Colorado Aviation Business Association Untitled page

February Pilots/Aviation Night Out!

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 23:07:25 GMT

February 18, 2022

On Wednesday February 23 from 5-8 pm, CABA hosts another in our series of informal networking and socializing events at FlyteCo Brewing. Held once per quarter, these gatherings provide aviation professionals the opportunity to become acquainted, develop friendships and business relationships and perhaps learn about business or job opportunities in an informal setting.

An added benefit is that FlyteCo donates a portion of their proceeds from the event to the CABA Foundation to support our scholarship fund.

We'll get your first beverage, plus a 10% aviation discount applies after that.

This event is sponsored by Antaero Aviation. FlyteCo now serves food as well.

Another successful VFW Holiday Airlift

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 17:02:57 GMT

January 24, 2022

The 11th Annual CABA-VFW Airlift was conducted over the weekend of December 3-4-5, with some flights taking place during the following week.

This event supports Colorado military veterans and their families facing challenges during the holiday season. The toys and food collected and delivered by volunteer pilots truly help to brighten the holidays which might not be so bright otherwise.

By the numbers:
Due to population changes some VFW posts opted out of this year's airlift and as a result, the number of posts served dropped from 28 to 23. Airlift flights were conducted by 22 pilots who generously donated of their time and aircraft expenses. Pilots flew to 10 airports around the state: Grand Junction (GJT), Montrose (MTJ), Durango (DRO), Cortez (CEZ), Alamosa (ALS), Pueblo (PUB), Las Animas-Bent County (7V9), Kit Carson (ITR), Greeley (GXY) and Northern Colorado Regional (FNL).

A total of more than 9,000 lb of non-perishable foods were transported. In addition, a wide variety of toys and supplies for homeless needs were delivered. Toy purchases were made based on Post requests for both boys and girls as well as various age groups. An estimated 1,400 veterans and their families were served by this year's airlift.

Since the first airlift in December 2011, our Holiday VFW Airlift has delivered a cumulative total of about 75,000 lb of goods and served more than 7,500 individuals.

CABA Holiday Party in Support of Airlift - Dec 2, 2021. Sponsorships & Tables Are Available!

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 17:41:14 GMT

November 21, 2021

Coming up in December will be the 10+1 Holiday Party on December 2, with the 11th Annual CABA-VFW Airlift. being conducted that ensuing weekend of December 3-4-5.

Both of these events support Colorado military veterans and their families facing challenges during the holiday season. The toys and food collected and delivered by volunteer pilots truly help to brighten the holidays which might not be so bright othwerwise.

The party will be held at Social Capitol, an awesome venue in Arvada near 65th & Wadsworth Blvd. Sponsorships are available so sign up on the Events page and help out our vets by bringing your donations of toys, non-perishable food, and financial support. Your donations will be combined with that collected by the Colorado VFW and all cargo will be delivered the weekend of December 3-4-5 by volunteer pilots from around the area, including the flight teams of Metro State University of Denver and other volunteer pilots.

Flights will depart Sunday morning December 5 from Signature Flight Support at Centennial Airport as weather permits, and VFW volunteers at the destination airports will personally transport the goods to veterans and their families.

We hope to see you at the party but even if you are unable, you can still support the cause! Visit the Events page to view ticket and sponsorship options.

Latest Pilots/Aviation Night Out A Great One!

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:20:17 GMT

Pilots/Aviation Night Out - November 3rd, 2021

The latest Pilots/Aviation Night Out was held last night at our favorite aviation themed brewery - FlyteCo Brewing - and it was the most well-attended one yet, with about 40 in attendance.

Located off 38th & Tennyson in Denver's West Highland neighborhood near the old Elitch Gardens location, owners Eric, Morgan, and Jason have become friends as well as reliable supporters of CABA events. We really appreciate all they have done for us since opening up in 2018.

This has become one of our most popular social events because FlyteCo provides a 10% aviation discount for all attendees while also donating a portion of their proceeds to the CABA Foundation for its scholarship fund. Not to mention it's a fun venue with great brews, and weekly karaoke and bingo.

Be on the lookout for the next Pilots/Aviation Night Out so you too can enjoy a few brews with good company while also supporting our efforts to attract young people into aviation.

