Colorado "Support Aviation" license plate

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LoneAspen

Line Up and Wait
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Evergreen, CO (KAPA)
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LoneAspen
I was riding to work this morning and noticed several different kinds of specialty license plates on other cars. Broncos, Avalanche, Adopt a Shelter Pet, etc. I got to wondering why there's no GA or flying type license plate?

So I got home and started researching what's involved trying to get a new specialty plate in Colorado, and lo and behold - somebody already did it!

I stumbled on this site: http://www.supportcoloradoaviation.com

Looks like a new "Support Aviation" plate will be available in Colorado in August. COOL!

I searched the boards to see if anybody else had posted anything about this. I didn't want to post a duplicate thread, but I didn't see anything, so wanted to post this here and let other folks in Colorado know about this.

I've never been into vanity plates or anything like that, but I'm getting one of these!

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Arizona has over sixty specialty plates available. I recently got one of the only type that has an airplane on it -- supporting Fighter Country Partnership, a local group that helps out nearby Luke AFB and its personnel.

Fighter Country plate.jpg

Washington has traditionally been friendly to general aviation, and they have a nice new specialty plate up there.

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Yeah I’ve been meaning to switch to those.

Problem is, it’s easier to renew online with a credit card every year than to drive all the way to Kiowa, CO, which is way out of the way for me, to go get plates. Only place in my county to do it.

Also haven’t figured out what to customize/personalize them with. :)

Plus the Yukon has the ham radio call plates on it (with the slashed zero you can’t get on any other plates, so they stay) and the Dodge truck is probably getting sold...

So that leaves the airport beater 2000 Subaru which is probably only worth $2000. Maybe $3000 on a good day. Haha.

Hard to justify fancy license plates for that thing. :)
 
Mine just got to me from the DMV in Connecticut. Took upwards of two months!
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North Carolina has had their “First in Flight” plate for a long time and it’s the standard plate.
 
LoneAspen said:
I was riding to work this morning and noticed several different kinds of specialty license plates on other cars. Broncos, Avalanche, Adopt a Shelter Pet, etc. I got to wondering why there's no GA or flying type license plate?

So I got home and started researching what's involved trying to get a new specialty plate in Colorado, and lo and behold - somebody already did it!

I stumbled on this site: http://www.supportcoloradoaviation.com

Looks like a new "Support Aviation" plate will be available in Colorado in August. COOL!

I searched the boards to see if anybody else had posted anything about this. I didn't want to post a duplicate thread, but I didn't see anything, so wanted to post this here and let other folks in Colorado know about this.

I've never been into vanity plates or anything like that, but I'm getting one of these!

1407773727.png
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Except none of the $50 fee for the tag supports aviation

“The Support Colorado Aviation Plate is a collaborative effort by numerous Colorado Aviation Groups. The goal of the plate is to raise awareness to the impact of aviation across the State of Colorado and how aviation impacts a multitude of Colorado industries.

The fee for the plate will be $50, the standard fee for a special group plate in
Colorado. $25 to cover DMV Fees and $25 to cover the Highway User Tax Fund. There are no additional fees to obtain the plate. We still expect the plates to be available in Sept 2018.”
 
Oklahoma just approved one last year and they are finally mailing them out. I got mine personalized, so I'll be waiting a bit longer perhaps. All the proceeds from this plate go to support the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.

Okla-Plate.jpg
 
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Clip4 said:
Except none of the $50 fee for the tag supports aviation

“The Support Colorado Aviation Plate is a collaborative effort by numerous Colorado Aviation Groups. The goal of the plate is to raise awareness to the impact of aviation across the State of Colorado and how aviation impacts a multitude of Colorado industries.

The fee for the plate will be $50, the standard fee for a special group plate in
Colorado. $25 to cover DMV Fees and $25 to cover the Highway User Tax Fund. There are no additional fees to obtain the plate. We still expect the plates to be available in Sept 2018.”
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Well isn't THAT just typical .gov bs ... "Support Aviation by buying our 'Support Aviation' special group plate, from which Aviation receives no support."
 
Clip4 said:
Except none of the $50 fee for the tag supports aviation

“The Support Colorado Aviation Plate is a collaborative effort by numerous Colorado Aviation Groups. The goal of the plate is to raise awareness to the impact of aviation across the State of Colorado and how aviation impacts a multitude of Colorado industries.

The fee for the plate will be $50, the standard fee for a special group plate in
Colorado. $25 to cover DMV Fees and $25 to cover the Highway User Tax Fund. There are no additional fees to obtain the plate. We still expect the plates to be available in Sept 2018.”
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True but in Colorado, Denver International (DIA/DEN) generates over 80% of income from fuel tax, and 97% of all the fuel taxes in the entire state goes to support the other 72 airports in the state. I would much rather keep the fuel taxes than depend on income from the license plates, which, to be candid, will be trivial in the overall scheme of things.

https://www.codot.gov/programs/aeronautics/PDF_Files/WhitePaper_2012.pdf

From CDOT/Div of Aeronautics:
"There are no general funds used to meet the needs within the Colorado Aviation System, the needs are funded solely through the taxes collected by those actually using the aviation system."

