Archive for 2011
Bozeman, Mont. — The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and BackcountryPilot.org (BCP), under guidance of the National Park Service (NPS), have combined efforts to successfully reopen the legendary “Chicken Strip.” Thanks to a group of hard-working volunteers, the Chicken Strip, closed by the NPS in August, due to safety concerns, reopened on October 15. Following weeks…
RAF and NPS Reach Agreement on September 27, 2011 to Reopen the Chicken Strip The Recreational Aviation Foundation and the National Park Service in cooperation with Chief Ranger, Brent Pennington reached an agreement under the existing Memorandum of Understanding to reopening the Chicken Strip. The Chicken Strip airstrip is located in Saline Valley, and is…
Fort Kent Airfield Re-Opens September 19, 2011 The RAF has been informed by the Fish River Flying Club that Fort Kent Airport is now available for aircraft operations. The 2200 foot grass airstrip in the very northern portion of Maine is restricted use rather than public use, so a call to Mr. Tom Voisine at 207-834-5685…
What could be better than the option to land “wet” or “dry”? The weekend of August 19th, at Sullivan Lake, WA (09S), just south of the Canadian border, gave pilots that option. Some came on floats, some on wheels. Few sites offer the opportunity to land on either – Sullivan Lake is one of those…
GREAT FALLS, MT – August 9, 2011– Last week, a Federal Judge ruled in favor of both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) in response to a 2009 lawsuit brought against the agency by the Montana Wilderness Society and Western Watersheds Project. The RAF, with support from the Montana Pilots…
A blue sky, perfect temperature, fun group of people, and one of the prettiest places in the West…That was Russian Flat last weekend. RAF volunteers from Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, and Washington spent much of the day clearing brush and rocks from the campground area, felling some dead trees, and bucking them up into firewood. As the shadows…
The “Chicken Strip” at Saline Valley in Death Valley National Park, which was recently closed for safety reasons, should reopen soon due to quick action by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) with the full support of National Park Service (NPS) managers. Death Valley Chief Ranger Brent Pennington reported that a local volunteer, Lizard Lee, had…
In Fort Kent, Maine a small group of pilots has contacted the town requesting that they be allowed to re-open the local municipal airport near the Fish River. They formed the Fish River Flying Club and have now signed a lease agreement with the town to repair, maintain and operate the 3,200 foot grass runway. John Nadeau of the Recreational…
On July 7, 2011 Pennsylvania became the ninth state to include aviation in its Recreational Use Statute (RUS). House Bill 870 was sponsored by Representative Garth Everett and strongly supported by Representative Tina Pickett along with twenty two other co-sponsors, and was approved last week by Governor Tom Corbett. HB 870 added the words “recreational noncommercial aircraft…
The New Mexico Pilots Association Recreational Airstrip Committee (NM-RAC) has organized a work party for April 29 through May 1, 2011 at the Negrito Airstrip (0NM7) in South West New Mexico. A rain date is set for the following weekend. The Negrito Airstrip is located at N33° 31.253667′ W108° 32.570200′ (estimated by AirNav). Its elevation is…
Recent Posts
Any of you ever tried to deal with an issue where all you wanted was to simply talk to a real person for help? Sure you have, and each of us likely has our own methods to break through the automation to a real person. To quickly bypass customer service robots, I try trigger words like "Agent" or "Supervisor" and keep my answers short. Don’t over-explain your issue. If the bot persists, you can use “nuclear" phrases like "Cancel my service,” or just repeat gibberish until the system hopefully defaults to a human. But you won’t need these tricks if you reach out to the RAF. When the RAF looks over our nearly 25-year shoulder, what we see is direct involvement by an army of people. It is people who show up at public hearings, people who have dug the holes for pilot shelter foundations, fence posts, and yes, outhouses. It is people who show up at Oshkosh to share our message and celebrate all that we have accomplished, and it is people who make you feel like you have made the right call to be an RAF volunteer or supporter. It’s not to say that automation and AI are tools to be discarded, but they are not tools that the RAF has found effective for doing the people-facing work that we do. Work that is opening a bunch of new places to go, taking care of the ones that exist, and working on issues that we see that could affect our backcountry community. In a funny little way, the more the world automates, the better the playing field is for the RAF, because we are pretty good at the human connection part. That feeling when one human being really hears what the other is saying. Thank you for helping us be a trusted member of this community. Not easy to do, but we mean it when we say, “We care.” - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted August 10, 2026
FEATURING: TOOL ROLLS Whether you’re heading to the hangar, the backcountry, or your next work party, staying organized matters. The RAF Tool Roll keeps your essential tools secure, accessible, and ready when you need them most. Designed to fit conveniently in your airplane or vehicle, it features multiple zippered pouches, labeled compartments, and a durable roll-up design with built-in handles for easy transport. No more digging through a loose toolbox or searching for that one tool you need. Keep your gear organized to spend less time looking and more time flying!
