Posts by Lisa Ellington

RAF and NPS Reach Agreement on September 27, 2011 to Reopen the Chicken Strip The Recreational Aviation Foundation and the National Park Service in cooperation with Chief Ranger,  Brent Pennington reached an agreement under the existing Memorandum of Understanding  to reopening  the Chicken Strip.  The Chicken Strip airstrip is located in Saline Valley, and is…

The votes are counted and the Recreational Aviation Foundation is the recipient of a Lightspeed Aviation Foundation 2011 Grant Award.  To say that we could not have done it without you is not cliché, it is a fact.  For those of you who never think your vote counts, it did this time. The winners were announced at…

Fort Kent Airfield Re-Opens September 19, 2011 The RAF has been informed by the Fish River Flying Club that Fort Kent Airport is now available for aircraft operations.  The 2200 foot grass airstrip in the very northern portion of Maine is restricted use rather than public use, so a call to Mr. Tom Voisine at 207-834-5685…

Those of you who were at Sun-N-Fun 2011 and visited the RAF booth saw first-hand the destruction from the tornado that tore thru the area.  The RAF was relieved to have only minor damage.  Yes, the display booth fell over, the television was smashed, and we all wandered around in ankle deep water, picking up…

What could be better than the option to land “wet” or “dry”?  The weekend of August 19th, at Sullivan Lake, WA (09S), just south of the Canadian border, gave pilots that option.  Some came on floats, some on wheels.  Few sites offer the opportunity to land on either – Sullivan Lake is one of those…

GREAT FALLS, MT – August 9, 2011– Last week, a Federal Judge ruled in favor of both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) in response to a 2009 lawsuit brought against the agency by the Montana Wilderness Society and Western Watersheds Project. The RAF, with support from the Montana Pilots…

A blue sky, perfect temperature, fun group of people, and one of the prettiest places in the West…That was Russian Flat last weekend. RAF volunteers from Montana, New Mexico, Idaho, and Washington spent much of the day clearing brush and rocks from the campground area, felling some dead trees, and bucking them up into firewood.  As the shadows…

The “Chicken Strip” at Saline Valley in Death Valley National Park, which was recently closed for safety reasons, should reopen soon due to quick action by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) with the full support of National Park Service (NPS) managers. Death Valley Chief Ranger Brent Pennington reported that a local volunteer, Lizard Lee, had…

In Fort Kent, Maine a small group of pilots has contacted the town requesting that they be allowed to re-open the local municipal airport near the Fish River.  They formed the Fish River Flying Club and have now signed a lease agreement with the town to repair, maintain and operate the 3,200 foot grass runway.  John Nadeau of the Recreational…

Team RAF winged its way to the Wingnuts Flying Circus in Tarkio, Missouri.  This event is co-hosted by U.S. Congressman Sam Graves and his lifelong friend Brooks Hurst.  RAF Vice President, Dan Prill and President, John McKenna attended along with AOPA’s Craig Fuller, Peter Bunce of GAMA, Ed Bolen of NBAA, and Rod Hightower of EAA.  Having the opportunity to spend time with these…