Archive for 2015
December isn’t typically the ideal time for a work party in Montana, but RAF’s BLM Liaison Pete Smith and some intrepid volunteers decided it was for this project. Motor vehicles had left deep ruts on Cow Creek airstrip within scenic Missouri River Breaks country. A fence was needed to restrict abuse. Working between rainstorms to land and bring in…
Volunteers from the RAF and Arizona Pilots Assoc. rolled up their sleeves this fall and worked into the nights to reclaim beautiful Grapevine Airstrip, located on the Tonto National Forest, just 1,400 feet from the shores of Roosevelt Lake. Thanks to their hard work and financial support; and special contributions from Crafco, Inc, and Otto Trucking,…
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has been working for several years to re-open North Fox Island airstrip, located on a state-owned 820-acre island in Lake Michigan. Many volunteer man hours have gone into preparation and negotiations in order to reclaim and return the airstrip to a safe condition. North Fox Island is approximately 27 miles northwest of…
What do you do when flying to great recreational destinations is just not enough? For some the answer is to pick up a camera and capture those moments and views to share with others. Yesterday, we lost a grand master of aviation photography Jim Wark.For over 20 years Jim provided a view of our country from…
Thanks to an abundance of willing labor, the old Double Circle Lodge in the US Forest Service Apache Sitgreaves Clifton District got a new porch roof May 8-10. The USFS and local support has made the Recreational Aviation Foundation’s efforts possible at the old Double Circle, and RAF’s work on the national scene helped grease…
The RAF joined forces with the Green River Chapter of the Washington Pilots Association and WSDOT Aviation to hold a Work Party and Chili Feed on May 9th to clean up and open Ranger Creek State Airport (21W). This is an annual event the chapter holds at its adopted airport to prepare it for the summer flying season. …
Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) President John McKenna and Public Lands Liaison Mark Spencer of Arizona testified on March 18 before the U.S. House Department of Interior Appropriations Committee. Their goal was to request funding for the ongoing maintenance of airstrips on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Their prepared documents and…
It’s become pretty obvious that, if you own a tent and a plane, one of the best weekends to be had is Arcadia’s Rodeo Weekend. Arcadia Municipal X06 is this typically small rural airport next to this ‘time stood still’ small Florida town, so what’s the big deal? Well….the ‘big deal’ comes in two packages. It coincides with Florida’s oldest…
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) brought two major initiatives to fruition on a mid-March trip to Washington, D.C.. RAF President John McKenna and Public Lands Director Mark Spencer completed national Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) documents with the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The stated purpose of the USFS MOU is to: “develop a framework for cooperation…
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), through participation in US Forest Service (USFS) public comment sessions and attending meetings of the Federal Advisory Committee as observers, has secured the documenting of aviation within the Final Planning Directive (FSH 1909.12). The document acknowledges recreational aviation in multiple places. These aviation references clarify and solidify aviation as a legitimate mode…
Recent Posts
RAF Michigan Liaisons Tanmoy Ganguly and Scott Anttila met with district U.S. Forest Service staff prior to starting work at Lost Creek airstrip, now MI45, (formerly 5Y4) in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in north-central Michigan. “We had a very constructive discussion about what the RAF does, and what we envision for future amenities at Lost Creek airstrip,” Ganguly said. The mid-August work weekend attracted 16 aircraft and 20 volunteers, including new MI Ambassador Ryan Minnick, MI Ambassador Ehsan Hamtaei, and IN Liaison Bill Steinmetz, many of whom enjoyed camping overnight in the forested setting. The crew was joined by nearby residents who donated their time, tools, and machinery to help and provided snacks.
Submitted August 27, 2025
CALL TO ACTION: Public Comments Requested to Support Access to 10 of Utah's Sensational Backcountry Airstrips The BLM has issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the following ten Moab-Monticello backcountry airstrips. Pilot comments will help to open access to the airstrips. Your Comments are Needed by Thursday, September 3. Please use the link below to state in your own words why you support access to these backcountry airstrips: Nokai Dome Piute Canyon Potato Ridge Playa Big Flat Red Canyon Spring Canyon Castle Creek Steer Ridge West Wee Hope Mine
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This guest editorial is by Bill McGlynn, President of the RAF.
Nestled in among awe-inspiring mountains, Glacier Creek (KGZ) airstrip is 15 nm east of McCarthy in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. On July 11, a work party drawing 25 volunteers was held there, led by RAF Alaska Liaison Stef Goza, her husband Randy, and Alaska Ambassador Bri Norby. They were joined by a group of National Park Service maintenance crew members who’d been flown in the night before and cleared the trail from the airstrip to the cabin before volunteers arrived.
