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.

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.

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! 

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.

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.

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!

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.

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:

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

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.