About Rocky Mountain Airlines
From STOL pioneers to virtual skies — our story spans decades of mountain aviation.
The Original Rocky Mountain Airways (1963–1991)
Founded in 1963 as Vail Airways and renamed Rocky Mountain Airways in 1968, the airline built its reputation on something few carriers dared: scheduled service into Colorado's short, high-elevation mountain airports.
Based at Denver's Stapleton International Airport, RMA became synonymous with STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) operations. Their fleet of rugged de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otters connected Denver to ski towns like Aspen, Steamboat Springs, Vail/Avon, Telluride, and Leadville — places other airlines wouldn't touch.
The Dash 7 Era
In 1978, Rocky Mountain Airways became the launch customer for the de Havilland DHC-7 Dash 7 — a four-engine STOL turboprop purpose-built for short, high-altitude runways. The Dash 7 expanded their capability while keeping the mountain-ready DNA that defined the airline.
Their network at various points reached into Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and even Texas — but the heart was always Colorado's high country.
Continental Era & Wind-Down
In 1986, Rocky Mountain Airways was acquired by Texas Air Corporation and began flying as Continental Express into Denver. By 1991, operations were merged into Britt Airways and the Rocky Mountain Airways brand was retired.
The Virtual Airline Era (2022–Present)
In 2022, Rocky Mountain Airlines was re-founded as a community-driven virtual airline, honoring the legacy of the original carrier while bringing classic mountain flying to modern flight simulation.
Today, RMA is the largest and most successful VA on the FlyLAT network, operating 200+ aircraft across 800+ routes with 60+ active pilots. Denver (DEN) serves as the primary hub, with seasonal focus on the iconic mountain destinations: Aspen, Eagle/Vail, Steamboat, Telluride, and Jackson Hole.
Our Mission
Bring classic mountain flying vibes to modern sim pilots with semi-realistic operations, community training, and a welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're flying a turboprop into a mountain strip or a widebody across the Atlantic, you're part of the Rocky Mountain family.
What We Offer
Everything you need for an immersive virtual airline experience
FlyLAT Integration
Full ACARS tracking, live logbook, automatic PIREP validation, and stat management through the FlyLAT platform.
Pilot Training
Mentored onboarding for new sim pilots with training videos covering ground school basics to instrument approaches.
Discord Community
Active Discord server with clear SOPs, rapid staff support, coordination channels, and community events.
Heritage Mountain Flights
Experience the challenging strips and high-altitude airports that made the original RMA famous — now in your sim.
Global Network
800+ routes spanning ski shuttles, regional connectors, and international trunk routes from 14 hubs.
Inclusive Community
Realism is encouraged but perfection isn't required. We celebrate progress, patience, and a shared love of aviation.
Fleet Overview
From turboprops to widebodies — we fly it all
Turboprops
ATR 42-600 & ATR 72-600 for regional mountain routes
Boeing Narrowbodies
737 family (600/700/800/900ER/MAX 8), 717, 757-200
Boeing Widebodies
787-8, 787-10, 777-200LR, 777-300/300ER
Airbus
A320, A321, A330-800, A380-800
Classics & Cargo
MD-11 for long-haul and cargo-friendly operations