As Leadville resident Tom Charles emerged from the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel and drove toward Denver, he couldn’t help but think there had to be a better option for those seeking a private pilot’s license.

With the only nearby option being Alpine Flight Training in Gypsum, Charles had no choice but to make the long, exhausting drive to Centennial for several weeks to complete his training.

“The drive was long and exhausting,” Charles said. “Once I got my private (license), I figured there were lots of opportunities up here in Leadville to help train some of the kids who want to fly — and the adults, too.”

After persevering through I-70 traffic and congestion, Charles earned his private pilot’s license in 2021. Two years later, he launched the Leadville Flying Club at Lake County Airport. The club offers flight training, scenic tours, and aircraft rentals — giving both aspiring and seasoned pilots the chance to take to the skies at a reasonable price.

“I started the flying club, and we have two or three instructors who teach out of that plane,” Charles said. “The other benefit besides learning to fly, is if you are a private pilot already, you can rent the plane and become part of the club. You can use that to go to your own destination without the total cost of airplane ownership.”

With so many people eager to fly over the Tenmile, Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges, the club plane is often booked out for flight-training sessions.

“Everybody wants to learn to fly when they are interested in aviation,” Charles said. “That keeps the plane most busy.”

While the Leadville Flying Club is seeing quite a bit of activity when it comes to flight training sessions, the business recently introduced scenic flying tours to its list of services. Charles believes the tours will be super popular for Summit County residents wanting to fly over their house as well as visitors who want to see the full grandeur of the Colorado mountains from the sky. 

The Leadville Flying Club allows guests to set the flight path of its scenic tour. For those with no specific route in mind, the club will take the plane on a standard route. Although seeing Turquoise Lake, Twin Lake and Mount Elbert  from the ground is awe-inspiring as is, the major Cloud City landmarks are a sight to behold from the air. 

“The scenery just from the airport alone is phenomenal,” Charles said. “When we fly up Highway 24 and go over to Ski Cooper, you end up flying over Minturn and Red Cliff — seeing the bridge at Red Cliff. … If you are into skiing, which everybody in Summit County and Leadville is, you get to see all the ski resorts in a quick little 45-minute to an hour ride.”

All scenic tours regardless of the route, cost $350 for one person, $475 for two and $550 for three. Scenic flights are required to stay within 25 nautical miles of the Leadville Airport and will take place within the club’s Cessna 182 aircraft.

“We would love to be a stop for tourists and people,” Charles said. “Most pilots that come to any vacation destination, they want to get up in the air, so the tours are a great option for them as well.”

Those already with a pilot’s license can become a member of the Leadville Flying Club. After paying a $500 initiation fee, pilots are added to the club’s insurance policy and can then pay $40 a month to reserve access to the plane. 

Each flight in the club’s plane costs $225 per hour, cheaper than owning a plane outright.

“Currently you don’t have to be a member to take training, so we only have six members currently,” Charles said. “Those are just private pilots that like to fly around. We have upward of 12 students learning to fly.”

Being located in Leadville where thunderstorms frequent the area in the afternoons, the Leadville Flying Club mostly sticks to a morning flying schedule. Even though it is possible to fly through the storms, it is much safer for students and guests when the plane is floating across calm skies. 

“The best time of day is definitely mornings,” Charles said. “It is usually best to be done by 10 or 11 o’clock. Morning and evenings are best. Very rarely do you get the opportunity to fly in the middle of the day because it is usually too windy and bumpy.”

Since opening its doors, the business has also been able to provide educational opportunities to local STEM programs and other organizations.

Ultimately, Charles hopes to give guests and students a sense of freedom and exhilaration that can be hard to find outside of being strapped into a cockpit with a control stick firmly in hand.

“Just the freedom that it allows you to do,” Charles said. “To be able to fly to Telluride or Durango in 45 minutes versus a five-hour drive is a very cool opportunity.”

For more information on the Leadville Flying Club, visit FlyLeadville.com.