KBJC - Rocky Mountain Metro Airport
Opened 1960
Annual Airport Operations (2018): 171,262
News Articles:
Jeffco Noise Study Revealed; Touch & Go Operations Cited - Brad Walker, a longtime pilot at Jefferson County, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Municipal Airport (KBJC; also known as “Jeffco”), has actively challenged efforts by homeowners to sue the county over noise and lead pollution associated with the airport. Most recently, he filed a request under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) statute (similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act) to acquire a noise study commissioned by his hometown of Superior, Colorado, which abuts the airport property. His request had been denied, based on attorney-client privilege, but Walker recently acquired a copy of the report and shared it with AVweb. - April 8, 2024
Broomfield leaves airport noise group and blasts Jefferson County for lack of progress and trust - The Broomfield City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to leave a board created three years ago to address growing noise concerns at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. City leaders and some of its residents are blasting the so-called community noise roundtable as an ineffective waste of time and money. The airport is owned by Jefferson County and residents in neighboring communities have been raising concerns for years about the impacts of airport noise on their health and wellbeing. - March 27, 2024
Superior and Boulder County Take Legal Action Against Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and Jeffer - Lawsuit Calls for Airport to Stop Causing Unreasonable Health and Safety Risks - On March 12, 2024, the Town of Superior (the “Town”) and the Board of County Commissioners for Boulder County (“Boulder County”) filed a lawsuit in the Boulder County District Court to protect their residents from negative and unreasonable health impacts caused by certain operations at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (the “Airport”). In the complaint, a copy of which can be found here. the Town and Boulder County request the Court require Jefferson County, owner and operator of the Airport, to abate the public nuisance stemming from piston-engine aircraft conducting touch-and-go operations at the Airport. The Town and Boulder County are not seeking monetary damages, are not trying to close the Airport, are not trying to limit which aircraft can use the Airport, and are not asking Jefferson County to do anything it is not expressly authorized to do. - March 12 2024
Concerned over lead found in homes, Superior trustees point to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport - The Superior Board of Trustees on Monday night expressed concern over positive lead results from homes in the Rock Creek neighborhood, and the effects lead can have on the town’s children.
Trustees fear that the source of the lead is emissions from planes taking off from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. - March 15, 2024
Suit Launched To Halt Touch And Goes At Jeffco - The town of Superior, Colorado and Boulder County are suing neighboring Jefferson County and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (often call Jeffco), which is owned by Jefferson County, to force them to ban touch and goes at the busy training airport. Citing “negative and unreasonable health impacts” from noise and lead pollution, the city and county say they’ve tried for years to get their next-door neighbors to respond to their concerns but instead activity at the airport has steadily increased. Operations increased from 191,553 in 2019 to 281,806 in 2023 and the vast majority are training flights from the four flight schools on the sprawling 1,700-acre field. - March 12, 2024
‘Freedom Of Information’ Request On Jeffco Noise Testing Denied By Town - Brad Walker is frustrated, but resolute. A long-time GA pilot based at Jefferson County, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (aka “Jeffco”), he has filed multiple requests under the Colorado Open Records Act (similar to the Freedom of Information Act) to obtain information related to legal action by area residents against the airport. Walker’s findings include eye-opening results of lead-pollution tests commissioned by the town of Superior, Colorado, and previously reported by AVweb. - March 4, 2024
Airport consultants vow to hire director who will be front-and-center in dealing with the public - Honesty is the chief quality the new director of the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport must possess, said airport critic Bri Lehman. “Honesty underlines everything,” said Lehman, a Lafayette resident said Tuesday. She told a group of consultants that a lack of trust between previous airport directors and the airport’s neighbors has been a persistent problem. “This has been going on for a long time,” Lehman said. - February 27, 2024
Residents Sue Colorado Airport - A lawsuit organized by disgruntled homeowners who live near Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Colorado pits neighbors against the national aviation system and their local airport. - January 10, 2024
Avigation Easements Explained - The lawsuit a group of homeowners is filing in Colorado claiming the local airport, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport—also known as Jeffco (KBJC)—is financially responsible for lowering their property values. The issue of “avigation easements” came up in my research on the lawsuit, and some readers asked for clarification on exactly what the term means and how it applies in the real world. - January 5, 2024
County investigated claims former airport manager belittled and called nearby residents ‘nut jobs' - The director of one of the fastest growing airports in Colorado left his job abruptly last month, just days after critical comments he made about residents living near the airport were revealed to county officials. - December 21, 2023
400 homeowners sue JeffCo over airport’s effect on home prices - Four hundred and six homeowners in Superior are suing Jefferson County, accusing its airport of violating their airspace, dumping lead on them and devaluing their 230 houses. - December 26, 2023
Colorado Noise Disputes Escalate - Continued complaints about aircraft operations at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport have led the town of Superior, Colorado, to retain legal counsel ahead of potential litigation. - December 20, 2023
NOISE CONCERNS DIVIDE AVIATORS, RESIDENTS IN COLORADO - Pilots had to fight to have their voices heard at a community listening session in Colorado while residents rallied for airport restrictions because of concerns related to noise and fuel. - October 26, 2023
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Accelerates Transition to Unleaded Fuel Three Years Ahead of FAA - October 5, 2023
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport to switch to unleaded aviation fuel 3 years ahead of deadline - October 4, 2023
Suburban residents battle noise, lead pollution from busy metro Denver airports - July 7, 2023
Daily Camera Article from Feb. 5 1997 - Newspaper article from the Daily Camera advising the town of Superior to not develop Rock Creek Ranch by Jefferson County
Press releases:
Town of Superior Response - Legal Demands from the Town of Superior - December 22, 2023
Letter to CO AG from the following organizations: AOPA, GAMA, HAI, NBAA, NATA - October 19, 2023
RMMA Press Release Unleaded Fuel Transition - BROOMFIELD – Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) officials and Jefferson County Commissioners Wednesday announced the airport’s accelerated timeline to transition to unleaded fuel three years ahead of the FAA deadline. - October 4, 2023
Fuel Transition Timeline
Fuel FAQ
Meetings/Communications:
Letter to Town of Superior from Jefferson County - December 11, 1986
Letter to Town of Superior from Jefferson County - In bold font from the letter: ""within these zones, it is recommended that all residential and public buildings...be prohibited" - November 21, 1995
Letter to Town of Superior from Jefferson County - January 23, 1996
Letter to Town of Superior from Jefferson County - June 25, 1996
Letter to Town of Superior from Jefferson County - July 10, 1996
FAA Letter to Town of Superior - May 18, 2023 Of note from this letter:
A ban or restriction on the sale or use of 100LL (Avgas) at a federally obligated airport is inconsistent with Grant Assurance 22, Economic Nondiscrimination (49 United States Code Section 47107(a)(1)).
