Archive for 2013
Saturday August 17th was a perfect day to mow a little grass, trim a few weeds, tighten some fence wire, cut some firewood and clean the outhouse. So, that is just what a group of volunteers did this past weekend at Russian Flat, MT (M42) in central MT. The group, led by Pete Smith of the Central (Lewistown) Hangar…
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) is pleased to announce today’s decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that largely upholds the backcountry airstrip designations on Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The RAF and Montana Pilots’ Association mobilized early on in the Bureau of Land Management planning process to retain the airstrips. “This is…
Maybe it was the promise of Ande LaRoche’s barbecued brats and dutch-oven vegetables, but whatever it was brought out a crew of pilots and friends this weekend to get Ryan Field (2MT1) into shape for another season of flying. Director Chuck Jarecki outlined and prioritized the tasks, and folks brought their complementary skills. Volunteers began showing up Friday, and began…
Recreational Aviation Foundation Arkansas State Liaison Dave Myrick reports that after sending a copy of the RAF newsletter and website links to another Arkansas pilot, he received some exciting news. “The phone call made my day,” Myrick said. “It was RAF member David Ellison of Bradford. He knew of our success with the Arkansas Recreational Use Statutes (RUS) amendment…
The airstrip at Grand Gulch, AZ, near the north rim of the Grand Canyon was the scene of a work party Mar. 16 headed up by Recreational Aviation Foundation southern Utah Liaison Wayne Loeber. Thanks to last year’s efforts by the RAF to commit to a maintenance agreement with the BLM and National Park Service, access…
The 89th General Assembly of Arkansas passed House Bill 1020 on February 7, essentially protecting private airstrip owners throughout Arkansas from litigation from non-commercial aviation activity on their land. The bill added “aviation” to the other recreational activities listed in the state’s existing Recreational Use Statute. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Joe Jett (D) of Clay County…
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RAF Michigan Liaisons Tanmoy Ganguly and Scott Anttila met with district U.S. Forest Service staff prior to starting work at Lost Creek airstrip, now MI45, (formerly 5Y4) in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in north-central Michigan. “We had a very constructive discussion about what the RAF does, and what we envision for future amenities at Lost Creek airstrip,” Ganguly said. The mid-August work weekend attracted 16 aircraft and 20 volunteers, including new MI Ambassador Ryan Minnick, MI Ambassador Ehsan Hamtaei, and IN Liaison Bill Steinmetz, many of whom enjoyed camping overnight in the forested setting. The crew was joined by nearby residents who donated their time, tools, and machinery to help and provided snacks.
Submitted August 27, 2025
CALL TO ACTION: Public Comments Requested to Support Access to 10 of Utah's Sensational Backcountry Airstrips The BLM has issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the following ten Moab-Monticello backcountry airstrips. Pilot comments will help to open access to the airstrips. Your Comments are Needed by Thursday, September 3. Please use the link below to state in your own words why you support access to these backcountry airstrips: Nokai Dome Piute Canyon Potato Ridge Playa Big Flat Red Canyon Spring Canyon Castle Creek Steer Ridge West Wee Hope Mine
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This guest editorial is by Bill McGlynn, President of the RAF.
Nestled in among awe-inspiring mountains, Glacier Creek (KGZ) airstrip is 15 nm east of McCarthy in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. On July 11, a work party drawing 25 volunteers was held there, led by RAF Alaska Liaison Stef Goza, her husband Randy, and Alaska Ambassador Bri Norby. They were joined by a group of National Park Service maintenance crew members who’d been flown in the night before and cleared the trail from the airstrip to the cabin before volunteers arrived.
