David Ulane, A.A.E., FRAeS
Director, Colorado Division of Aeronautics
Under the direction of the Colorado Aeronautical Board, Dave leads the Colorado Department of Transportation’s innovative and forward-leaning Aeronautics Division. In collaboration with 76 public use airports, the users of Colorado’s aviation system, and numerous other stakeholders, Dave and the Division team endeavor to support the state’s multi-modal transportation system by advancing a safe, efficient, and effective statewide aviation system through collaboration, investment, and advocacy.
Dave joined the Division of Aeronautics in July 2015 and has nearly 36 years of aviation experience in the Northwest Mountain Region. Prior to his current role, Dave was the Northwest Mountain Regional Manager for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), where he managed the association’s airport advocacy, state and local legislative and governmental affairs, and member engagement in seven northwestern states. Before he joined AOPA in 2011, Dave served over six years as the Assistant Aviation Director at the Aspen/Pitkin County (Colorado) Airport and has managed the St. George (Utah) Regional Airport and the Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody, Wyoming. He began his aviation career in 1989 as an intern at Denver’s Centennial Airport, where he held a variety of airport operations positions.
Dave has a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver, is an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.), and in 2023, was admitted as a Fellow (FRAeS) in the Royal Aeronautical Society, the oldest aviation organization in the world. Over the past 30 years, he has served in a variety of aviation industry leadership roles. He is a Past Chair of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and previously was President of the Northwest Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and President of the Wyoming Airport Operators Association. An active pilot since 1987, Dave is a seaplane rated private pilot, with a Part 107 Uncrewed Aircraft Systems rating.