Great Golf Tournament!

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 13:29:33 GMT

July 1, 2021

The 2021 Golf Tournament was held Thursday, June 17, at Applewood Golf Course in Golden. Once again the tournament was completely sold out with 144 golfers (and a waiting list!). The weather for the day was awesome and by all accounts a great time was had by all!

There were no winners for either the $10,000 Hole-in-One contest or the $5,000 longest putt contest, although two golfers came within inches on their putts.

The Best Hole Theme contest for sponsors was won by Precision Aircraft Management, with their tropical island theme and tasty coconut beverages. They will receive a free Hole Sponsorship in next year's tournament!

2021 Golf Tournament Scheduled!

Sat, 01 May 2021 12:58:07 GMT

May 1, 2021

GET YOUR CLUBS READY - IT'S ON!

The 2021 Golf Tournament will be held Thursday, June 17, at Applewood Golf Course in Golden, CO.

$10,000 Hole-in-One contest
$5,000 longest putt contest
Best Hole Theme contest for sponsors - win a free Hole Sponsorship in next year's tournament!
BBQ Lunch and awards

2020 Scholarships Awarded

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:04:30 GMT

January 30, 2021

Three aspiring aviation professionals were selected from among 19 applicants to receive the 2020 CABA Scholarships which were presented on January 28, 2021. Winners were selected based on their resumes, an essay describing their career ambitions, and overall quality of the application. One of our most stringent criteria is the stated intention to pursue a career in business/general aviation.

Decker Babcock works the dispatch desk at Rocky Mountain Flight School and will use the scholarship for advanced training leading to the Flight Instructor certificate.

Tyler Mickey is a line service technician at Sheltair Aviation FBO at Rocky Mt. Metro Airport and will use his award for initial private pilot training.

Tammy Raines is a flight instructor at Rocky Mountain Flight School and will use her scholarship for Multi-Engine Instructor training.

Stay tuned and check back for more information on our plans for 2021 as we begin to emerge from the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and return to hosting in-person events.

VFW Holiday Airlift Another Success!

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 19:38:41 GMT

November 30, 2020

CABA and the Colorado Department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) once again partnered up to recruit pilots and aircraft to deliver over 8,000 pounds of food and toys to Colorado veterans and their families.

The 9th Annual VFW Holiday Airlift was conducted earlier than in previous years due to weather considerations. The timing was chosen for the weekend following Veterans Day (November 11) to coincide with those festivities and to ensure the delivery of cargo in plenty of time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Despite our attempt to minimize the impact of weather by moving the date up, we unfortunately did have high winds aloft on November 15 that prevented many of the smaller aircraft from flying. We were, however, able to deliver to all of the western slope destinations: Grand Junction, Montrose, Cortez, and Durango.

Alamosa was delivered the following day, and then over the course of the week, cargo was flown to Pueblo, Las Animas, Burlington, Sterling, Fort Morgan, Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, and Erie airports.

Twenty-six VFW posts were served by the cargo flights, and we'll post photos and the number of individuals served when the VFW makes that determination.

October is General Aviation Appreciation Month

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 18:36:32 GMT

September 30, 2020

Governor Jared Polis has designated October to be General Aviation Appreciation Month.

Working together with the governor's office, CABA chairman Chris Swathwood secured the proclamation which highlights the contributions of aviation in performing vital services in Colorado. General and business aviation aircraft have been instrumental in delivering PPE to 30 airports around Colorado and also performing aerial personnel support and control as well as conducting many sorties to drop fire retardant on the numerous large wildfires in the state.

The press release announcing the proclamation can be viewed and downloaded here and the proclamation itself can be viewed and downloaded here.

CABA Coordinates Medical Airlift

Tue, 11 Aug 2020 17:39:16 GMT

August 11

CABA recently partnered with Angel Flight West, Denver International Airport, and CDOT Aeronautics Division to distribute 3.2 million cloth masks around the state of Colorado. The masks were provided by FEMA for airports to use in their terminals for staff and the traveling public. Denver International retained about 2.5 million for their use, and some were delivered by DIA personnel to Colorado Springs Municipal.

