See hundreds of square miles

Rugged Air Tours lets you take in all that Colorado has to offer in a fraction of the time it would require to visit it from the ground.

Stunning views of the Great Sand Dunes National Park with the tallest and largest dunefield in North America nestled against the remote Sangre de Christo Wilderness. We operate in the San Luis Valley May – September.

Unforgettable

Bird’s eye views of Estes Park, Indian Peaks Wilderness, Big Thompson Canyon, the Cameron Peak burn scar, Button Rock Preserve, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Flying out of Longmont March – November.

The Plane

Our flightseeing platform is a rugged Cessna 182C Skylane

Estes RMNP Tour

Departing from Longmont this 30 minute flight is perfect for those who would like to sightsee the Front Range from the air. During this half hour flight you will get to experience Carter Lake, the Big Thompson River canyon, the Cameron Peak burn scar, Estes Park and views of Rocky Mountain National Park.

30 in 30 Tour

Our 30 minute flight is perfect or those who would like to take in views of the Great Sand Dunes National Park from the air. During this half hour flight you will experience the largest dunefield in North America. It’s 30 square miles of sand and you can see it all in 30 minutes. Departs from Hooper, CO.

Del Norte Penitente

Launching out of Del Norte we take in the historic Summitville mine area and legendary Wolf Creek Pass before heading toward the town of South Fork. From there we overfly the volcanic Elephant Rock formations to La Garita and Penintente Canyon. This 45 minute tour affords spectacular views of mountains formed by both tectonic uplift and the Earth’s largest ever volcanic eruption!

The Hour of Power

Our 60 minute flight has it all. During this tour we travel along the Sangre de Christo mountain range to the town of Crestone. We then reverse course and head towards the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We continue past Zapata Falls to the Massif before flying back to check out the crop circles in the valley. Departs from Hooper, CO.

Chief Pilot

Our chief pilot is Cam Benton

Cam originally taught himself to fly an ultralight and has since earned his private and commercial pilot ratings. He is rated to fly instruments, floatplanes, and tailwheel aircraft. He’s formation qualified, aerobatic and spin endorsed. He also is a 3X National Champion air racer and an accomplished off-airport pilot.

Head of Maintenance

Our Head of Maintenance is Wes Benton. Wes is an accomplished Airframe & Powerplant (AP) mechanic who contracts for the US Air Force. He has his Inspection Authorization (IA) and is in charge of our FAA mandated 100 hr inspections.

Logistics & Support

Our logistics and support specialist is Susan Zimmerman. In addition to filling support roles of various types including social media content, Susan handles our hangar logistics and coordinates scheduling protocols throughout the year.