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…
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A group of ten volunteers from the RAF and the Mandan, ND chapter of EAA showed up on May 20 to help RAF North Dakota Liaison Brian Rau develop under-wing camping at Garrison Dam Recreational Airpark (37N). Rau was awarded an RAF grant to convert an adjacent day-use park with flush toilets, a picnic area, horseshoe and basketball facilities into a camping area. Visitors will be able to tie down, pitch a tent, and enjoy the amenities.
RAF Ohio Liaison Christine Mortine and Noble County Airport Board members hosted a work party on May 31 at the Wolf Run Fly In Campground, Noble County Airport (I10). Volunteers cleared downed trees to generate plenty of firewood for four fire rings: one located at each of the three tent platforms, and the RAF-branded fire ring in the large gathering area by the new pilot shelter/storage shed. The two outhouses were cleaned, leaves were raked away from the tent platforms, and volunteers created a raised kindling area. “The Noble County Airport Board provided a full cookout lunch, complete with homemade potato salad and chocolate chip cookies,” Mortine said. “We sat at the picnic tables and shared ideas about new RAF projects sparking in Ohio and gave a heartfelt thank you to the board members, who have contributed a tremendous amount of support with materials and their skills to Wolf Run Fly-In campground.” To celebrate and enjoy this unique destination in Ohio, a fly-in has been scheduled Friday-Sunday, September 11-13, 2026. Mark your calendars for the opportunity to land on the 3,800-ft paved runway, and explore the large forested camping area along the lake nearby. RAF carts are available to haul your gear to the perfect camping spot. Watch the RAF Event Calendar for more details. Find more about Noble County Airport in the Airfield Guide . Submitted June 8, 2026
A source of community pride, New Hampshire’s Parlin Field Airport (2B3) is now more appealing than ever. An RAF volunteer crew of eight met on May 23 and set out picnic tables at each of the six campsites; cleared trees and brush from the south windsock and replaced it to make it highly visible. A volunteer also weeded around the flagpole and planted blooming flowers that RAF New Hampshire Liaison John Meade had purchased. “Airport manager Heath Marsden was extremely appreciative of the progress made and spring cleanup,” Meade said. Parlin was one of the RAF’s earliest grant beneficiaries, thanks to Meade’s goal to add improvements for visitors to access. Visitors landing on either the 1,981-ft turf, or 3,450-ft asphalt runway may access the “base ops” building for shelter and restrooms. Nearby the airfield camping area is the Sugar River, known for trout, and the local Sugar Hill Recreation Trails can be accessed across the historic covered bridge with use of airport loaner bicycles. Find more about Parlin Airfield in the Airfield Guide . Submitted June 8, 2026
In 2003, when the newly formed RAF Board of Directors decided to put the RAF logo on shirts, they turned to local Bozeman outdoors apparel and wader manufacturer Simms. Their fishing shirts were known for their proven outdoors-tested quality. The short list of colors came down to two: an earthy, moss green and an almost iridescent orange. They decided to try both colors, and the choice was made at Florida’s Sun ’n Fun that year when RAF attendees discovered that they could see each other quickly in the large crowd wearing the orange shirts. RAF then-Director Tim Clifford said, “Obviously, the orange is our color. We can own it.” The RAF adopted orange, and from that point forward, the orange brand color became woven into the RAF culture. RAF attendees turned heads when they showed up for local, state, and federal land use and planning meetings. The RAF became known and respected as “the guys in orange.” The RAF orange is also a sensible choice for outdoors activities we enjoy, especially flying. Consider a scenario where you want to spot, or be spotted. It’s definitely noticeable. To illustrate, we asked RAF supporter and videographer Charley Voorhis and RAF President Bill McGlynn to take to the air and help us prove that RAF orange really does stand out (photo below). Whether you are in a crowd at Sun ’n Fun, Oshkosh, or out flying the backcountry — if you want to be seen, wear RAF orange!
RAF Tennessee Ambassador Steve Lewis has been awarded an RAF grant for the installation of a new RAF fire ring on the grounds of the Beechcraft Heritage Museum at Tullahoma Regional Airport (KTHA). “The RAF fire ring will provide a centralized location for visiting pilots to gather and share aviation experiences while visiting the facility, and will showcase the RAF mission as the Museum draws visitors from around the country,” Lewis said. The fire ring will have a three-bladed propeller set in a twenty-foot-diameter permanent concrete base; the concrete is being provided by a private donor. Each ten-foot-long propeller blade extends from the three-foot diameter hub. The metal structure is being fabricated by RAF Supporter Pete Smith of Lewistown, Montana. The Museum offers visitors space for airplane and RV camping while visiting the Museum or attending various fly-ins. On-site, there are opportunities for picnicking, and there is an overnight camping bunkhouse that will be up and running this summer. “The Parish family and the Beechcraft Heritage Museum are enthusiastic supporters of the RAF,” Lewis added. The installation is scheduled to be completed in time for the October 6-10, 2026, Beech Party event at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum. Museum President Charles Parish said, "We are privileged to partner with the RAF in advancing backcountry aviation preservation, a mission that reflects the Museum’s dedication to preserving aviation history and education." For more information on the airport, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted June 4, 2026
