DJ 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…
Read MoreVOLUNTEERS IMPROVE TOKETEE AIRFIELD RECREATION
Toketee State Airport, (3S6) a 5,350-ft turf airstrip in Oregon’s Southern Cascades within Umpqua National Forest is close to the North Umpqua Wild and Scenic River. RAF Oregon Liaison Mayes says the river offers spectacular steelhead fishing, adding, “The airfield provides a quiet spot for fly-in camping with access to hiking trails and a nice summer swimming hole…
Read MoreALASKA LIAISON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TONGASS CABINS
RAF Southeast Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest has concerns that some of the 140 US Forest Service cabins in the vast Tongass National Forest are in jeopardy of closure. These cabins are open for public use at very affordable fees, but perceived lack of usage has caused the Forest Service to re-consider continuing to preserve them. “These cabins are a true treasure in…
Read MoreOREGON WILDERNESS AIRSTRIP OBTAINS MOWER
Red’s Wallowa Horse Ranch airstrip, (68D) in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area has acquired a new sickle-bar mule-drawn mower, and the airstrip was recently mowed, thanks to collaboration between the US Forest Service, the Wallowa County Pilots Association, the RAF, and Oregon Pilots Association volunteers. Wilderness restrictions prohibit the use of mechanized equipment, and the…
Read MoreAIRFIELD GUIDE ANSWERS TO NATIONAL DEMAND
The RAF and Tailwind Aviation Foundation are pleased to announce that the Airfield.Guide now lists over 300 airfields, with destinations in each US state. “The Airfield Guide began as a challenge to find all the grass strips in Arkansas,” RAF Arkansas Liaison Dave Powell said. Powell and RAF member and IT developer Chip Gibbons took up the challenge.…
Read MoreJASON BRAND
California Ambassador Day Job: Mechanical Engineer at an electronics companyFavorite strip: Like my children, I do not have a favoriteNext Adventure: Anywhere beyond the Sierra Nevada range
Read MoreTHIS JEWEL GETS EVEN BRIGHTER
“Of the many jewels of aviation, Katama Airfield stands out as unique in the United States,” says the Katama Airfield Trust website. And now the sign “The RAF Proudly Supports This Airstrip” can go up at the field, thanks to RAF Director Bill Brine and New Hampshire Liaison John Meade. By an overwhelming voice vote,…
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