Dave Ulane, Aeronautics Director, aware of our extensive experience coordinating the holiday VFW airlift, reached out to us during the last week of July to request our participation in the airlift. Because of our significant list of previous airlift volunteers, we were able to recruit over 20 pilots for this important medical relief mission. Angel Flight West provided the balance of the pilots.

Eighteen pallets of masks in boxes containing 500 each, were delivered by DIA personnel to Signature Flight Support at Centennial Airport on Thursday August 6, and on Friday several board members sorted them into separate loads for each destination. The medical relief flights were conducted the next day.

Aircraft began arriving to Signature at about 6:30 am on Saturday. Early flights were planned due to the forecast of high temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s. So for safety, pilots wanted to complete their missions before the afternoon to avoid flying in high density altitude conditions.

A wide variety of aircraft participated: Cessna 182, several Bonanza models, Mooney, several Grumman models, Cherokee 6, PC-12, and a Falcon 2000. CABA was responsible for coordinating the delivery of 800,000 masks to 30 mostly rural airports in Colorado, and the vast majority of them were flown on Saturday August 7. Two additional missions were flown on Sunday and Monday, and about a full pallet remains to be delivered to Grand Junction, which received the largest number of masks behind Denver International and Colorado Springs.

Overall it was a very hectic weekend but a very successful airlift to assist airports around the state during the covid pandemic.

Golf Event Canceled

Sat, 20 Jun 2020 15:24:22 GMT

June 20, 2020

We are saddened to announce that the CABA 2020 Golf Tournament has been canceled.

Under the current circumstances with the restrictions and procedures imposed on social interactions, golf courses, and food and beverage service, as well as considering paramount everyone's health during this time, the board decided that it would be most prudent to forego this year's event.

Since the golf tournament is our biggest fundraiser of the year for our scholarship program, we are also mindful of the significant challenges being faced by all who participate, from players and volunteers to sponsors, donors, and raffle item contributors. The business shutdowns and quarantines caused by the pandemic has severely impacted the economic health of all businesses, and very dramatically those in our industry. While scholarships are an important means to provide support for the future vitality of the aviation workforce, to ask sponsors for contributions while they themselves struggle to survive was something we felt was not in anyone's best interest.

The board, and in particular Amber Channel the golf chair, sincerely appreciate all of you who had signed up and were so flexible in trying to meet the continually changing demands of the situation. Refunds are being provided to those who requested them, and we are extremely grateful to those who chose to either donate or carry over their fees and sponsorships to next year.

We look forward to June 17, 2021, when we will once again be able to host a premier golf outing for our industry friends and colleagues rather than the poor substitute this year's event would have been.

Golf Tournament

Wed, 27 May 2020 12:19:49 GMT

May 27, 2020

As the economy continues to reopen and recover, we wanted to let you know that the CABA Golf Tournament has been pushed to August 13th.

We are hopeful that by then, some or many of the restrictions currently in place will have been relaxed and make the event more enjoyable than is currently the case. Particularly those pertaining to golf carts and dining. We are working together with Legacy Ridge to ensure that we'll be able to host an event as close to normal as possible. In addition, feedback from some of our members and industry contacts indicates that as businesses recover, many of our sponsors and players anticipate being in a better position to participate by that time.

As soon as we are able to confirm a date, we will send out notices and issue updates as necessary. You can also check here and on our social channels for timely information.

Golf, Airlift, and Glenwood Springs Airport GWS

Fri, 15 May 2020 14:54:46 GMT

May 4, 2020

As Colorado slowly begins to reopen from the covid-induced shutdown of businesses, flight instruction, and other activities, we wanted to let you know that CABA's Annual Golf Tournament has been postponed to August 13th or 20th. We will send out the date confirmation and issue updates as information becomes available, or you can also check back here for information.

The CABA Board sincerely appreciates all those who responded to our call for volunteer pilots and ground support for a medical airlift. As it turns out, our services were not needed which in one respect is a good thing! However, we still stand ready if and when we are called upon.

Speaking of airlifts, we remind you that the Holiday VFW Airlift is on the horizon and we'll be ramping up the planning for that event in the coming months.

