and watching the on-going activities there. I'm opposed to people moving into Boulder and then wanting to change what we have loved about this community for our entire lives."
I live within a mile of the airport; the noise is NOT an issue! I was well aware of the airport's existence well prior to purchasing my home, as everyone who lives in the NE corner of Boulder is before locating our families there. I actually enjoy seeing aircraft overhead on approach as I walk my furry friend on the Cottonwood Trail in my neighborhood."
"It’s better to have and not to need than to need and not to have. I live right by the airport and it’s not even loud."
"I live less than a mile from the airport - we love watching the planes take off, it’s a staple of our area not to mention it is incredibly important for fire safety. It has been here a long time and folks who moved here did so knowing it was on their neighborhood. They cannot then turn around and try to get such an important place shut down."
"I used to live right by the airport, and I would go to the air shows and walk past it every day. The airport is a very important to the Boulder community and replacing it with more housing would be pointless. Building new apartments there would simply worsen the already bad traffic into Boulder, especially since the airport isn’t within realistic walking distance of Boulder proper."
"I live on Independence Road. My children have grown up loving swinging on our swings watching the planes take off, pilots tinker and families stop with small children to watch in delight.
What a valuable asset it has held to our community. Shivers went down my spine when Obama landed here for a speaking engagement at CU, tears were shed watching the rescue planes load up to fight fire. To ignore and discredit its value to our community is a travesty.
The airport is a time capsule of history for our city. The thought of tearing down our airport is the most ""unboulder"" thing we could do.... keep boulder unique, protect its integrity and keep this community resource open!
Signed a Colorado native who has lived across from the airport and LOVED its noise, tinkering pilots and the value it has brought to my life for the last 15 years."
A community effort by the Boulder Airport Association
saveboulderairport@gmail.com