HARTZELL PROPELLER, RAF AGREE TO INCENTIVES FOR BACKCOUNTRY PILOTS

The following is a press release announced by Hartzell Propeller.

Hartzell Propeller has reached an agreement with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) to offer a special $1,000 discount on all new Hartzell backcountry propellers sold to RAF members. The RAF is a national organization headquartered in Bozeman, Mont., which is dedicated to preserving, improving and creating airstrips for recreational access.

“Hartzell Propeller is making this offer to RAF members through the end of 2022 as part of our commitment to the excitement and fun of backcountry flying,” said Hartzell Propeller President JJ Frigge. “The RAF has prevented the closure of a number of airstrips and even built new ones. We are excited to be a part of the legacy established by these dedicated pilots.”

The propeller offerings included in this partnership include:

The Voyager, a 3-blade metal scimitar propeller designed for the Cessna 180, 182, 185 and 206 fleet
The Trailblazer, a 2-blade composite prop available for the Aviat Husky, American Champion Scout, Maule M-7-235 and host of experimental aircraft
The Explorer, a 3-blade composite prop available for a number of experimental aircraft
The Pathfinder, a 3-blade composite prop available on the Cubcrafters XCub and Carbon Cub FX, as well as several experimental aircraft.

Each of these propellers is designed to maximize performance for backcountry operations, including shorter take-off rolls and better climb rates.

“For those of us who love the land and the special backcountry places that only our airplanes can take us, our more than 9,000 RAF members appreciate this very welcome initiative from Hartzell Propeller,” said RAF Chairman John J. McKenna, Jr. “These new propellers are a direct testament to Hartzell’s commitment to innovation for backcountry airplanes and pilots. With added performance and reduced noise levels, all in the backcountry community will appreciate Hartzell’s new propellers,” he added.

“Through this new promotion, Hartzell’s commitment will be an exceptional benefit to current RAF members and an extremely welcome incentive to becoming a new RAF member,” McKenna said. In addition to providing the RAF discount, Hartzell Propeller will make a $250 contribution directly to the RAF organization for every member who buys a new Hartzell prop for backcountry flying until the end of 2022.

Hartzell Propeller is the global leader in advanced technology aircraft propeller design and manufacturing for business, commercial and government customers. The company designs next generation propellers with innovative blended airfoil technology and manufactures them with revolutionary machining centers, robotics and custom resin transfer molding curing stations.

Hartzell Propeller and sister companies, Hartzell Engine Technologies LLC, Quality Aircraft Accessories, and AWI-AMI (Aerospace Welding Minneapolis, Inc., and Aerospace Manufacturing, Inc.) form the general aviation business unit of Tailwind Technologies Inc. For more info on Hartzell Propeller, go to www.hartzellprop.com.

About the Recreational Aviation Foundation
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) was founded by a group of Montana pilots who realized the threat of recreational airstrip closure was of national concern. They also recognized there was a need for a unified effort by pilots everywhere to protect public recreational opportunities. The RAF, a 501(c)(3) organization, is dedicated to preserving existing airstrips and creating new public-use recreational airstrips throughout the United States. For more info see: https://theraf.org/.

Posted in News

TIME TO REVIEW AIRSTRIP SAFETY BRIEFINGS

March 30, 2026

As you're planning your 2026 flying adventures, remember to review safety briefings for the airstrips you plan to visit. The RAF strongly recommends you review safety briefings and print a copy to have in your airplane - it's even required to fly into some airfields, like Ryan Field (2MT1). For those airfields, pilots flying in are required to review the briefing on an annual basis, and now is the perfect time to catch up on any changes to the runway/area that happened throughout the winter. You can find safety briefings on the RAF Airfield Guide . If an airfield in the Airfield Guide has a required briefing, the airfield listing will clearly indicate it and have a tab to view the briefing. Submitted March 30, 2026 Photo By Jim Stevenson

RAF VOLUNTEERS BEGIN TO RESTORE HISTORIC RANGER AIRFIELD HANGAR

March 30, 2026

RAF Texas volunteers and Ranger Airfield Foundation volunteers helped begin restoration of the historic 1928 Ranger Airfield hangar on March 28. “A Wright biplane landed here at the field in 1911, and people have been using it ever since,” Ranger Airfield Foundation Founder Jared Calvert said. He noted that Amelia Earhart landed there in a Pitcairn Auto Gyro. Richard Bach, Pancho Barnes, and General Patton also landed at the field. It’s the oldest continuously used turf field in Texas.

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: SACATON, NM

By Carmine Mowbray • March 30, 2026

For adventurers seeking access to the Gila Wilderness, we suggest landing at Sacaton Airstrip, NM16, near Buckhorn, New Mexico. The runway lies on a “finger mesa,” and the Rain Creek trailhead lies just northeast of the field. Thanks to RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller's coordination with the USFS using a Cost Share Agreement, Keller was able to organize RAF and New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) volunteers to rehabilitate and reopen the long-abandoned airstrip in 2022. Beyond reopening the airstrip, Keller added camping amenities, including picnic tables and a new vault toilet. Most recently, Keller oversaw the installation of new shade structures, most welcoming to campers and hikers. RAF and NMPA volunteers complete ongoing maintenance at Sacaton and other airfields in the Gila National Forest. You’ll see white-painted rocks along Sacaton’s 3,989-ft dirt runway, and surrounding the segmented circle near the RAF windsock. The airstrip lies at 6,200-ft elevation, so pilots should be mindful of density altitude while flying over high terrain in the vicinity, even in winter temperatures. “Anglers will enjoy plying streams for the rare native copper-colored Gila trout, once a threatened species,” Keller reports. The mile-and-a-half trail to the crossing at Rain Creek is narrow and challenging and traverses a variety of terrain, but the serious hiker will be rewarded trekking through steep canyon walls lined with green alder, willow, and boxelder, hoodoos, and eagle aeries above. There are rumors of a double waterfall some distance on the west fork of Rain Creek trail. See the Sacaton page in the Airfield Guide for more details. Note that the airstrip may be unusable due to snow or after heavy rains. This runway should be considered one-way in/one-way out to avoid overflying the Wilderness boundary. There is a 4.6% upslope to the East, favoring landing Runway 08 with right traffic, remaining clear of the Wilderness east and north of the airfield. Please consider others seeking a Wilderness experience. Prior to landing at Sacaton, permission is required by calling the USFS Gila Dispatch center at 800-538-1644. Please familiarize yourself with Sacaton in the Airfield Guide and the New Mexico Pilots Association Safety Briefing . Submitted March 30, 2025 By Carmine Mowbray