Also a HUGE THANK YOU! to those who signed the petition supporting opening the Glenwood Springs Airport - our email campaign for the petition clearly made an impact as GWS has been reopened TODAY!

Covid-19 Update - April 16, 2020

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 15:19:21 GMT

April 16, 2020

As mentioned on March 26, CABA leadership has been working with the Governor's Office to obtain clarification about permissible flight operations, particularly at flight schools, under the governor's Public Health Order 20-24 (Stay At Home).

We have received confirmation from Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that services provided by flight schools are considered critical and are permitted to continue.

Flight schools are permitted to provide specifically the FAA-required flight proficiency and currency operations, namely takeoff/landing and night currency, as well as routine proficiency flights are permissible. Elective flight instruction, which includes primary instruction of student pilots, and training for advanced ratings are not permitted.

We did send out an Advisory to membership regarding the updated status so hopefully that helps reduce the confusion.

We've also received an excellent response from pilots willing to donate their time and expenses to fly in the event CABA is asked to mount an airlift for medical supplies and equipment. We have not yet been asked to do so but will keep you informed of any developments.

Chris Swathwood was interviewed by Fox News Denver yesterday at RMMA. We hope you caught it on tv. Below is a photo of the interview.

COVID-19 Update as of March 26, 2020

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:35:37 GMT

March 26, 2020

CABA leadership has been working with the Governor's Office to obtain clarification about permissible flight operations. We will issue an Advisory when we have more information.

According to the Department of Homeland Security's description of Critical Infrastructure Sectors, Aviation is under the Transportation Systems Sector. Here is what is shown on their website:

Aviation includes aircraft, air traffic control systems, and about 19,700 airports, heliports, and landing strips. Approximately 500 provide commercial aviation services at civil and joint-use military airports, heliports, and sea plane bases. In addition, the aviation mode includes commercial and recreational aircraft (manned and unmanned) and a wide-variety of support services, such as aircraft repair stations, fueling facilities, navigation aids, and flight schools.

In view of the above guidance from DHS, there has been a great deal of confusion surrounding Governor Jared Polis's Stay-At-Home Executive Order as it affects aviation activities in Colorado.

We will keep you abreast of any developments or updated information from the Governor's Office.

Member Poll on Current Legislation Before the Colorado General Assembly

Mon, 03 Feb 2020 16:00:00 GMT

Dear Members,

We have been and continue to monitor this year's legislation under consideration in Colorado, and are asking you for your input.

Your feedback is very important for CABA to better represent the interests of you and your business, as well as those of business and general aviation in Colorado. Your responses will enable us to serve your needs by either supporting or opposing these bills.

Some are directly aviation-related while others have impacts on the general business community in the state. Please take a few moments to read and understand what they will do and their consequences.

* VERY IMPORTANT* We will need your feedback on these bills by Thursday Feb 6.

You MUST be a CABA member and log in In order to access the poll. If you don't have your password, there is a Forgot Password link on the login page that will enable you to reset it.

We understand and apologize that this doesn't allow much time for consideration, but it is simply due to the nature of how the legislative process works: Bills are introduced in the House or Senate, assigned to and debated in committee, and then are either approved to move to the full body for debate and votes, or are killed in committee. Thus the situation changes almost daily and we must be ready to respond as rapidly as possible in our discussions and testimony at the Capitol.

This poll will be revised every two weeks, as various bills advance or are eliminated. Here are the bills for consideration in this poll (Bill Titles are links to the full text):

HB20-1143: Environmental Justice And Projects Increase Environmental Fines

Concerning additional public health protections regarding alleged environmental violations, and, in connection therewith, raising the maximum fines for air quality and water quality violations and allocating the fines to environmental mitigation projects.

HB20-1154: Workers' Compensation

Concerning the "Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado", and, in connection therewith, making changes that affect the timely payment of benefits, guardian and conservator services, offsets related to the receipt of federal disability or retirement benefits, the apportionment of benefits, the selection of independent medical examiners, limits on temporary disability and permanent partial disability payments, the withdrawal of admissions of liability, mileage expense reimbursement, the authority of prehearing administrative law judges, petitions to review, the reopening of permanent total disability awards, and appeals to the court of appeals.

HB20-1163: Management of Single-Use Products

Concerning the management of single-use products.

