Meadow Lake Airport is suing El Paso County and a private landowner to stop the construction of two 75-foot wind turbines, which have been deemed hazardous by the U.S. Air Force Academy and the FAA. The turbines, approved by the county before an FAA evaluation, could interfere with flight paths and safety, particularly affecting USAFA cadets who train at the airport. The airport argues that the turbines pose a risk due to their proximity to the runway and potential impact on aircraft performance.
Meadow Lake Airport is suing El Paso County and a private landowner to stop the construction of two 75-foot wind turbines, which have been deemed hazardous by the U.S. Air Force Academy and the FAA. The turbines, approved by the county before an FAA evaluation, could interfere with flight paths and safety, particularly affecting USAFA cadets who train at the airport. The airport argues that the turbines pose a risk due to their proximity to the runway and potential impact on aircraft performance.
The Meadow Lake Airport is suing El Paso County and a private landowner over wind turbines that U.S. Air Force Academy and Federal Aviation Administration officials say would be hazardous to air traffic.
The county approved plans for the two 75-foot turbines last summer.
In December, the Meadow Lake Airport board filed an injunction in El Paso County District Court seeking to block construction of the turbines.
Airport Manager Dave Elliott said he was surprised to see that the county approved the plans.
“They’re going to kill someone,” he said.
Meadow Lake is the state’s largest privately owned airport, according to its website. The airport near Falcon is designated as a “reliever” for Colorado Springs Airport as an alternate destination …
... more [truncated due to possible copyright]The Meadow Lake Airport is suing El Paso County and a private landowner over wind turbines that U.S. Air Force Academy and Federal Aviation Administration officials say would be hazardous to air traffic.
The county approved plans for the two 75-foot turbines last summer.
In December, the Meadow Lake Airport board filed an injunction in El Paso County District Court seeking to block construction of the turbines.
Airport Manager Dave Elliott said he was surprised to see that the county approved the plans.
“They’re going to kill someone,” he said.
Meadow Lake is the state’s largest privately owned airport, according to its website. The airport near Falcon is designated as a “reliever” for Colorado Springs Airport as an alternate destination for traffic.
The county approval came before the FAA completed an obstruction evaluation, El Paso County planning records show. At the time, the airport and USAFA objected to the plan on safety grounds.
USAFA cadets train at the airport, including members of the Precision Flying Team. Amy Kelley, 10th Air Base Wing community initiatives director, submitted a letter to planning staff in May 2025, writing that the turbines would “pose a significant safety hazard within the arrival and departure corridors, which support United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) flight training.”
The two turbines are planned directly north of Meadow Lake’s 6,000-foot runway. In a letter sent to the county by the Meadow Lake Airport Association, the group warned that the tops of the planned turbines are 100 feet below the minimum approach altitude for pilots landing under instrument conditions, which “does not allow any margin for wind, turbulence, instrument error, pilot skill or other deviations.”
The association also warned that hot summer temperatures and the airport’s high altitude often create performance issues for aircraft trying to take off to the north. The letter said aircraft have previously had to emergency land in the field where the turbines are planned.
In October, the FAA came out with its obstruction evaluation of the wind turbine project. The study found that the planned structures would have a “substantial adverse effect on the safe and efficient utilization of the navigable airspace.”
El Paso County Deputy Brian Morse takes photos for a police report of a World War II P-19 airplane that crashed just north of the Meadow Lake Airport in 2009. (The Gazette file)
In a motion to dismiss the airport’s lawsuit, an attorney for landowner Daniel Ferguson wrote that the airport had no legal authority to block the turbines since plans were approved and the land does not fall under any aviation easements.
“Neither the FAA, nor any other state or federal government agency, possess land use authority, which exclusively rests with the local government,” the motion read.
The airport responded by citing Colorado Statute 43-10-113, a law designating certain airports “a matter of state interest” and requiring local governments to protect surrounding lands.
Elliott said he believed that the conflict over the turbines was a “test case” in application of the law.
El Paso County declined comment, and an attorney for Ferguson could not be reached by the time of publication. A Feb. 10 hearing on the motion to dismiss was vacated, with no additional court dates yet scheduled.