Landing and camping at Taylor Flat airstrip puts your tent only a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River, as it carves through spectacular Utah canyons. You can tie down and camp under your wing along the north side of the airstrip, or walk to the river and camp. Just 34 nm northeast of Vernal, you can now land at this high, remote BLM airstrip and enjoy its world-class fly fishing, but be sure to get your license before you arrive. If you packed your kayak or inflatable, there’s a boat ramp just west of the public campground. An easy 1.8-mile walk from the airstrip takes you to the historic 1880 John Jarvie Ranch, an open-air museum with hands-on exhibits showing pioneer ranch life in this remote northeast corner of Utah. This airstrip had lain dormant for thirty years, and is now open for public non-commercial use, thanks to pilots who recognized its special recreational value. The RAF worked through the steps to see that the BLM reopened it. One restoration work weekend brought twenty-five volunteers from both Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP) and the RAF who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, painted them, and used them to mark the runway corners and thresholds. UBCP provided a new windsock pole for the new RAF windsock. RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig said, “It was another demonstration of working together toward the same goal.” There are no other amenities, so be prepared with what you need, and as always, please pack everything out. Those using the airstrip are asked to be mindful of the sensitive environmental area, marked with 16-ft X’s, creating a displaced threshold on the east end of the dirt runway. The useable runway length is 2,500 feet, and the field elevation is 5,630. The area east of the runway is hazardous to aircraft operations. In addition to being a sensitive environmental area, it. is cross-crossed with ditches, and is not safe for aircraft use. Taylor Flat is another special recreational destination for pilots to visit as RAF works across the country on Expanding The Map! Find more on Taylor Flat in the Airfield Guide . You may also find user reports here on the UBCP website . Submitted July 31, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe and former Maine Liaison/now Ambassador Steve Mason have long been advocating for and organizing improvements at several airfields in North Maine, in cooperation with North Maine Woods (NMW). Rowe was awarded an RAF grant for materials to add a shelter, picnic table, and outhouse at Estcourt Airfield (19ME) and organized RAF and NMW volunteers to provide labor.
The new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, developed by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), is now open to backcountry aviation enthusiasts. Located in East Tennessee, Fly Rocky Top is a "basecamp and outpost" concept for regional aviation exploration, adding the Southeast to a growing collection of well-recognized recreational airstrip networks across the country, including Fly Oz in Arkansas and others in the West and Southwest. Fly Rocky Top is the most significant achievement to date of the RAF's Expanding the Map initiative, a nationwide effort focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to airstrips, helping connect aviators to more of the places they love to explore. Named and inspired by local culture, each Fly Rocky Top airstrip has unique features, amenities, and recreational options that embody the mission and spirit of the RAF. The new network is in the heart of a region nationally recognized for its unique topography that includes the Obed Wild and Scenic River, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Cumberland Plateau, and Great Smoky Mountains… altogether a landscape uniquely suited to backcountry aviation. Rockwood Municipal Airport, RKW, anchors the network with its 2,400-ft manicured turf landing area and is designed with backcountry flyers in mind. Rockwood Aviation, which operates RKW, offers products and services for pilots to engage in tailwheel, backcountry, and recreational flying, including training, service, and support. City of Rockwood Mayor Jason Jolly highlighted the significance of Rockwood Airport to the community and East Tennessee. Mayor Jolly said, "We are a national recreation destination and the progress at Rockwood Airport and the surrounding network of airstrips is just the latest step in our region's growth and development for adventurers and enthusiasts." The Fly Rocky Top network is unique in that the initial collection of airstrips – with more planned – are a combination of both public lands and privately owned property with the common desire to welcome the flying public. Specific new airstrips in the Fly Rocky Top network include Smuggler's Landing, a grass landing area at RKW (with tent camping and a welcoming pavilion planned), McGraw's Backyard (5TN4), Robbin's Farm, and Tellico Plains (85TN). An additional outpost, Sawbriar, will be ready in August 2026. More airstrips are in the process of being added and will appear on the Fly Rocky Top webpage . Plans continue to add amenities to each RAF Fly Rocky Top airstrip, including accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters where camping is available. Other attractions include access to world-class upland bird hunting, hiking, some of the nation’s best trout fishing, kayaking/canoeing on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers, and a 44-mile Water Trail on Beaver Creek. Select airstrips have access to meals and accommodations. RAF Co-founder and Chairman John McKenna highlighted what makes this opening so important. “Fly Rocky Top is not just a new airstrip network; it’s also a group of pilots who are passionate about aviation, stewardship, and the great outdoors,” he said. “Fly Rocky Top will connect Southeast pilots, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike with the shared mission to preserve access to the region's wild beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.”
