Mountain West UAS Announces Major Donation – Buena Vista Drone Training Park
Published on 4/28/2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mountain West UAS Announces Major Donation – Buena Vista Drone Training Park
Buena Vista, CO – April 26, 2025 – Mountain West UAS (MWUAS) has announced two major
additions to the Drone Training Park made possible by a generous donation of time and
equipment from the Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA).
"The generous support from Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, a long-term sponsor of our
program, marks a significant milestone for the Drone Training Park,” says MWUAS President,
Zach Dougherty. “These installations will enhance the park’s training capabilities and help
ensure that drone pilots can effectively and safely conduct power line inspections and other
critical tasks. We are excited to see how these additions will contribute to the growth and
advancement of drone technology within our community.
Two new training elements were installed with this most recent development:
1. Mock Utility Poles. Two full-sized utility poles have been installed at the Drone
Training Park to help train drone pilots. These new towers will give drone pilots the
opportunity to hone their piloting skills by maneuvering drones along mock powerlines,
insulators, and other structural elements utilizing onboard cameras and other sensors.
Power line inspections have become one of the most common and valuable uses of
drone technology because they remove the need for dangerous human inspections of
power infrastructure.
2. Eagle Nest. A synthetic eagle nest has been installed as well. These “nests” are
installed by power companies to provide nesting areas for large raptors in safe areas.
Raptors will often build nests in the cross arms of power poles because of the
unobstructed visibility these lookouts provide. Energized power lines, however, pose
multiple hazards to these birds, and nests on power poles often cause fires, power
outages, and pose a significant risk to the raptor population. Providing these
manufactured nesting sites in safe locations away from power lines helps avoid these
risks. However, the nest installed at the Drone Training Park is not intended for raptor
nesting, but as a training tool. Another risk to raptors - especially the chicks - is fishing
line that becomes snared in the nests. Using drones, these ensnared lines can be
safely removed without requiring a person to climb to the nest. The “nest” installed at
the Drone Training Park will provide drone operators a hands-on training for this
purpose.
The Buena Vista Drone Training Park is a one-of-a-kind drone training facility formed by
Mountain West UAS in Buena Vista, Colorado. It is open to the public, and available to public
agencies and private companies for drone training, testing and demonstrations. The Training
Park plays a critical role in MWUAS’s mission as a 501(c)(3) committed to promoting the safe
and efficient use of drones for recreational and commercial drone pilots and enhancing public
safety and education for this emerging technology.
Sangre de Cristo Electric Association is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric
cooperative headquartered in Buena Vista, Colorado. Established over 80 years ago, SDCEA
provides electric service to more than 14,000 consumer-members across Chaffee, Lake,
Fremont, Custer, and Saguache counties in south-central Colorado. SDCEA is involved in
numerous community-interest programs, including a scholarship program for post-high school
education.
Media Contacts:
Mountain West UAS: Dennis Heap, Treasurer
(303) 478-4764
fraa@aol.com
Zach Dougherty, President
720-300-8686
President@mountainwestuas.org