Archive for 2016
Big Bar airstrip is located on the Idaho side of the Snake River within Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Hells Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America and Big Bar is the only airstrip within that National Recreation Area. The RAF and the Oregon Pilot’s Assoc. supported the Idaho Aviation Assoc. (IAA) to conduct autumn…
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) joined representatives of federal and state agencies, aviation groups, landowners, and other stakeholders at the U.S. Forest Service Regional Headquarters in Albuquerque on November 10 to sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) creating a partnership called the New Mexico Airstrip Network (NMAN). The groups will collaborate to preserve, promote,…
Sugar Creek grass airstrip, four miles from Bentonville, was christened October 8 with a fly-in celebrating Summit Aviation’s tenth anniversary. Together with our partners Summit and Tailwind Foundation, we have the airport in great shape. About 100 customers, friends and family visited, some exposed to the airstrip for the first time. Visitors enjoyed volleyball, horseshoes, beanbag throws, live music…
The RAF is thrilled to have created Trigger Gap, a new recreational airstrip, this time in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. This 3,000-ft airstrip lies on lands managed by The Nature Conservancy above the Kings River, what the TNC calls a “recreational treasure, famous for fishing, swimming and canoeing.” “Our success is the result of…
The work party at Pelican Point (Oregon’s Owyhee Reservoir State Airport, 28U) brought out a highly motivated crew. Seven aircraft from California and Oregon landed and eight volunteers got a start on improving the runway surface. We filled holes in the surface, removed large rocks, leveled the surface and broadcast grass seed. Volunteers also tidied up the aircraft parking…
The RAF raised funds for this new 3,000 ft. grass airstrip in the beautiful Ozark Mountains through private donations. It’s located on Nature Conservancy lands, and a long-term lease ensures its future. Local RAF volunteers helped construct the airport and have committed to ongoing maintenance. Trigger Gap is located 3.2 nm south of Carroll County…
Ragmuff is the first airstrip within the privately-held North Maine Woods to open for public use. “We’re considering this a test case, the first step in working with North Maine Woods ownership as other owners are watching,” said RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe. The source of its singular name is murky, but the beauty and proximity…
The North Fox Island work weekend on June 17-19 was a huge success according to Michigan State Liaison Brad Frederick. Seventeen aircraft brought 24 volunteers who cut brush and trees and mowed grass. RAF president John McKenna and board member Alan Metzler found their niche removing ant hills. George Stevens delivered the port-a-john and assembled…
RAF joins its aviation industry friends to sign FAA Reauthorization Letter. On June 8, a letter was sent to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act. The letter states that aviation is vital to the U.S. economy, “contributing nearly $2 trillion in…
For pilots flying the Northwest, summer flying season is off to a great start! And the Recreational Aviation Foundation is “open for business” – that is, the serious business of safe and memorable recreation! Maybe you are headed north to Alaska and are looking for great places to land and camp or explore in Montana.…
Recent Posts
Sometimes one needs to look no further than one's incoming correspondence to find inspiration. Just this past week, folks passionate about the RAF mission reached out to me with suggestions that would bring resources to the RAF. Whether they be one-off items that we might offer, or events like large fundraisers, these folks are offering some thoughts on how we might continue to pay the bills. Additionally, we’re receiving word from folks with new destinations on their mind, and some pretty cool ones at that. Along the way, my inbox – as well as my calendar – is filled with updates on our Expanding the Map effort, with an emphasis on Fly Rocky Top. The Fly Rocky Top initiative in Tennessee is generating strong interest, and for good reason. It feels great. Folks are showing up to pitch in, with significant work projects planned. Trish and I, along with other board members, will be there to lend a hand to this exciting project. We are coming up on our annual year-end letter, which you will be seeing not long from now. In addition to showcasing a few more of our successful projects, we will be seeking your support. Stand by. I’ll wrap this up by letting you know that we could not be more pleased with how you all are doing your part. Thank you. It is so healthy to have an organization that uses passion as a primary energy source. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted September 14, 2026
“We had a busy day at Garrison Dam Recreational Airpark, as we continue to work on the underwing camping area,” RAF North Dakota Liaison Brian Rau reported. Rau was awarded an RAF grant in spring of 2026 to convert an adjacent day-use park into an airport camping area, and had organized volunteers who began the project in May. The airport, 37N, is closed while the runway and taxiway are being upgraded by a contractor for the ND Aeronautics Commission.
You know the feeling. You set the airplane down somewhere spectacular, shut off the engine, and enjoy the pristine landscape in front of you. This is why you fly. Keeping airstrips pristine is everyone's responsibility. But one item that doesn’t always make it into the airplane is a good trash bag. Not for the trash you planned to make. For the trash you didn’t. Cans left in a fire ring, fishing line along the river, or food wrappers working their way through the brush. None of it came in your airplane, but you have the ability to get it out. That’s reason enough to tuck a couple of heavy-duty contractor bags in with your tie-down gear. They earn their space in other ways, too. A contractor bag can keep wet or muddy gear out of the baggage compartment, cover equipment in a downpour, collect rainwater, or become an emergency poncho or windbreak. It weighs almost nothing and takes up very little room. Throw a few in the airplane and leave them there. You may not need one for your own trash, but there is a good chance you’ll find another use for it—or find something worth carrying out. Submitted September 9, 2026 By Stef Goza, Etiquette Chair, Safety, Education, and Etiquette Committee
RAF Colorado Liaison Ken Long, Ambassador Mike Langersmith, and other RAF volunteers participated in an August work event at Marble, Colorado, a mountain airfield about 20 nm up the Crystal River drainage south of Carbondale. Airfield Manager Susan Blue put together the task list and oversaw the event that brought 21 volunteers in ten aircraft and four dogs.
