News

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and Death Valley National Park officially signed a five-year cooperative maintenance agreement for the Chicken Strip in Saline Valley. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), dated October 18, also renews the established maintenance agreement at Furnace Creek Airport and Stovepipe Wells Airstrip.  “The RAF has proven that this partnership works since…

RAF Georgia Ambassador Eric Davis reports another successful weekend fly-in at Creighton Island December 6-8. Attendees Eric and Sandy Peyrot flew their C182 in from Summerland, FL and said it was a “fantastic fly-in location,” adding, “getting to see the area by air and then get up close on an undeveloped island was a real treat.” While…

Thanks to a $30,000 grant from the RAF, a new pilot shelter is near completion at Astronaut Kent Rominger Airport (KRCV) in Del Norte, Colorado. RAF Colorado Liaison Tom Haefeli reports that other funding includes $5,500 in cash donations, $18,200 in donated labor, supplies, heavy equipment use and operation from the various contractors involved. Rio…

As reported, the Selectboard meeting and public hearing about the possible closure of Maine’s Charles A. Chase Memorial airfield (44B) in Dover-Foxcroft took place November 12. The town manager and at least one select person wanted to close the airfield and construct a solar farm on the site.  “There was a very large turnout of local…

Your action can make a difference! Maine pilots learned that the town of Dover-Foxcroft is considering closing Charles A. Chase Jr. Memorial Airfield (44B) to install a four megawatt solar generating plant. RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe, Steve Mason and RAF New Hampshire Liaison John Meade are rallying pilots to protect the 2,926-ft scenic airfield.…

RAF Utah Liaison Wayne Loeber reports that the October 25-26 work party at Grand Gulch Mine airstrip in Arizona was productive. Four aircraft brought enough people to clear campsites and the north half of the runway. The airstrip is on land managed by the BLM, and on Saturday, Erica Jensen, a BLM intern arrived to install an…

Georgia RAF Ambassador Eric Davis reports on a very successful work week October 7-13 at Creighton Island. “I’d been exploring the idea of island Internet service for several years now,” Davis said. “Having personally flown to Creighton Island many times, I can attest to the diversity of weather relative to the nearest reporting stations,” he…

Volunteers associated with the Recreational Aviation Foundation achieved substantial improvements to Alaska’s Bold Airstrip (A13), located at the southeast end of Eklutna Lake, near Anchorage on Saturday, August 31. The group was joined by a volunteer from the local EAA Chapter. “With the cooperation and approval of Chugach State Park officials, a small but intrepid…

After ten years of communications and cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), the RAF is pleased to announce that Saline Valley’s “Chicken Strip” in Death Valley National Park was officially authorized on August 19. The Federal Register states that “the Chicken Strip has been in continuous use for decades, pre-dating the management of the…

Washington Liaison Dave Whitelaw and his brother John report that the annual Sullivan Lake (09S) fly-in near Metaline Falls in northeast Washington State (August 2-4) was a success. “We had beautiful weather after being hampered by fires and thick smoke the last three years,” Dave said. Twenty-two aircraft flew in, including two by water that beached on the nice gravel. Around 30 folks enjoyed the weekend, some…