News

Silver Lake airfield (45S) is located in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in central Oregon. For the past several years, maintenance at the 3,000 x 55-ft runway had been neglected. “Earlier this year the Forest Service discussed closing and de-listing the airfield because it was considered unsafe and a liability risk,” RAF Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes said. He…

Cowboys may not first come to mind when one thinks of eastern Maine, just a few miles from the Saint Croix River, Maine’s border with New Brunswick. RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe identified Cowboy’s Air Ranch Airport, (84ME) in Forest Township near the village of Brookton, ME as a desirable recreational airfield. He received an…

In March, the RAF reported that aviation weather cameras were in the works in Colorado, and now the official announcement is out. Thanks to a partnership between the Colorado Division of Aeronautics and the FAA’s Alaska Weather Camera Program, there are now four new aviation weather cameras functioning on the Division’s network of 13 Mountain…

RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller has announced that after more than forty years of disuse, the Rainy Mesa airstrip is now open for recreational use, after removal of encroaching trees. “RAF Ambassador, and former State Liaison Larry Filener’s vision and dream to reopen Rainy Mesa airstrip is now a reality,” Ron said. He credits…

Alaska’s Tongass National Forest is the largest National Forest in the nation. There are 144 public use cabins in the Forest, accessible by boat, trail, seaplane, and wheeled aircraft. Twenty-six are accessed by flight only, and may be in jeopardy of closure. “These cabins are a true treasure in one of the most beautiful parts…

Georgia RAF Ambassador Eric Davis reports that Creighton Island airfield now has a pair of runway cameras streaming video via separate YouTube channels. At this time, Eric recommends bookmarking this link as the easiest way to tune into the two live webcams: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvNRmOSzakItdbaHKSZChrw/videos. In order to not overwhelm the resident’s home Internet service, Eric rate-limited the…

How do you mow the tall spring grass on Red’s Wallowa Horse Ranch airfield in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness – without the use of motorized equipment? You trail in 20-year-olds Bird and Bat, who team up for the kind of job they know well. With just the right experience, these two mules – with Jim and Holly Akenson…

Maybe you’ve already seen the gem of an airstrip called Ryan Field near Glacier Park, Montana, and know about the RAF’s vision to “raise the barn.” Thanks to the response from generous donors from across the country, our plans are coming together! When Ben and Agnes “Butchie” Ryan first saw the tamarack, pine and cedar…

Red’s Wallowa Horse Ranch is within Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness, administered by the US Forest Service. There is no road to the 1,600-ft airstrip, so access is only by aircraft, foot, or horseback. “This location is attractive for remote camping and hiking, and fishing on the adjacent Minam River can be particularly rewarding,” said Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes. His…

RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller reports that after years of cooperative effort with the New Mexico Airstrip Network, “we convinced the BLM that Cuba Airstrip could be a valuable asset for them as well as a recreational asset for aviation.” This BLM-owned airstrip had been used for sagebrush spraying, but had fallen into disrepair…