Boulder should lead the future of aviation

Recent cries to decommission the Boulder Municipal Airport come with unintended consequences. The entire airspace over Boulder would open up for flight paths in and out of nearby airports, including Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and DIA. In fact, the airspace over Boulder could easily become a practice area for neighboring flight schools. We should assume Boulder’s aviation noise and pollution could increase — by a lot.

So, a small group of neighbors who chose to live close to the Boulder airport would see an improvement in airplane noise and pollution, but the rest of Boulder’s residents would suffer.

For the past two years, pilots and aviation groups at the Boulder airport have been working proactively on noise reduction and adherence to the strictest noise abatement guidelines in the state. We’ve seen a 50% reduction in complaints about local aircraft, led by Journeys, the largest flight school. Gliding is the most eco-friendly form of aviation, and glider tow planes have received only two complaints about non-compliant flights in the past 15 months.

In addition, Journeys and airport-based aviation groups have prepared for lead-free airplanes, invested in quiet self-launching gliders, and advocated for city and state support for the transition to lead-free aviation fuel. Flight schools will transition to lead-free fuel in their low-compression airplanes as soon as the City installs the infrastructure to support it. Improved, quieter airplanes and tow planes will become available when the FAA approves the “Mosaic” rules for light sport aircraft.

The Boulder airport’s electric charging station is the first in Colorado, so we are uniquely prepared for electric airplanes. Journeys has recently applied for a Boulder County Climate Innovation Grant to support the purchase of two Pipistrel electric aircraft, recently approved by the FAA for flight training. These electric trainers would provide the trifecta of sustainability: dramatic reductions in pollution, lead and noise. At 60 decibels, the noise from these planes at full power will be lower than a normal conversation. Each aircraft is expected to have a 30-year or more operational lifespan, each eliminating thousands of metric tonnes of CO2 and lead during its life cycle, compared to a traditional training airplane.

In addition, flight training would be available at significantly lower costs, opening the doors of aviation to historically disadvantaged groups within our community. Journeys would be among the first aviation flight schools in the country using electric airplanes.

Boulder-based pilots truly want to be good neighbors to people living close to the airport and to the entire city and county. Local chapters of aviation support groups like the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) encourage its members to exchange ideas, share resources, offer safety programs and sponsor a Young Eagles program to inspire kids in the world of aviation. To date, the Boulder EAA has introduced more than 500 Boulder-area youth to their first flight experience, and they offer an annual scholarship for kids to get a private pilot’s license.

Indeed, the recent “save the airport” petition showed that many people living close to the Boulder airport actually like it!

Said one City of Boulder resident, “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 ‘40s ball, BIFF drive-in movies, public meeting space. It’s a gift to our community.”

Another responder remarked, “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.”

The future of aviation is lead-free, silent and sustainable. Electric air taxis will soon be shuttling travelers from the Boulder airport to DIA for connections with other flights. Boulder residents understand this, “Diversity … diversity in transportation opportunities and in emergency response options. Just like we wish we still had passenger rail in Boulder today, fifty years from now we could be wishing we still had an airport.”

Boulder County and the University of Colorado Boulder are world-renowned for scientific research, aerospace and climate research initiatives. Our local airport is already used for these initiatives. But with vision and leadership on aviation policy from our city, county and state legislators and city officials the Boulder airport could pave the way to lead-free and electric airplanes.

More than 10,000 people can’t be wrong when they say, “Save the airport!” Embracing clean, quiet, low-impact transportation for the future is a gift to future generations we can all be proud of.