Posts by Lisa Ellington
NEW MEXICO AIRSTRIP ONGOING MAINTENANCE
The RAF cooperates with New Mexico Pilots Association, and during the weekend of April 30 to May 2 volunteers from both organizations met at Me-Own Airstrip, (1NM0) for a work party. This remote airstrip lies at an elevation of 7,554 and is special in that it is close to the Gila Wilderness Area, and immediately…
Read MoreOREGON AIRSTRIPS RECEIVE FUNDS FOR CONTINUED MAINTENANCE
“McKenzie Bridge Airport in the Central Oregon Cascades is popular with recreational aviators. It provides access to the McKenzie River, mountain bike trails, and remote camping,” RAF Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes says. To ensure the continued utility of the airport, Mayes has been awarded an RAF grant to employ a contractor to mow the airfield.…
Read MoreJEFF DEFREEST
Alaska State Liaison Jeff DeFreest started flying early in life – logging his first hours in 1972 – but his flight training stalled until he was well into his career as a professional geologist with the US Forest Service (USFS). He worked in Idaho, Oregon, and Utah before transitioning to Alaska in 2001. Before moving…
Read MoreLOCALS PITCH IN ON CORNUCOPIA IMPROVEMENTS
Improvements are continuing this spring at the RAF-supported Cornucopia, WI airstrip, W123. Cornucopia is the northernmost village in Wisconsin and sits on the south shore of Lake Superior, adjacent to the magnificent Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. “Not only is the scenery absolutely spectacular, but there are also incredible recreational opportunities in the area including kayaking…
Read MoreJOHN NADEAU
National RUS Liaison After ten years of flying pavement to pavement around New England, John Nadeau and his wife Ann Marie acquired property near his family vacation home in Maine. An abandoned airfield laid in the backwoods that he and friends reclaimed over a summer, and John landed on a grass runway for the first time on…
Read MoreAIRFIELD HOME OF BEARHAWK TO GET RECREATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS
RAF Virginia Liaison Alan White has been awarded an RAF grant to make improvements to Barrows Field (VA04) in Fincastle, Virginia. Barrows is home to R&B Aircraft, makers of Bearhawk aircraft. White’s plans include establishing a camping and picnic area along the river, repairing the outhouse, clearing encroaching limbs, and installing an RAF windsock. He expects…
Read MorePOSSIBLE CLOSURE OF TONGASS WILDERNESS CABINS
RAF Alaska Liaison Al Clayton, RAF members Bill Rusk and Jeff DeFreest report that the US Forest Service cabins primarily in Southeast Alaska that are available for public use may be in jeopardy of closure. Alaska’s Tongass National Forest is the nation’s largest National Forest, and includes 142 cabins accessible by boat, trail, seaplane, and a…
Read MoreJEREMY VAUGHAN
Virginia and North Carolina Ambassador Day Job: General Manager at Dix Aviation at W78 airport Favorite Airstrip: Mine: 00VA Next adventure: Various airports or grass-strips in VA
Read MoreLISA ELLINGTON
Website Volunteer Lisa Ellington, a fifth-generation Texan, grew up on a farm in South Texas. Every day was an adventure with horses, cows, pigs, and chickens (most of whom were pets), as well as numerous dogs and cats. Her family took fun summer trips around the US, such as hiking the Grand Canyon, canoeing the…
Read MoreBILL STEINMETZ
Indiana State Liaison Bill grew up in a flying family. He graduated in 1979 from Purdue University in Indiana with a degree in Professional Pilot Technology. “I was teaching and flying Part 135 in what was then a horrible aviation job market,” he says. Eventually becoming engaged full time in a family construction business, Bill…
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