“Sometimes driving in is the only way to get a field ready for use,” he said. Getting to the strip was every bit as difficult as Lumgair had expected, but it didn’t deter pilot and RAF Oregon Ambassador Kevin Johnson, who drove nine hours each way to help and install the windsock structure he’d built and brought with him. The road to the airstrip is a rutted and steep Jeep trail between the dirt Walker Ridge Road and the staging/camping area, challenging each four-wheel-drive vehicle. The final mile from the staging area to the airstrip was so narrow that a crew had to walk ahead of the trucks, clearing it so vehicles could pass.
REHAB WORK BEGINS ON CALIFORNIA'S WALKER RIDGE AIRSTRIP
RAF California Liaison Doug Lumgair received approval from the BLM to begin rehabilitating Walker Ridge airstrip located within the Snow Mountain National Monument in Northern California, and his request for the first work party was abundantly answered in spite of the challenges of driving to the site. It was what he called “an incredible experience,” with every single volunteer a “true rockstar.”
Volunteers brought two skid-steers, a dump trailer, and a Polaris Ranger, all vital to the success of the weekend project, especially cutting and removing the “mountains of brush.” The work had to be done with hand tools and chainsaws; skid-steers were used to haul brush to a BLM-approved area.
On Sunday morning, the crew removed the remaining brush and some of the hazardous rocks from the landing area. There are additional rock outcroppings that still need to be broken down, and more brush work needs to be done to increase wing tip clearance. The next work party is planned for December 6 & 7, with a weather alternate date of December 13 & 14.
“I am deeply thankful and impressed by every volunteer who brought their equipment, expertise, enthusiasm, and incredible work ethic,” Lumgair said, adding, “The camaraderie throughout the weekend was a joy— we instantly formed a great team and worked together like old friends.”
A pilot briefing and more details about Walker Ridge will be added to the Airfield Guide in the future.
Doug is looking for additional volunteers to help at the December 6th and 7th work party. There will be a limited number of aircraft parking spots, and also, volunteers will be driving in and car camping. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact him at dlumgair@theraf.org.
Submitted November 24, 2025.
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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 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.
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
