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To Champion the Colorado Unmanned Aircraft Ecosystem

History

In January 2012, the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Springs Economic Development Commission, Adam County Economic Development (ACED), the Metro Denver Economic Development Commission, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (COEDIT), and Front Range Airport (KFTG) agreed to jointly respond to the anticipated UAS test site requirement of the FAA Reauthorization Act.

All parties agreed that an FAA-approved UAS test site in Colorado would leverage the many capabilities and assets of the state into a major economic development opportunity.

The Colorado UAS Team was then formed to respond to the FAA Request for Comments (RFC) and Request for Information (RFI) implied by the FAA MRA of 2012. The Colorado UAS Team responded to the March 9, 2012, RFC and RFI on May 8, 2012.

Concurrently, ACED established a 501(c)(6) non-profit organization, Spaceport and Aerospace Authority Colorado (SCAA Colorado) with a division known as UASColorado. UASColorado is responsible for responding to the impending RFP and management of an FAA authorized UAS test site. The interim board of the SCAA held its first meeting on October 4, 2012, to approve the bylaws of and discuss the concept of operations for UASColorado.

On February 14, 2013, the FAA released a Screening Information Request (SIR) or Request for Proposal (RFP) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site Selection. UAS Colorado responded by developing and submitting a seven-volume proposal by May 6, 2013. The UAS Colorado proposal was supported by 100+ businesses, 8 universities/colleges, 14 airports and flight areas, 7 regional economic development agencies, County Representatives from 8 County Commissions, and many County Sheriffs and Firefighting Departments

In December 2013, the FAA announced that Colorado had not been granted a UAS Test Site. This necessitated a revision of Colorado objectives for the UAS industry. In June 2014, Adams County transferred all rights and intellectual property for UAS Colorado to Rocky Mountain UAS, LLC (RMUAS) in order to continue Colorado UAS activities for the state and to formalize a separate non-profit business league for the UAS industry in Colorado.

The formalization of UAS Colorado as a stand-alone and separate non-profit business league was accomplished with the Colorado Secretary of State in June 2014.