AIRFIELD GUIDE ANSWERS TO NATIONAL DEMAND

The RAF and Tailwind Aviation Foundation are pleased to announce that the  Airfield.Guide  now lists over 300 airfields, with destinations in each US state.

“The Airfield Guide began as a challenge to find all the grass strips in Arkansas,” RAF Arkansas Liaison Dave Powell said. Powell and RAF member and IT developer Chip Gibbons took up the challenge. Chip wrote the software and Dave began leading a small group of pilots to identify local airstrip characteristics and the Airfield Guide began. Additionally  Fly OZ,  the interactive listing of 64 appealing backcountry airfields in the Ozarks has continued to expand within the Guide. “Refining as we went, amenities and search functions evolved as we added strips,” Powell added. 

The RAF was impressed with their results and a partnership formed that mutually recognized the demand for a national directory of fun places to fly. The RAF’s network of state liaisons are tasked with surveying airfields with recreational opportunities for inclusion in the Airfield Guide.

Want to raft the Kings River in Arkansas? Consider landing at Trigger Gap, where local river guides will take care of you. A new pavilion is in the camping area to enhance your stay at the scenic airfield. Land and camp at Goodspeed Airport in East Haddam, CT, and stroll to the Opera House for an award-winning live show, or watch the historic swing bridge. Maybe you seek a real remote backcountry flying destination like Jake’s Bar along the Chitina River in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. When the morning mist burns off, land at Half Moon Bay in California’s central coast, where the Pacific surf is just a short hike away.

Many Airfield listings include photos, and some include videos of approaches and landings. The Guide includes public and private airfields and defines them as either Permissive (green), where users don’t need to ask for permission; and Conditional (yellow), where a condition needs to be met before use, such as a required Safety Briefing or prior contact with owner.

Once you’ve created a user registration at  airfield.guide, you’ll receive updates of the new fields as they are added.

The “Manage Tour” feature can be used to plan a flight of several locations, upload it to ForeFlight®, and email it to fellow pilots.

Users will find basic details like lat/long, elevation, ownership, pattern direction, runway length, and CTAF to help make aviation decisions. You can sort by recreational amenities (camping, restrooms, fishing, cell service, etc), region, state, or runway length. RHI, (Relative Hazard Index) is included, based on Galen Hanselman’s rating system to help you assess your, and your aircraft’s suitability.  The Airfield.Guide is also where you’ll find important Safety Briefings, some of which are required to be reviewed prior to landing

by Carmine Mowbray
Submitted August 19, 2021

Posted in News

    Recent Posts

RAF OUTFITTER JULY FEATURED COLLECTION

July 5, 2026
FEATURING: RAF PULASKI GLASSES Raise a glass to the work that keeps backcountry aviation alive! These RAF Pulaski Glasses are a perfect addition to your bar or a thoughtful gift for any aviation or backcountry enthusiast. Each glass features the RAF’s signature Pulaski tool, a tribute to the hardworking volunteers who preserve, improve, and protect airstrips across the country. Just like the tool itself, these glasses celebrate grit, utility, and a commitment to getting the job done. The Pulaski is a versatile, heavy-duty tool used for trail building, chopping wood, and clearing brush, making it an essential part of backcountry work for RAF volunteers. Made in the USA from high-quality glass, they’re built to last. Get yours today. 

