Posts by Lisa Ellington

Wisconsin State Liaison Jeff Russell hosted the traditional “WFO” Winter is Finally Over (or something to that effect) hangar party May 21 at his hangar in Middleton, WI.  While this is the third year of this annual gathering of local aviators and friends of aviation, it is the first year it included an RAF fundraiser.  A native…

The Green River Chapter of the Washington Pilots Association and the RAF held their annual work party at Greenwater/Ranger Creek Airport (21W) on Saturday, May 7.  About 40 volunteers and 15 planes showed up to get the airstrip ready to open for the season. They cleared the runway, raked, pulled weeds and tree sprouts, and replaced windsocks. A team assembled…

Team effort between the Recreational Aviation Foundation and the Arizona Pilot’s Association is producing great results! The process of placing the Grapevine airstrip back on the Phoenix sectional, replacing the closed airport symbol that has marked the place of the Grapevine for nearly 20 years has begun! In  my mind, it seems like just last…

​Homesteaded by George Stevens and his Apache bride in 1878, under the Desert Lands Act, the Double Circle Ranch was once one of the largest cattle ranches in the southwest. It’s place between Willow and Eagle creeks at 4,800′ made it a coveted place by not only the ancient pueblo Indians, but by the then…

The Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering the weekend of April 29-30 was a wonderful opportunity for the RAF to chat with aviators. The RedBird flight Simulator drew a crowd to our booth. Pilots of all ages practiced their skills, flying in and out of some fun recreational airstrips, coordinated by RAF volunteer Smoky (Debra Folsom). RAF Minnesota…

RAF Alaska Liaison Al Clayton and Press Liaison Carmine Mowbray hosted the RAF booth at the 19th annual Alaska Aviation Gathering at Ted Stevens Airport, (ANC) in Anchorage April 30-May 1. The event maxed out at 275 exhibitors, including cutting-edge bush aircraft and rare vintage models. Folks from as far away as Florida milled about…

For a woman who works full time as a surgical nurse for the Veteran’s Administration hospital in Portland, OR it’s amazing to consider all the other things Sue Mann manages to accomplish. Each year for the past dozen, Sue and her husband Jeff have gone to Guatemala where she assists other volunteer medical providers bringing…

The beautiful Blackwater River State Forest airstrip was the setting for the annual gathering of RAF’ers and friends April 22-24. We host this event each April to celebrate the Florida Forest Service’s decision to offer user-permit access to the public, and to enjoy the trails, fishing, swimming and the forest’s sand bottom river.  Twenty airplanes…

Vision of excellence for recreational aviators – The Recreational Aviation Foundation offers recommendations to advance flight safety, airmanship, professionalism, consideration and courtesy toward the people and wildlife who share the recreational environment. Each of us is an ambassador to the non-flying public, and to the landowners or managers responsible for the airstrips we enjoy. We…

In its mission to preserve and create airstrips for recreational access, the RAF seeks to provide credible information during public lands management planning. In 2014, the RAF was awarded an AOPA Foundation grant toward the cost of a two-year study to determine if there are noise effects around backcountry airstrips, and if so, how these…