Operations

COWG Operations is broken down into several areas...please find department pages list below 

• Director of Operations (DO)
• Director of Emergency Services (DOS)
• Standardization & Evaluation Officer (DOV)
• Aircraft Maintenance Officer (DOM)
• Flight Operations Officer (DOO)
• Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (DOU)

Important documents published by Colorado Wing or Rocky Mountain Region are found below. Links to various pages at National Headquarters are found as links on the right panel of the webpage.

Hot Items from Operations !!!

RMR Mountain Flight Operating Limits: Memo 10 Feb 2025

The desired outcome of the [memo] is to reinforce and cultivate a strong and heightened safety culture within region operations, prioritizing safety in our activities.

[Paraphrasing] Col Hess, RMR/CC, is implementing the following temporary mountain flying operating limits.  Incident Command, Pilots and Flight Release Officers will following the following:

1. Limits (if flying within 2000 AGL)
   1. Maximum Turbulence Limit = Moderate
   2. Maximum Wind Aloft = 30 knots (at peaks and flight altitudes in the area of mountain operations)
      1. Exception: SFRO Release w/ COWG/CC approval
2. Senior Flight Release Officer shall have experience as a Mountain Mission Pilot
3. Minimum Visibility of 2000 ft (above peaks) and 10 NM
4. Mountain Terrain Definition: CFR 95.11

+-+-+

COWG Mountain Flying : 1 Mar 2025

The Colorado Wing Operations Team is working diligently to ensure the highest standards of safety are met, especially in the unique and challenging conditions of mountain flying. Please review the pilot town (Feb2025) presentation for full details, additionally contact an COWG Instructor Pilot or Stan/Eval Officer for training and qualification questions.  

Mountain Terrain

Colorado Wing defines Mountainous Terrain as any location where the terrain elevation changes by 3,000 feet within 10 NM.  To assist pilots, flight release officers, and ICS Operational staff to know where this terrain change occurs.

CAP has developed a Foreflight Overlay => RMR_MtnTerrain 

COWG Pilot flying within this area will abide by the following COWG training plans, Weather Limitations, flying constrains, and flight release criteria.

Mountain Flight Training

Over the Mountains (aka Initial Mountain Flight Training)

1. Prerequisite: CAPF70-5 Pilot
2. Attend an in person Mountain Flying Course
3. Complete COWG Form 9 Flight

In the Mountains (aka Mountain Mission Pilot)

1. Prerequisite: CAPF70-91 Pilot (Flat-Land Mission Pilot)
2. Attend Mountain Mission Pilot training (aka Mission Fury)
3. Complete ES MFC SQTR
4. Complete CAPF70-91 (Mtn)

Pilot Town Hall (March 2025)

Here are links to the Pilot Town Hall which focused primarily on the Mountain Flying changes.

Mountain Flying Review => Mountain Flying Review

Pilot Town Hall (Recording) => COWG Pilot Town Hall (Q2-FY25)
+-+-+

Receipt Checklist and Procedures

Vendor fuel and oil receipts must have the following information:

1. Vendor Name and Location.

   1. Tail number and Credit Card number (last 4 digits).

   2. Receipt date the same as the sortie date? (This may be one day later with no further explanation.)

2. Gallons are correct.

3. The price per gallon and total dollar cost.

Receipt must be legible in its original form, especially hand-written receipts. DO NOT trace over original receipt for legibility.

You can fly multiple sorties without refueling if they are the same mission symbol. If you have more than one receipt for one sortie, (i.e., pre- and post-flight refueling) combine receipts into one .pdf. Label the receipts as Preflight and Postflight.

COWG Operating Instructions require the following additional information on your receipt:

1. Pilot name and CAPID

2. Mission number

3. Sortie number(s)

   1. On the receipt and in Air Sortie Debrief Crew Notes which sorties are included on the receipt (for example: Fuel includes sorties 45 and 46).

4. Total Hobbs hour(s) covered by this refueling.

DO Guidance & Intent Full Slideshow