Town of Superior Letter to KBJC - Letter from the Town of Superior from July 2023
Response from Jefferson County - 08162023 - Response letter to the Town of Superior from August 2023
Boulder Airport Budget: Upcoming Council Meeting - September 26, 2023
Superior Colorado Community Listening Session - 10/23/2023
Lead Studies:
CABA and CPA Lead Surveys Press release - February 8, 2024 - Denver, Colo. – The Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA) and Colorado Pilots Association (CPA) released the following statement welcoming the findings of no lead contamination in communities near Rocky Mountain Metro Airport, and reaffirming the commitment of the aviation industry to safely replace leaded aviation gas by 2030.
Lead Study from town of Superior - On August 11, 2023, Pinyon Environmental, Inc. (Pinyon) completed surface lead wipe sampling within the Town of Superior (Town) for the seven community locations where airborne lead sampling was previously performed. (Figure 1). The seven sampling locations were chosen by the Town with respect to each location’s proximity to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) flight patterns. The surface lead wipe sampling included a combination of indoor and outdoor locations.
Airborne Lead Study from town of Superior - On May 16 and May 17, 2023, Pinyon Environmental, Inc. (Pinyon) completed air sampling for lead analysis at seven community locations within the Town of Superior (Town) (Figure 1). The seven sampling locations were chosen by the Town with respect to each location’s proximity to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) flight patterns. The study included three indoor and four outdoor locations.
City of Lafayette Airborne Lead Sampling - On October 19 and October 20, 2023, Pinyon Environmental, Inc. (Pinyon) completed air and surface sampling for lead analysis at four community locations within the Town of Lafayette (Town). The four sampling locations were chosen by the Town with respect to each location’s proximity to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) flight patterns (Appendix A). The study included two indoor and two outdoor locations.
City of Louisville Airborne Lead Sampling - On November 6 and November 9, 2023, Pinyon Environmental, Inc. (Pinyon) completed air and surface sampling for lead analysis at four community locations within the Town of Louisville (Town). The four sampling locations were chosen by the Town with respect to each location’s proximity to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA) flight patterns (Appendix A). The study included two indoor and two outdoor locations.
Noise Study:
RMMA Noise Measurement Summary February - The following summarizes the noise levels measured at the Water Bladder measurement location located off S. Torreys Peak Dr. and aircraft operations detected over the Town of Superior for the month of February 2024. Additional information regarding the measurements is attached. - February 2024
RMMA - Fly Quiet Program - The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is located amongst thriving business parks and residential areas. To balance the needs of our community, our noise abatement program is designed to minimize noise from aircraft operations and reduce any negative effects on the surrounding areas.
A Guide to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport - A guide to air traffic at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport explaining the training traffic, noise and who sets the rules.
A Guide to Understanding Airport Operations and Aircraft Noise - Developed for the residents and communities surrounding Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (RMMA).
RMMA Strategic Business Plan Page - RMMA, in consultation with an aviation consultant, developed the Strategic Business Plan in order to guide investment and development decisions over the next 20 years. As the region grows, so has interest in development at RMMA. With nearly 200 acres of aeronautical land available, there are many potential opportunities for investment at the airport.
KBJC Fly Quiet Program - The Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport is located amongst thriving business parks and residential areas. To balance the needs of our community, our noise abatement program is designed to minimize noise from aircraft operations and reduce any negative effects on the surrounding areas.
Legal Documents
Rock Creek Easement disclosure
Town of Superior Lawsuit - March 2024
Defendant's Notice of Removal Based on Federal Question Jurisdiction - 3/14/2024
Video of flying in and around KBJC from the FAA - Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) is a medium sized, multi-use airport located 20 miles west of the Denver International Airport. Situated on the northwest edge of the metropolitan area, it provides a convenient alternative to business and general aviation visiting the Denver area. A complex airport layout coupled with the wide diversity of pilot experience and aircraft performance makes Rocky Mountain Metropolitan a challenge to both pilots and controllers. This video prepares pilots for hot spots and common issues at BJC.
Angel Flight West missions flown:
| Airport |
|
Mission Count |
|
Unique Passenger Count |
|
Unique Pilot Count |
| KBJC |
|
65 |
|
40 |
|
26 |
*mission stats from 1/1/2022 to 10/18/2023
Economic Impact
| Jobs |
|
Payroll |
|
Value Added |
|
Business Revenue |
| 915 |
|
$46,371,000 |
|
$69,043,000 |
|
$116,428,000 |
Source:
2020 Colorado Aviation Economic Impact Study
Rocky Mountain Metro Airport Economic Impact Study