Posts by Lisa Ellington
Chet Leach
From his gyrocopter, a Quicksilver, Rans S-12, a Maule, and now a Bearhawk for the backcountry, and a Piper Dakota 235 for cross country flights, Chet Leach has found a good balance after 46 years of flying as a private pilot. He began flying in 1975 in Lexington, Kentucky, and for the last 16 years…
Read MoreFAA RENEWS EFFORT TO UPDATE PRIVATE AIRPORT STATUS
The FAA is continuing their effort to update its database of Private Use airports, according to RAF Director Jeff Russell. “We want to make RAF membership aware of the FAA’s January 20 deadline and encourage owners to update their airport data in time,” Russell emphasized. The FAA initiated this project in 2020. Thousands of Private Use…
Read MoreLOCAL PILOTS JOIN RAF FOR CONNECTICUT AIRFIELD IMPROVEMENTS
“It was a beautiful day for a work party, with good local support for our campsite buildout at Waterbury,” RAF Connecticut Liaison Drew Lyons said of the September work weekend. Waterbury-Plymouth (N41) lies 20 nm northwest of New Haven, Connecticut and has two turf runways, the longest of which is 2,000 feet. This pastoral area is only about 80…
Read MoreMARCY FIELD SAFETY PROJECT COMPLETED
The second successful cooperative project between the RAF and the Town of Keene has been completed at Marcy Field, (1I1) a 2,390 turf airfield near Keene, NY in the Adirondacks. The field lies in an area popular for recreation and the summer farm market. “There is world class fishing on the Ausable river and local…
Read MoreVOLUNTEERS ESTABLISH “NEW” MOWER AT SCHAFER MEADOWS
RAF Montana Liaison and Montana Pilots Association Past President Scott Newpower reported that a half dozen planes and a helicopter landed at Schafer Meadows for a short-notice work party September 3-4. Schafer Meadows is Montana’s only airstrip within a Wilderness area, and as such, mechanized equipment cannot be used for maintenance. MPA volunteers have historically…
Read MoreGILA AIRSTRIPS HISTORY OF EFFECTIVE USFS PARTNERSHIP
The New Mexico Pilots Association Gila Regional Fly-in was a huge success. Perfect weather enabled 37 planes and 56 folks to attend. Based at Reserve, New Mexico, T16, pilots could explore some of the six Gila area backcountry airstrips during the weekend. The privilege to access these places is the result of a long term partnership…
Read MoreDJ NICHOLSON
Connecticut Ambassador Day job: High School Science and Engineering Teacher Favorite airstrip: The dream of flying came early. As a kid I loved going to the top of Route 254 in Thomaston, CT with my grandfather or my Dad to watch the gliders soar above Waterbury Airport (locally known as Mt. Tobe). This was my…
Read MoreChris Arno
Chris Arno of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine manages to mix his passion for flying in with his family of six, and the company he owns with his father, Northern Line Construction that builds and maintains utility power lines. He acted on his long-standing love of flying in Bar Harbor, Maine in May of 2019. “I happened to…
Read MoreSOMETIMES RAF SUPPORT MEANS MORE THAN A CHECK IN THE MAIL
Annie McGlynn-Wright, her husband, and their two small children decided to ride out Hurricane Ida in their home in New Orleans. They survived the powerful storm and their home was only slightly damaged, but they were stranded with no power, water or sewer during the city’s hottest days of summer. Annie is the daughter of…
Read MoreRAF BOOSTS RECREATIONAL APPEAL AT INGALLS FIELD
At 3,793 foot field elevation, Ingalls Field (KHSP) in Hot Springs, Virginia is one of the highest elevation airports east of the Mississippi River. RAF Virginia Liaison Alan White reports that since 1931, locals have traveled to the top of the mountain for the cooler temperatures, beautiful vistas and nighttime star gazing. As with other bygone…
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