We don't have a "user fee" set up, just that everyone that buys or uses Jet-A or 100LL are paying for the system, and not the rest of the state. Of course if you're flying commercial, that tax is buried in the airline fees. But again, you're using the aeronautic system, true?
 
I'll will buy one. Licence frame says 'My other car is an airplane'. Plate will go nice. Maybe N697J
 
murphey said:
True but in Colorado, Denver International (DIA/DEN) generates over 80% of income from fuel tax, and 97% of all the fuel taxes in the entire state goes to support the other 72 airports in the state. I would much rather keep the fuel taxes than depend on income from the license plates, which, to be candid, will be trivial in the overall scheme of things.

https://www.codot.gov/programs/aeronautics/PDF_Files/WhitePaper_2012.pdf

From CDOT/Div of Aeronautics:
"There are no general funds used to meet the needs within the Colorado Aviation System, the needs are funded solely through the taxes collected by those actually using the aviation system."

We don't have a "user fee" set up, just that everyone that buys or uses Jet-A or 100LL are paying for the system, and not the rest of the state. Of course if you're flying commercial, that tax is buried in the airline fees. But again, you're using the aeronautic system, true?
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My point is in many states the revenue from a specialty tag supports an organization not the BMV. For example -

The Lake Erie Protection Fund is supported by citizens who purchase the "Erie...Our Great Lake" license plate, featuring the Marblehead Lighthouse.

The Ducks Unlimited license plate - Saving Wetlands - raises funds for wetland conservation.
 
denverpilot said:
[snip]
So that leaves the airport beater 2000 Subaru which is probably only worth $2000. Maybe $3000 on a good day. Haha.

Hard to justify fancy license plates for that thing. :)
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Depending on how new the tires are and whether the tank is full? :)
 
Yeah, I was disappointed that none of the fees went to something aviation related. Anything would be better than nothing - a Young Eagles program, aviation safety program, etc.

I'm still getting one, however.
 
In AZ, the sponsoring organization puts up $35,000, I think it is, then gets $17 of the $25 surcharge for each plate sold. So they have to sell over 2,000 of them before they break even.
 
I just checked and was surprised to see that Kansas doesn't have a plate considering how much aviation related activity there is here.
 
Pilawt said:
In AZ, the sponsoring organization puts up $35,000, I think it is, then gets $17 of the $25 surcharge for each plate sold. So they have to sell over 2,000 of them before they break even.
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I was looking at the Colorado statues before I realized somebody had already gone through the process, and it looks like the organization doesn't have to put anything up, but they do have to collect 3000 signatures of people pledging to purchase the plate if it's approved. From reading some of the other statutes (each plate seems tied to one statute), it also seems like the state has the ability to stop printing them, and not renew them, if there's not at least 3000 of them bought.

If I'm reading the statutes correctly, it looks like some specialty plates have been deprecated in the past because not enough people bought them.
 
jsstevens said:
Depending on how new the tires are and whether the tank is full? :)
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You joke but it’s true. Haha. Putting $600 worth of tires on it last year was kinda painful. Came down to a decision that I’d drive it for at least three more years. Ha.

Right now the servo that controls the air direction for defrost, center, floor is toast and I took the whole dash apart thinking it was like Subaru setups two model years later. It’s not. The servo is buried behind the second layer of the stuff behind the dash, and the passenger air bag and part of the dash frame has to be removed to get at it. So I put it back together and it’s stuck on defrost mode for where the air goes. A/C works great but can’t cool a car down very well with the air blowing on the windshield, and before it warmed up you had cold feet.

Sooooo... I probably need to pay somebody to tear further back in there and replace that stupid servo. And don’t want to. So the poor airport car has sat parked while we tie the record heat numbers ever here yesterday. (105F)

Driving the Yukon and the other truck that have working A/C! :)

LoneAspen said:
I was looking at the Colorado statues before I realized somebody had already gone through the process, and it looks like the organization doesn't have to put anything up, but they do have to collect 3000 signatures of people pledging to purchase the plate if it's approved. From reading some of the other statutes (each plate seems tied to one statute), it also seems like the state has the ability to stop printing them, and not renew them, if there's not at least 3000 of them bought.

If I'm reading the statutes correctly, it looks like some specialty plates have been deprecated in the past because not enough people bought them.
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Yeah, there was a group working to get the signatures for years. Took a long time until they got organized a bit and put up a little website and then everyone constantly linked to it on social media, etc.

Was so long ago I still was doing my aviation podcast. 2010 or so? Wow. Time flies. We talked about it on there. Forget which year they finally got the 3000, but then it was another six months to a year before the plates were available.
 
Kansas Flyer said:
I just checked and was surprised to see that Kansas doesn't have a plate considering how much aviation related activity there is here.
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Its farmers that started building airplanes, so maybe they still only think "farmer". lol
 
denverpilot said:
Forget which year they finally got the 3000
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It seems like it would be so easy to collect 3000 signatures from pilots here in Colorado, but I'm sure the logistics are more cumbersome than it seems. Especially in this day and age of peoples' lethargy, apprehension (whatever you want to call it) around signing petitions, and doubly so when it comes to signing something that says you pledge to buy the plate if it comes out. I know anytime I see somebody walking around with a clipboard collecting signatures, I usually avoid them because it's some political crap.

