Colorado's Friendliest GA Airport
Platte Valley Airpark (18V) · Fort Lupton, CO · 40 minutes north of Denver
$6.15/gal
100LL
4,100
ft Paved
2,500
ft Grass Strip
100+
Based Aircraft
For over 60 years, the Front Range's backyard runway.
Platte Valley Airpark sits north of Denver on Colorado's Front Range — 60+ years of GA history, 100+ based aircraft, a tight-knit community that welcomes everyone from Cubs to taildraggers to warbirds. This isn't a corporate FBO. It's a real community airport where you wave on downwind and leave with three new friends.
"Whether you're flying in for the first time or you've been based here for decades — you're family."
Fuel & Services
Self-Serve 100LL
$6.15/gal · 24/7 credit card
Paved Runway
4,100 ft lighted · 15/33
Grass Strip
2,500 ft · tailwheel-friendly · 9/27
Transient Parking
Free · overnight welcome
CTAF 122.9
No landing fee
Fort Lupton, CO
40 min north of Denver
Come Fly In
📍 7507 County Road 39, Fort Lupton, CO 80621
📻 CTAF: 122.9
✈️ Pattern Altitude: 5,500 ft MSL
🛬 Runways: 15/33 (4,100 ft paved) · 9/27 (2,500 ft grass)
💰 No landing fee
🌐 Coordinates: 40°4.6'N / 104°47.6'W
18V in Photos
The Field
From the Field
Runway Reports
Conditions, community, and real-world flying wisdom from 18V and beyond.
Pancake Breakfast Fly-In 2026 — We'll Call That a Success.
The griddle came out, the planes came in, and 18V did what 18V does best. Pilots, families, dogs, and at least one absolutely stunning WWI biplane filled the ramp on a perfect Colorado spring morning. Good food, good people, and the kind of hangar talk that makes you remember why you got into flying in the first place. Thank you to everyone who showed up — based pilots, transient visitors, and a few who just drove over. First one of 2026 is in the books. See you next time. ✈️
#PancakeBreakfast #FlyIn #18V #CommunityAirport #ColoradoFlying
Think You Know Colorado Density Altitude? Think Again.
Even seasoned pilots get humbled on a warm Front Range afternoon. At Platte Valley Airpark, we see it all: taildraggers, trainers, and a few folks who wish they'd leaned their mixture sooner. Want the local's take on backcountry departures, grass strip etiquette, and why sunrise matters? Drop by for a fly-in or reach out for our favorite mountain routes. Community, coffee, and real-world flying wisdom — always on tap.
#DensityAltitude #FrontRange #GeneralAviation
There's Something About a Grass Strip That Just Gets in Your Blood.
Platte Valley Airpark (18V) sits just north of Denver — close enough to be convenient, far enough to feel like an escape. Our 2,500 ft grass runway is your invitation to sharpen those off-road flying skills: soft-field technique, crosswind awareness, density altitude respect. Taildraggers, experimentals, Cubs — all welcome. Honestly, everyone's welcome. Whether you're building backcountry skills or just looking for a fun hop away from the busy Class B, 18V is your Front Range playground. 100LL self-serve fuel on the field. Come fly with us.
#BackcountryFlying #GeneralAviation #GrassStrip #TailwheelFlying #ColoradoFlying #18V
GA's Best Financial Year Ever — and a Senate Bill That Could Change Small Airports
GAMA's 2025 report: $35.7B in billings, the highest ever. Jet deliveries up 11.8% to 854 aircraft. But leaders flag a bottleneck — not enough A&P mechanics to sustain it. A bipartisan bill would put ADS-B displays at 90+ contract towers relying on visual observation alone. Controllers would finally see what pilots see on ForeFlight. Aviation Real Estate Magazine's Top 100 Airparks list highlights communities like Platte Valley Airpark (18V) — runway living keeping GA growing from the ground up. Growing the fleet or the workforce — which matters more?
#GeneralAviation #PrivateAirports #AviationNews #FlyInCommunity #AviationEconomy
Density Altitude Season Is Here — Know Your Numbers
18V sits at 4,934 ft MSL. Add a 75°F April afternoon and you're performing at over 8,000 ft density altitude before you've left the pattern. The math is simple: lean aggressively, rotate with patience, and give yourself the whole runway. We've got 4,100 ft of paved and 2,500 ft of grass — use every foot of it. Summer's coming. Know your airplane's numbers cold before July gets here.