HB20-1182: Residents of Bordering States Sales Tax Exemption

Concerning the repeal of the sales tax exemption for sales to residents of bordering states without retail sales taxes.

HB20-1195: Consumer Digital Repair Bill of Rights

Concerning a requirement that a manufacturer of digital electronic equipment facilitate the repair of the equipment by providing persons other than authorized repair providers affiliated with the manufacturer with the resources needed to repair the equipment.

SB20-130: Backcountry Search and Rescue in Colorado

Concerning backcountry search and rescue services in Colorado.

SB20-131: Reimbursement to P-tech Schools for College Costs

Concerning funding for pathways in technology early college high schools.

SB20-133: Business Fiscal Impact Statements

Concerning the business fiscal impact notes.

PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR RESPONSES ON THE POLL HERE:

http://www.mycaba.org/Sys/Poll/11896

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond!

Your CABA Board of Trustees appreciate your feedback!

Colorado Governor Proclaims June as General Aviation Appreciation Month in Colorado

Thu, 30 May 2019 12:59:19 GMT

CABA has once again secured a Proclamation from the Governor's Office declaring June 2019 as General Aviation Appreciation Month in Colorado.

Continuing the practice begun in 2011 under Governor John Hickenlooper, current Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued the Proclamation earlier this month.

CABA issued a press release announcing the Proclamation; that can be viewed here

Below is an image of the Proclamation. Click the image to download a pdf version of the Proclamation.

UAV Legislation - HB18-1314 - Full Text

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 13:24:01 GMT

As we mentioned in the latest NewsBrief (March 30,l 2018), multiple stakeholders initiated House Bill 2018-1314, which was introduced in the Colorado House on March 22, 2018.

The legislation will create new criminal offenses for drone operators who intentionally interfere with public safety operations. Public safety operations include, but are not limited to, firefighting, law enforcement, search and rescue, and medevac.

Because of CABA's experience in working with manned flight ops and the FAA, we were asked to assist in drafting the language of the bill.

The full text of HB18-1314 appears below:

CABA's Tax Exemption Legislation - FACT SHEET

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 14:25:56 GMT

As you may know by now, House Bill 18-1083, the CABA-initiated legislation to extend the state sales and use tax exemption to include on-demand air carriers in Colorado, was recently passed in the Business Affairs & Labor Committee. The bill was introduced in the committee on January 19.

Chris Swathwood, chair of our Legislative Affairs Committee, put together a handy fact sheet with detailed information about what the bill is about and what it would do for business aviation in the state. You can view it below, or download and print it here

CABA's Tax Legislation: HB18-1083 - Full Text

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 00:59:17 GMT

Below is the full text of HB18-1083, CABA's Legislation to create a sales and use tax exemption for the benefit of Colorado-based on-demand air carriers.

FAA LTA - Letter to Airmen

Tue, 09 Jan 2018 14:32:45 GMT

The following was received in response to our inquiry regarding recent non-standard routings into airports in the Denver Metro and nearby regional airports.

LTA Published D01 ZDV Routing 12-26-17.pdf

CABA on the Connect & Collaborate Radio Show

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 14:16:19 GMT

On September 18, CABA Vice Chairman Chris Swathwood was a guest on the radio show "Connect & Collaborate," produced by the Colorado Business Roundtable and broadcast on KDMT AM1690.

Also on the show were Jessica Freeman, Executive Director of the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association, and CABA's lobbyist Kelly Sloan.

You can listen to the recording by clicking the link below:

http://www.cobrt.com/radio/ag-and-fire-aviation

Scroll down to get to the replay link, which is below the runway.

CABA On The Air This Week

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 17:12:35 GMT

CABA will be live on the radio this week on KDMT 1690 AM, on the Colorado Business Roundtable's "Connect and Collaborate" show. This week will air a series of discussions of various topics in aviation.

The shows air at 4pm every day beginning today.

Here is the topic list:

Monday (Today) – CABA and Agricultural Aviation Association

Tuesday – Airport Operators and David Ulane

Wednesday – UAS Colorado

Thursday – Seaplanes

Friday – Tentative NBAA either Dan Hubbard or Ed Bolen

2017 CABA Scholarship Winners

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:35:37 GMT

Three aspiring aviation professionals were each awarded $3,000 in CABA Scholarship funds at the 11th Annual CABA/Signature Flight Support Golf Tournament held on June 15 at Black Bear Golf Club in Parker.