Anyway, I'm glad they collected the 3000, and hopefully the plates all get bought. The DMV office up by me is close enough that I'll drive by there in August or September and see if they have any.
 
LoneAspen said:
It seems like it would be so easy to collect 3000 signatures from pilots here in Colorado, but I'm sure the logistics are more cumbersome than it seems. Especially in this day and age of peoples' lethargy, apprehension (whatever you want to call it) around signing petitions, and doubly so when it comes to signing something that says you pledge to buy the plate if it comes out. I know anytime I see somebody walking around with a clipboard collecting signatures, I usually avoid them because it's some political crap.

Anyway, I'm glad they collected the 3000, and hopefully the plates all get bought. The DMV office up by me is close enough that I'll drive by there in August or September and see if they have any.
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Not sure how it works at your DMV office but ours doesn’t stock any of the custom plates.

You go in and order them and the call when they’re made and shipped from wherever the State has them made.

There’s a LOT of custom plates. Our tiny little rural DMV may be the exception but AFAIK they only stock standard plates.

Of course they used to be in the old 1800s courthouse and they were using the building’s original built in safe/vault to store them in, and you could just look through the old door and see the stacks there. Ha.

They moved across the street into some new building so maybe they have more space to store such things.

But wouldn’t you want a personalized one on top of it being the special plate? Definitely have to order that.

“Aspen” would keep people guessing. :) Are you from there? Are you a pilot who flies there? Heh.
 
denverpilot said:
There’s a LOT of custom plates.
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Seems like I would frequently see commemorative Colorado plates. I almost never see commemorative California plates, and California plates are as boring as you can get. At first, I wondered if they were even offered. They are, but I rarely see one.

california-plate.jpg
 
LoneAspen said:
I was looking at the Colorado statues before I realized somebody had already gone through the process, and it looks like the organization doesn't have to put anything up, but they do have to collect 3000 signatures of people pledging to purchase the plate if it's approved. From reading some of the other statutes (each plate seems tied to one statute), it also seems like the state has the ability to stop printing them, and not renew them, if there's not at least 3000 of them bought.

If I'm reading the statutes correctly, it looks like some specialty plates have been deprecated in the past because not enough people bought them.
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It's taken almost 4'years to get the CO aviation plate thru the process. And almost every GA group,signing on for support.
 
Everskyward said:
Seems like I would frequently see commemorative Colorado plates.
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I like the Colorado Centennial plates in 1976, those are cool. Don’t see many anymore. I was a little too young to order them back then. :)

http://www.plateshack.com/76/CO/colorado.html

And I used to want the Pioneer plates on my Jeep, but they let anybody have those now. We qualified under the original rules, proof the family lived here 100 years ago...

https://www.5280.com/2009/08/now-everyone-can-have-pioneer-license-plates/
 
denverpilot said:
But wouldn’t you want a personalized one on top of it being the special plate? Definitely have to order that.
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Nah - since that plate has the image in the middle, it would be split three characters on each side - I'd have a hard time coming up with something that would make sense.

denverpilot said:
“Aspen” would keep people guessing. :) Are you from there? Are you a pilot who flies there? Heh.
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I wish! If I was from Aspen, I would hope the balance in my brokerage account would allow me to train in a Vision Jet :)

When I first visited Yellowstone in the 90's, I saw an aspen tree in full golden color by itself on the side of a hill, and the image stuck with me. Hence, LoneAspen :)
 
LoneAspen said:
Nah - since that plate has the image in the middle, it would be split three characters on each side - I'd have a hard time coming up with something that would make sense.
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Yeah, they’d probably disallow “ASS-PEN” to make it at least look right. LOL! :)

(They’re probably on to the whole “80085” thing too. There’s a bunch of stuff they won’t allow.)
 
Oh also @LoneAspen in most of these designs you can order them without the center logo. Not sure how that will look or if they’ll even do it on this plate, but see the Broncos Charity plate as an example here...

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dmv/group-special-license-plates

Similar on other plates of the center logo style.

So you *could* do ASPEN, but you’d lose something in the graphics. Whether they’d remove ALL the little aircraft, I don’t know. Or if it’ll even be offered in a center logo removed configuration.
 
Edit: Looking at it closer they remove the center logo on all of the personalized versions.

That kinda sucks.
 
Everskyward said:
Seems like I would frequently see commemorative Colorado plates. I almost never see commemorative California plates, and California plates are as boring as you can get. At first, I wondered if they were even offered. They are, but I rarely see one.

california-plate.jpg
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The dmv website plates are ridiculously lame. My next round I'm either getting the old-school gold-on-blue that they've brought back, or more likely I'll go with the new Snoopy plates (which benefit museums). Now, if it was Snoopy as the Red Baron, I'd open my wallet right now...
 
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