Carmine Mowbray, Author at Recreational Aviation Foundation

Jim Hanson

For a fellow who’s flown every sort of aircraft, and has landed all over the world with the late Hall of Famer, Buzz Kaplan, Mr. Jim Hanson of Minnesota still finds complete joy in flying low and slow, and sharing the joy with others. He loves flying his Lake Amphibian among what he claims are…

IMPORTANT STEPS TO SAVE BACKCOUNTRY FLYING – CLAY SIMMONS PODCAST WITH BILL MCGLYNN

Fourth-generation pilot, aircraft broker, and builder Clay Simmons sits on the RAF’s new Backcountry Etiquette Team. The group formed out of concern for the growing impact of increased backcountry activity by a variety of users. On the RAF podcast hosted by RAF President Bill McGlynn, Clay explains experiencing Idaho’s backcountry as a very young passenger. When his dad survived a serious airplane…

CALL TO ACTION: SAN RAFAEL SWELL TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PLAN

We need your help to preserve Utah’s scenic backcountry airstrips. Due to the 2017 lawsuit settlement with an environmental group, the BLM is obligated to revise 13 Travel Management Plans (TMPs) in Utah. Each requires public comment periods. RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig says, “Please hang in there and keep sending your comments. Every voice counts.” Draft San Rafael Swell TMP…

RAF AT AIRVENTURE 2024

We’ll be at AirVenture again this July, and hope to see you throughout the week! Join us on Tuesday, July 23 from 9 am-11 am on Hartzell’s rooftop (#296) for coffee and Manderfield’s gourmet donuts. Enjoy sharing the love of aviation with folks from all over the country during this popular standing-room only event! Throughout…

VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE IMPROVING HISTORIC WATERBURY

“Thanks to a group of thirteen volunteers, we were able to have a successful RAF work party,” Brian Thomas, RAF Connecticut Liaison reported of the June 23 gathering at the Waterbury Airport, N41. He reports that the airport owners are very appreciative of the collective efforts from the local pilot community to keep Waterbury looking…

FIVE HELLS CANYON AIRSTRIPS GET ANNUAL MAINTENANCE

RAF Oregon Liaison Bill Ables reports that in May, thirty volunteers completed another successful work party on five airstrips within Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river gorge. “This has been a long-standing Idaho Aviation Association work party, and they provide food and drinks for the volunteers,” Ables said. “Nineteen aircraft arrived at Dug Bar at…

VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE MEADOW CREEK SEASONAL WORK

RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower reports that in spite of occasional rain, nine volunteers from the RAF and Montana Pilots Association flew in from as far away as Washington State, Columbus, Billings and Kremlin, Montana on Saturday, June 15 to work on Meadow Creek USFS airstrip. The turf 2,800-ft airstrip lies along the South Fork…

AIRFIELD GUIDE SPORTS CLEANER LOOK, NEW FEATURES

We have released the improved Airfield Guide for your free use just in time to plan some fun stops on your way to Oshkosh! Along with updated software and features, users will find a completely new, cleaner look and feel. Among the new features is the ability to leave comments with photos and videos on airfields. We encourage users…

JULY FEATURED AIRSTRIP: WASHINGTON ISLAND, WISCONSIN

Each month we highlight an airstrip with hopes that you will get out and enjoy these special places. This month, we’re featuring Washington Island, Wisconsin. Why is it that airports on islands always have a special appeal? Maybe it’s because aviation serves a heightened level of utility in arriving on an island. And that island airports are often…

RAF GRANT FUNDS SOLAR WEATHER STATION TESTING AT CHICKEN STRIP

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…