Archive for 2012

The New Mexico Pilot Association held its third annual Negrito Fly-In Oct. 5-7, 2012.  This year’s event marked the first year that NMP partnered with the Arizona Pilots Association to host the event.  The Negrito Airstrip (0NM7) is situated at 8,100 feet in southwestern New Mexico’s remote and beautiful Gila National Forest. Most mornings we were serenaded by bugling elk and…

Northeastern Washington at Sullivan Lake was the setting for a work party/fly-in this past weekend.  Over 30 airplanes arrived, some by floats on the pristine lake and others landed on the turf 1765’ airstrip.  (Metaline Falls, 09S.)  The airstrip was already in great shape, but the recurring gopher holes needed filling in, and weeds needed whacking, and we left…

RAF President John McKenna attended a planning meeting regarding a potentially new airstrip in an area of Minnesota known as the North West Angle, or as the locals refer to it as “The Angle.” The meeting, organized by James Hanson of Albert, Lea, Minnesota, was held Monday August 6th  in Baudette, Minnesota, which is the county seat…

Sixty-six years of separation evaporated when Ben Ryan climbed the ladder of the P-38, Glacier Girl, at Oshkosh 2012 — it was 1946 when Ben last flew a P-38 in the final days of World War II. In fact, on Columbus Day in 1945, Ben was overrun by his wingman, a fellow aviator in another P-38 in trail. The damage…

Located roughly forty miles west of the Tuweep airstrip in northern Arizona is the historical Grand Gulch Mine.  History has this as the first copper mine in Arizona, and you can admire the last remaining earthen smelter in the country amongst the ruins of this wonderful site. Taking the cue from aviation historian, and APA member,…

The Minam River Lodge (Minam Lodge sits deep inside the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. Use at your discretion), airlift was an outstanding success, with 25-plus volunteers in 20-plus planes flying multiple sorties between Joseph, Oregon, and the lodge, on April 14th and 15th. The volunteer crews ferried new supplies in and roughly 50 years of accumulated debris out. The effort was a mutual…