The 2017 recipients are Ms. Kayla Hachen, Mr. Ryan Cannon, and Ms. Jenna Coffman.

As the three students continue their studies, all have a passion and a drive for aviation. Furthermore, these students show how vast aviation is and how it can be used to save lives, provide relief efforts, and even enhance business.

First, Ms. Coffman will apply her scholarship to flight training with Aspen Flying Club at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado, intending to become a medical flight pilot. She was in Civil Air Patrol training in California during the golf tournament and unavailable for photos.

Next, Ms. Hachen (pictured at right) plans to become a pilot flying international supply relief missions, and will use her scholarship for flight training with Western Air Flight Academy at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport in Broomfield, Colorado.

Finally, Mr. Cannon (pictured at left) is a sophomore at Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology in Broomfield, Colorado, where his scholarship will assist him to complete training as an Airframe and Powerplant Technician. He will then continue on to a career as a maintenance technician in business aviation.

The CABA Scholarships were established in 2011 and are awarded to help support selected students or individuals with advancement of a career in aviation. To date, the CABA Scholarships have provided a total of $36,500 in financial assistance to 19 men and women pursuing careers in aviation.

All aviation-related career tracks are eligible including, but not limited to: pilot, aircraft maintenance, airport operations, and management. Applicants are evaluated by CABA’s Education and Outreach Committee, and recipients are selected based on their demonstrated dedication to an aviation-related career, scholastic transcripts, financial need, and recommendations from professional and/or faculty mentors.

Visit the CABA Scholarships page for application information and materials.

Membership Fees to Increase

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:21:34 GMT

We, your board of directors, have been working hard to bring you more value in return for your membership dues. We do this through efforts such as meeting with the FAA and our Industry Advisory Board, keeping our members informed about the Metroplex and ATC privatization, as well as weighing in other issues affecting business aviation operations in Colorado.

And of course our events such as the Static Displays coupled with Educational Series presentations have been very popular and we intend to continue with those.

To continue providing more value through effective legislative representation and other activities, membership fees will increase as of October 1, 2017.

The new fees will go up by $10 - $50 depending upon membership type.

HOWEVER - you can lock in the current rate if you renew before October 1, 2017

CABA Meets With FAA Denver Metroplex Team

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:14:34 GMT

On Aug 10 and Aug 15, representatives of the CABA, including Chairwoman Kandi Spangler, took part in conference calls with the FAA’s Denver Metroplex Team to work through several outstanding items pertaining to the new arrival procedures for Denver’s satellite airports.

Several of the improvements included higher arrival altitudes, fewer or faster speed restrictions, and increased coverage within Denver’s Class B boundary. In some cases, waypoints were also moved to accommodate local airport traffic and even skydiving activity at Longmont Airport in order to streamline approach routes.

“Overall, I have been quite pleased with the FAA’s willingness to work with us over the past year on the redesign project,” stated Spangler, who has relied heavily upon operator input during the association’s involvement in the project. “It’s unfortunate we were not invited to the table early on in the initial design phase so our ability to address larger issues had passed, but we are pleased with the incremental changes we were able to accomplish working with the FAA later in the process; all of which will have a positive impact on the business aviation community - both here in Denver and for transient traffic as well.”

The Denver Metroplex Project now heads into an Environmental Assessment phase scheduled for spring of 2018, during which they will assess environmental impacts such as noise, air pollution, and other factors. At that time, the FAA also plans to hold public workshops where they will present the proposed procedures.

Representatives from CABA will continue to stay involved in this project and keep our members informed of any updates.

FMI on Denver Metroplex, visit: http://metroplexenvironmental.com/denver_metroplex/denver_introduction.html

FMI on FAA Order 1050.1F-Environmental Assessment Process, visit: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/FAA_Order_1050_1F.pdf

CABA To Introduce Legislation to Amend Aircraft Sales and Use Tax Exemption in Colorado

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:20:53 GMT

In the upcoming 2018 general session of the Colorado General Assembly, CABA, through our sponsors, will introduce new legislation to modify the Colorado tax code pertaining to the aircraft sales and use tax exemption.

