Archive for May 2024

Have you ever read our Code of Conduct? The RAF offers recommendations to advance flight safety, professionalism, consideration, and courtesy toward the people and wildlife who share the recreational environment. This is a great tool to use out in the backcountry, and we encourage all RAF supporters to read and follow the RAF’s Code of…

Chicken Strip in Death Valley National Park’s remote Saline Valley is a gravel airstrip within a short hike of the Saline hot springs grouping. RAF California Liaison Katerina Barilov was concerned that the closest weather currently available comes from Tonopah, NV, 82 nm away. In the interest of providing pilots accurate information to make better-informed…

We’d like to direct you to Levi Armichardy’s beautifully written essay in this issue of Idaho Magazine. He writes of joining his dad on a horseback ride trailing pack mules 26 miles into Moose Creek Forest Service Ranger Station in the middle of Idaho’s Selway–Bitterroot Wilderness. There’s a historic turf airstrip there, too, and if you’ve been there,…

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 month’s guest editorial is by Joyce Woods, an RAF friend and volunteer who also facilitates the NM Airstrip Network. “Value is Created with Partners” was my new manufacturing boss’s mantra in the…

The BLM is taking public comments on two Travel Management Plans, (TMPs) and the Bears Ears draft Resource Management Plan (RMP), which you’ve already heard about. RAF Utah Liaison and UBCP board member Wendy Lessig has followed the progress of each and urges that your help is needed NOW to preserve many Utah backcountry airstrips. You’ll simply…

RAF Utah Liaison and Utah Back Country Pilots board member Wendy Lessig reports that this spring, UBCP volunteers completed work to preserve several airstrip treasures. Recently Locomotive Springs was dragged. “Both runways are smooth enough for most planes to land, for now,” Lessig said. Here you’ll stand on the transcontinental airmail route and one of the concrete directional arrows, a sort of early…

Rainelle, (WV30), a privately owned turf airfield on top of a mountain in southern West Virginia now has a spiffy dual restroom and shower house, thanks in part to an RAF grant and hard-working local volunteers. RAF Pennsylvania/West Virginia Liaison Chip Vignolini tracked progress on the grant and reports that the facility is now functional.…

Over 120 RAF volunteers and noted speakers from across the country gathered in Bozeman for the RAF’s biennial Education Conference May 16-19. A dozen flew their own GA aircraft, lining BZN’s ramp with an impressive array. One stalwart volunteer, RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe, took honors for longest distance road trip in his electric SUV…

Dave and Julie Powell of Rogers, Arkansas were honored with the “Wind Beneath Our Wings” award during the RAF’s biennial education conference in May. This award recognizes extraordinary efforts to further the RAF mission. This award was created and sponsored by RAF co-founders/volunteers Dan and Margie Prill, and Chuck and Penny Jarecki. Powells’ names have…