#DensityAltitude #SummerFlying #FrontRange #18V
Mountain Wave Season — Respect the Rotor
Winter on the Front Range means mountain wave. If you're departing 18V westbound when the winds are howling off the peaks, know what you're getting into. The rotor zone below the wave can be violent and unpredictable. Stay east of the foothills until you have altitude, file IFR if in doubt, and never underestimate the lee side. Beautiful flying country — if you know the rules. The regulars here have stories. Ask them on the ramp.
#MountainFlying #ColoradoWeather #FrontRange #WinterFlying
Why the Regulars Are Out at 6:30 AM
There's a reason the regulars are on the ramp before sunrise. The air is smooth, the winds are calm, and the Rockies are lit up in alpenglow. By noon in summer you're fighting thermals and density altitude. But that early morning slot — that's what this field is really about. If you've never launched east from 18V into a Colorado sunrise with the mountains in your mirror, put it on the list. We'll be the ones already fueled up and taxiing.
#MorningFlying #ColoradoAviation #FrontRange #SunriseFlying
Grass Strip Etiquette — The Unwritten Rules at 18V
9/27 at Platte Valley is 2,500 ft of soft-field character-building. A few things the regulars know: inspect first, especially after rain — we get freeze-thaw cycles that can surprise you. Soft-field technique isn't optional, it's respect for the surface and the pilots behind you. If you're in a heavy nosedragger, let the taildraggers and Cubs go first. They earned it. And if you nail a three-pointer in a crosswind? The guys on the ramp will notice.
#GrassStrip #TailwheelLife #SoftField #18V
AOPA: Small Airports Are the Backbone of GA
AOPA's latest advocacy push highlights what pilots at fields like 18V already know: small community airports are irreplaceable. They're where flight training happens, first solos get celebrated, and the real GA culture lives. Over 5,000 public-use airports in the US, and the ones that matter most to the community are rarely the ones with the big towers. Platte Valley has been doing this for 60+ years. We're not going anywhere.
#AOPA #GeneralAviation #SmallAirports #GAAdvocacy
Read more →60+ Years on the Front Range — What That Actually Means
Platte Valley Airpark has been here since 1966. That's six decades of first solos, hangar friendships, fly-in breakfasts, and the kind of community that forms when pilots spend enough time together. New management under Delta Zulu is investing in the field — better fuel pricing, events, and a renewed focus on making 18V the best community airport on the Front Range. The soul of the place hasn't changed. It's still about showing up, flying airplanes, and knowing your neighbor's name.
#PlattValleyAirpark #18V #GA #CommunityAirport #ColoradoFlying
Pancake Breakfast Fly-In — April 11
The griddle is coming out. Saturday, April 11 from 8 to 11 AM on the ramp at 18V. Fly in, drive in, or wander over from your hangar. $10 donation suggested, kids free. CTAF 122.9, no landing fee, 4,100 ft of paved runway and 2,500 ft of grass waiting for you. This is what community airports are for.
#FlyIn #PancakeBreakfast #18V #FrontRangeFlying
Read more →100LL at $6.15/gal — Still the Best Deal Near Denver
Self-serve 100LL at Platte Valley Airpark is $6.15/gal, 24/7, credit card. Compare that to KBJC, KAPA, or KGXY on your next trip to the Denver area and you'll see why transient traffic keeps coming back. We're not trying to win on amenities — we win on community, value, and a ramp culture that makes you want to linger. Stop in on your next cross-country. We'll be here.
#100LL #AvGas #FuelPrice #FrontRange #18V
All Aircraft Welcome — And We Mean It
Cubs. CubCrafters. Experimentals. Classics. Warbirds. Ultralights. If it has wings and a prop (or a rotor — we don't judge), 18V has a place for you. The grass strip is especially popular with the tailwheel crowd, but the paved runway handles everything from Cessna 150s to the occasional turbine. No attitude. No FBO pretension. Just pilots and airplanes doing what they were built for.
#AllAircraftWelcome #TailwheelFlying #GrassStrip #Warbirds #CubCrafters
Upcoming Events
Pancake Breakfast Fly-In
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Fire up the griddle and roll out the red carpet — the ramp is open, the pancakes are hot, and everyone's welcome. Fly in, drive in, or just wander over from your hangar.
Cost: $10 donation suggested · kids free
View DetailsCoffee & Donuts
Date: First Friday of every month
Time: Morning
The classic 18V tradition. Show up, grab a coffee, swap a story on the ramp. No agenda. Just community.
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