Current Colorado law exempts from sales and use tax, all aircraft used in interstate commerce by a commercial airline, and parts permanently affixed to those aircraft (C.R.S. § 39-26-711). This exemption applies to state, Regional Transportation District/Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, county- and state-collected local taxes.

A commercial airline is defined as an airline carrying freight or passengers on regularly scheduled flights for a fee (C.R.S. § 39-4-101(2)). On-demand air carriers, commonly referred to as air charter or air taxi operators and operated under 41 C.F.R. Part 135, generally fall outside of the definition of a commercial airline specifically because they are “on-demand,” as opposed to “regularly scheduled” flights.

Therefore, purchasers of aircraft utilized in on-demand air carrier operations cannot avail themselves of the sales and use tax exemption under C.R.S. § 39-26-711.

To remedy this inequity, CABA plans to introduce a straightforward bill to amend the exemption so as to include on-demand air carriers. Over the past few months CABA has secured legislative sponsors Senator Jack Tate and Representative Tracy Kraft-Tarp, as well as the support of the President Pro-tem and Senate Majority Leader. We continue to meet with state representatives to gain further support for the bill.

However, CABA still needs additional assistance and support from you as we prepare to navigate through the legislative process.

The following anticipated benefits will help grow Colorado’s aviation industry and benefit the entire state:

— Aircraft purchasers will place additional aircraft in commercial service in Colorado, which will increase jobs related to their operation. Such jobs include pilots, maintenance and ground personnel, management, schedulers, administrative staff, and a host of related services.
— Providers of services ancillary to the purchase, placement and operation of charter aircraft will see more business opportunities within Colorado. These services include aircraft brokers and dealers, legal support, accounting, fuel sales and hangar services, among others.
— Colorado has a multitude of on-demand air carriers (approximately 40) which will have access to additional aircraft. Often, charter companies do not own their own aircraft, but instead lease them from owners. The expanded exemption will allow these air carriers an opportunity to update their fleet with newer aircraft with enhanced safety features.
— Colorado rural communities will benefit through additional service. Service providers critical to rural communities, such as medical transport, rely upon on-demand air carriers to access communities with no airline service.
— Aviation in Colorado currently supports 265,700 jobs with an annual payroll of $12.6 billion and an economic impact of $32.2 billon as cited in the 2013 Economic Impact Study provided by the Colorado Division of Aeronautics. Many companies supporting these jobs will be more competitive and see increased growth through the proposed expanded exemption.
— A recent survey of several Colorado based on-demand air carriers, show that on average each aircraft creates 5.26 jobs to support its operation.
— A large cabin class aircraft requires a crew of 5 with average salaries of $550,000 per aircraft.
— One on-demand air charter operator at Centennial Airport stated that with passage of the bill it would assist them in acquiring an additional three aircraft. Each of these aircraft will have an approximate annual operating budget of $1,600,000 in variable expenses, of which about 70% remains here in Colorado adding another $3,360,000 in funds spent here. Thus these 3 aircraft alone would add an additional $5,000,000 in economic impact.
— An on-demand aircraft operator based at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield with aircraft and crews based at KBJC (Rocky Mt Metro), KAPA (Centennial), KEGE (Eagle/Vail), KTEX (Telluride), and KASE (Aspen), stated that passage of the bill could help them acquire an additional 3-10 aircraft, adding as many as 50 new jobs at multiple locations in the state.
— The impact on tax revenue will be minimal compared to the overall economic benefit. Aircraft owners utilize sophisticated tax planning to mitigate sales and use tax. Often, this analysis results in owners simply basing aircraft in other states. Incentivizing owners to keep these valuable assets in Colorado and place them further down the stream of commerce through commercial service will create opportunities that justify this legislation.

CABA needs to raise $50,000 to cover expenses associated with the introduction of this bill and the efforts needed to promote it through the 2018 legislative session.

HELP US PROMOTE BUSINESS AVIATION IN COLORADO — CLICK THE “DONATE NOW” BUTTON BELOW.