Archive for 2020
Managers of Death Valley National Park in California are seeking public input regarding future use of the park’s Stovepipe Wells Village. One of the park’s proposals is to change the Stovepipe Wells airstrip into a dedicated night sky viewing area due to the prohibitive maintenance expense of repaving the runway. This is due to the…
The RAF is pleased to announce that one of the country’s most distinctive airports has been saved from potential closure. Goodspeed Airport, (42B) lies beside the historic Connecticut River in East Haddam, CT. The airport has a 2,120-ft paved runway, a parallel turf runway, and is the only seaplane base in southern New England, listed…
The RAF has granted $14,000 toward the preservation of Minnesota’s Isle Airport, (MY72). Minnesota Liaison Kirk Hiner and RAF Director Emeritus Peter Burwell met with Isle Airport management to agree on cost sharing a project to remove encroaching trees that were threatening to close the airport. In June, the RAF reported that the city council…
A picnic pavilion is going up at Havana Regional (9I0) in Illinois! The project is being coordinated by the Havana Regional Airport Board and members of the local EAA Chapter 1420. RAF awarded grant funds to partially fund improvements at the airport. Additional improvements include year-round showers and a fire pit, f
Campground improvements at Fort Kent Municipal Airfield in Maine are now complete. Camping area additions include two picnic tables and a picnic area shelter just off the west side of the runway next to the trailhead to Fish River Falls. Fort Kent Municipal Airfield is adjacent to Maine’s Fish River, and George Dumond of the Fish River Flying Club has…
The RAF has granted funds to help cover the cost for improvements at Fort Kent Municipal Airfield in Maine. Camping area additions will include two picnic tables and a picnic area shelter just off the west side of the runway next to the trailhead to Fish River Falls. Fort Kent Municipal Airfield is adjacent to Maine’s…
Maryland Ambassador Day job: Product Manager of Digital Air Traffic Tower Solutions at Frequentis USA Favorite airstrip: Far too many to say. Perhaps Alton Bay or KLUA. Honestly, I hope I haven’t found my favorite yet. Next adventure: Backcountry flying in Idaho – hopefully very soon!
RAF grants are used typically to purchase building materials, with much of the labor provided by RAF volunteers. Occasionally professionals must be engaged to complete specialized tasks. When Montana’s Schafer Forest Service airstrip (8U2) needed serious grounds work this summer, RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower outlined the need, and an RAF grant was awarded for the…
A West Virginia RAF member who owns the mountaintop grass airfield Rainelle, (WV30) has worked with RAF West Virginia Liaison Evan Davis to open it to RAF membership for fly-in camping. “There is no place in West Virginia that provides a facility like this that I am aware of,” Evan said. In order to make it…
Maine RAF Liaison Andy Rowe reports that the tree removal project has begun on Cowboy’s Air Ranch (84ME), closing it for the time being. An RAF grant is being used to extend the 2,100-foot long turf airfield an additional 1,300-1,500 feet and equipment is now on site. This airfield is privately owned, and permission is required…
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Ragmuff Airport lies in the heart of the North Maine Woods on private forest land. It had been closed and disused for decades when RAF Maine Liaisons Andy Rowe and Steve Mason recognized its recreational value. They worked hard with the landowner to get it reopened and charted with the FAA identifier ME26 in 2023. RAF Maine Ambassador Larry Grenier was just awarded an RAF grant to pay for materials for a new picnic table and fire ring that volunteers will install in the spring. “The Bowman Flying Club from B10 – about 100 nm south – is planning a work day to go up with a brush hog and tools to Ragmuff for field maintenance, clearing overgrowth around the runway and camping area,” Grenier said. Rowe says, “The west branch of the Penobscot is just a mile and a half hike and offers good fishing for brook trout and landlocked salmon. Fall is the premier time to be there – colors turn, it becomes bug-free and partridge and fishing seasons overlap.” Ragmuff is listed in the Airfield Guide, with Andy Rowe as the main contact. For more information about the airfield, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted November 26, 2025 By Carmine Mowbray
Payson, Arizona, is billed as “Arizona’s Cool Mountain Town,” and recreational aviators give it a big thumbs-up. The airport (KPAN) lies at 5,157 feet elevation beneath the Mogollon Rim and has become a favorite stop for pilots. It’s 50 miles from the hubbub of the busy Phoenix region, yet it offers all the amenities a recreational flyer could want – an uncontrolled, small-town airport – a natural stop for resupply for exploring Arizona’s other backcountry strips. It has 24-hr avgas and Jet A, and a courtesy car, available with 24-hour prior reservation, so you can explore the area and discover a wealth of outdoor recreation and historical sites, trails, and Native ruins. Camping among pinyon pines can start right at the Payson airport, where you’ll find a dozen campsites, each with a picnic table, grill, fire ring, and stocked firewood. Join new friends in the ramada, or around the group fire ring under the clear night sky. There are ADA restrooms with hot showers. The Crosswinds Restaurant is right on the airport and welcomes you for breakfast and lunch. Patrons highly recommend their pies. Payson has a very active Parks and Recreation department that organizes events throughout the year. Of special interest to aviators is their annual Aerofair in October. Admission is free, and the ramp is lined with all kinds of vendors and displays. You may see a Marine VTOL demo, a T-34 formation flyover, or strap in a Huey or a Cobra for a helicopter ride. You can choose from a mouth-watering variety of local foods. Experience community spirit during other warm weather events like free movies in the park, pro rodeo weekends, and golf tournaments. Fall brings public 5K run-walk events, flag football, and hay rides; and Christmas is lit up with the annual parade of lights. Payson gleams with community pride, and you can see the full story here . Find more about the Payson Airport in the Airfield Guide .
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.”
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 Britt Lincoln, a pilot and RAF volunteer.
The RAF is saddened to report the passing of Dr. Frederick “Ric” Richard Hauer. The RAF was the beneficiary of Hauer’s globally recognized expertise. In 2014, Dr. Hauer devoted his time and expertise to setting up and overseeing a pivotal study of the effect of aircraft noise on wildlife. The peer-reviewed results established the RAF as an organization with sound scientific authority. The study concluded with his statement, “ . . . there is no significant increase in stress levels among deer due to recreational aviation activity.” “It’s clear that early on Ric gave the RAF the authority we needed as we approached land managers to defend airstrips,” RAF Chairman John McKenna said. The entire study remains a reference in RAF guidelines for land managers. Hauer grew up in a small Michigan farming community, where his German immigrant father practiced medicine. He held B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Stream and River Ecology from the University of North Texas. He and his wife, Brenda, settled in Montana, where he enjoyed flying his red and white 1975 Skywagon extensively for research and pleasure. In addition to his passion for flying, he was a lifelong learner. Internationally, Dr. Hauer collaborated on research and policy development. He worked on US-Canada transboundary water issues, contributing to the preservation of Glacier National Park and the Flathead Valley. His global impact extended to South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia, where he participated in conferences, fieldwork, and policy discussions. As a tenured professor at the University of Montana, Dr. Hauer taught advanced courses, mentored graduate students, and directed major research initiatives. He founded the Institute for Ecosystems and the Systems Ecology graduate program and led over $70 million in environmental research. He published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited the influential textbook Methods in Stream Ecology. He was an active member of the backcountry pilot community, and he and Brenda enjoyed RAF camaraderie. “I always learned something when Ric was talking,” RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower said. Submitted November 17, 2025. Featured photo credit: Legacy.com