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: DRIGGS-REED MEMORIAL, ID

By Carmine Mowbray • July 1, 2026
You’d have a hard time finding a more beautiful place to fly than Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport (KDIJ). The Grand Teton, Big Hole, and Snake River mountain ranges surround this eastern Idaho valley. Driggs has become a world-class destination for the pilot community. National Geographic magazine listed Driggs as “one of the ten best outdoor recreation destinations in the U.S.” Just a 45-minute drive over Teton Pass is Jackson, Wyoming, a famous Western destination. The airport, at an elevation of 6,257, accommodates aircraft on both its 7,300-ft paved runway and 3,000-ft turf landing area, marked with cones. Note: The SW 3,451 feet of the paved runway is closed until August for reconstruction. Check NOTAMS before landing. Fly-in visitors are welcome to camp underwing at its grassy tie-down area. It’s an ideal gateway to the Idaho backcountry. Enjoy views of the nearby Teton Range from the 12' x 16' cedar pilot shelter. There is potable water, a toilet, power, a gas barbecue, and a charging station nearby. Within walking distance of the campground is the Forage restaurant. A bike shed and loaner bikes, provided by the Idaho Aviation Association Borrow-A-Bike program, are available to ride into town. If you desire a more urban experience or wish to explore further, the airport has rental cars. “It’s a great destination for the pilot community, with access to hiking, biking, fishing, floating, golf and a small town with numerous shops and restaurants,” RAF Director and Driggs resident Tim Riley says. He and a local RAF supporter recently completed a spring cleanup to ready it for the season. The amenities were provided cooperatively through the RAF, the Idaho Aviation Association (IAA), the City of Driggs, and its Airport Board, with financial contributions from each. For more information on Driggs, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted July 1, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray

VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE SEASONAL TASKS AT RYAN FIELD

June 30, 2026
It’s bear grass season around West Glacier, Montana, and nearly a score of volunteers from three different states drove in to Ryan Field June 12-13 to complete seasonal maintenance, and enjoyed spotting the showy blooms throughout the woods. Bear scat was also seen in several places – a reminder that a clean camp protects both campers and wildlife. The airfield remains closed until the new runway grass has stabilized for landing, so watch the Airfield Guide for an announcement that the field has re-opened. As a result, there was no annual Ryan Fly-in this year. Volunteers removed downed trees, cleared and marked hiking trails, mowed around the buildings and part of the runway, cleaned bear boxes, the pilot shelter, cabins, and barn. “We welcomed new volunteers and continue to work hard maintaining the field. We are as eager as everyone for the grass to take good hold so the runway can open again,” Administrative Director Tricia McKenna said. Submitted June 30, 2026

MAGEE, ID FLOOD MITIGATION ASSESSMENT BEGINS

June 26, 2026
RAF President Bill McGlynn met in mid-June with the US Forest Service, Idaho Dept of Aeronautics, and Idaho Aviation Association to evaluate steps to improve Magee (S77) airstrip, 23 nm east of Coeur d’Alene. On the way, Bill picked up Joe Sober, one of two airport engineers from Oklahoma City who have volunteered their professional services and have been instrumental in creating maintenance and remediation plans on Idaho backcountry airstrips. “The Forest Service engineering teams have too much on their plate just addressing roads, so having this resource to make airstrip engineering assessments and plans is instrumental to resolving challenges on USFS airstrips like Magee,” McGlynn said. The improvement project at Magee has been organized through a Cost Share Agreement that the RAF has with the USFS. McGlynn, Sober, Willy Acton of the Idaho Airstrip Network, along with USFS District Ranger Holly Hampton, Don Macintosh of IAA, Dan Conner of Idaho Aeronautics, and RAF Idaho Ambassador George Weaver investigated the sources of flooding that plague Magee airstrip every spring and analyzed means of redirecting the problematic water. Magee airstrip was created in the 1940s by the Corps of Engineers as a hidden fighter base in case of a Japanese attack on the western US coast. A dike that was built to channel water away from the runway has eroded over the past eighty years. Sober took numerous measurements and will develop a plan to submit to the USFS for approval. Work could begin over the next year or two to recover about 700 feet of runway. “We truly could not do this work without our volunteer engineers and are very fortunate to have their expertise,” McGlynn said. Weaver said, “The airstrip is a real gem, and the restoration work will make it a great backcountry destination.” Submitted June 28, 2026

TEAMWORK GETS THINGS DONE AT HISTORIC MEDICINE BOW, WYOMING

June 26, 2026
“It was really nice to spend some time with Wyoming folks cleaning up a little piece of history,” RAF WY/UT Ambassador Karen Larson said of the May 30 work party at Medicine Bow airport, on the historic US airmail route. RAF Wyoming Liaison Joe Feiler organized the work and reports that about 15 people with a wide range of backgrounds arrived at 9 am to help. Attendees included RAF supporters, EAA Chapter 420 members, local residents, as well as Lee Cook, Medicine Bow airport board member and town council member.