Adams County's Front Range Airport is unique in the Denver metropolitan area, as it is the only general aviation airport without major nearby residential areas. The Airport's 3,349 acres of land, about two-thirds the land area of the old Stapleton International Airport, makes Front Range larger than all other general aviation airports in the area combined. Front Range provides all-weather aviation facilities, with excellent access to I-70 and rail lines.
A five-member Airport Authority appointed by the Board of County Commissioners governs the Airport. The 2011 directors serving four-year terms are County Commissioners Skip Fischer, Alice Nichol, and Erick Hansen. Senator Stephanie Takis, and Barry Gore, President Adams County Economic Development also serve on the board. The Authority works closely with Aviation Director Dennis Heap to manage the airport. The Authority is developing the airport to accommodate large business, commercial and military aircraft. The Airport has two hard surface 8,000' lighted runways, three Category I Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and a Level I Air traffic Control Tower, operated as a FAA contract tower.
The County has funded $19.5 million in capital improvements at Front Range Airport, supplementing
the $47.0 million invested by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Colorado Division of Aeronautics
has provided the Airport with discretionary grants totaling $1.9 million for capital projects
and pavement maintenance. Private investment in hangar construction totals $34.3 million and
the Airport has no bonded indebtedness.
The Airport's facilities and location are also attractive for other operations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) installed a "Next Generation" Weather Radar Facility (NEXRAD) at Front Range. Local TV Channel 7 and TV Channel 31 installed their own Doppler radar systems and the Colorado Department of Military Affairs constructed a $4.3 million armory for the Colorado 5th Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
Front Range Airport accommodates commercial and corporate aviation needs. Perhaps even more significantly, Front Range is the only general aviation facility in the Denver area without noise or over-flight problems.
