Flight school training areas in Boulder County
East Boulder County used to be bucolic. No longer. Thanks to flight schools all around Boulder County, including BDU, East Boulder County now hosts non stop piston engine airplane traffic nearly 24/7.
Though not a formal FAA thing, flight schools have taken it upon themselves to create training areas in Boulder County. These areas have their own zones and frequencies for communication. The flight schools use them, and the industry recommends other pilots use them.
Consequently, East Boulder County has become very crowded. Between May and Sept 2022 there were six crashes involving Boulder County airspace, resulting in ten deaths. Pilots themselves have literally referred to this area as the Valley of Death. What is being done? We don't know yet what, if anything, the FAA and the industry will decide. The only thing we know is that citizens won't be at the table.
Thanks, general aviation.
Though not a formal FAA thing, flight schools have taken it upon themselves to create training areas in Boulder County. These areas have their own zones and frequencies for communication. The flight schools use them, and the industry recommends other pilots use them.
Consequently, East Boulder County has become very crowded. Between May and Sept 2022 there were six crashes involving Boulder County airspace, resulting in ten deaths. Pilots themselves have literally referred to this area as the Valley of Death. What is being done? We don't know yet what, if anything, the FAA and the industry will decide. The only thing we know is that citizens won't be at the table.
Thanks, general aviation.
Aerobatics Training Area
Panama Training Area
Union Reservoir Training Area
Terry Lake Training Area
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Striped Fields Training Area
Boulder Reservoir Training Area
Lonetree Training Area
Firestone Training Area
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The Result
Pilots fly every day of the year that weather permits. The better the weather, the more the traffic. There are no days off for residents underneath.
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