AUGUST FEATURED AIRSTRIP: HAVANA REGIONAL, ILLINOIS

Each month we highlight an airstrip with hopes that you will get out and enjoy these special places. This month, we’re featuring Havana Regional, IL.



Havana Regional Airport in Illinois, (9I0) is near a small, welcoming town on the Illinois River. Thanks to the creativity and efforts of RAF Illinois Liaison Mike Purpura, Havana’s recreational opportunities will stretch your imagination, as well. 

Purpura has coordinated efforts with the Mayor, members of the Airport Authority, Airport Manager Bob Martin, and volunteers from EAA Chapter 1420 to expand the reasons to land at Havana, and has been successful gathering fly-in guests for memorable experiences.


“Havana is away from city lights and has a spectacular night sky,” Purpura says. To take advantage of that asset, he organizes an annual overnight stargazing fly-in, beginning with a Friday evening cook out. The runway lights and beacon are turned out, surrounding folks with darkness along the 2,200-ft turf runway. University volunteers and other astronomy enthusiasts switch their red flashlights on, and guide visitors to observe phenomena through a dozen high-powered telescopes. Underwing campers enjoy waking up to a pancake breakfast before departing with their new awareness of the heavens.

Purpura arranges an early springtime field trip to the nearby Emiquon Wildlife Refuge to view a stunning array of migrating birds. “Event guests enjoy a great breakfast put on by Bob Martin and the EAA Chapter, sponsored in part by our friends at the Port Authority, that sustains everyone for the trip to the refuge,” Purpura says. Transportation to and from the refuge is provided. 

With his goal to improve amenities at Havana, Purpura was awarded an RAF grant for a picnic pavilion and fire ring, a popular place for campers to congregate at day’s end. The Airport Authority added year-round showers to the restrooms for a more comfortable camping experience, and invites you to view ATC action from the new tower they open to the public. 

The RAF invites you to Havana anytime to enjoy the town and local attractions. The good folks at Havana have a courtesy car and would love for you to fly in and take a drive to Chautauqua refuge for to hike, camp, or rent a canoe.


For more information about Havana on the Airfield Guide, click here. Watch the RAF calendar for more activities in Havana. 

Submitted July 31, 2023.

There he led more than 6,000 of the world’s foremost scientists, engineers, researchers, and staff; oversaw the Enterprise Frontier, the world’s first and fastest exascale supercomputer; and two of the world’s most powerful sources of neutrons for research: the High Flux Isotope Reactor and the Spallation Neutron Source…you get the point. Jeff has used these resources and the platform of ORNL to help address some of the most complex national and global challenges that society faces. With breakthroughs in science, medicine, materials, technology – aviation – and more, through his leadership he has empowered and inspired others to pursue and achieve very (very!) big ideas and outcomes.

That afternoon, RAF President Bill McGlynn invited listeners to “set your watches back 100 years” with his presentation on backcountry flying and preserving public treasures. He explained the RAF’s role throughout the critical rehabilitation of the US Forest Service airfield at Moose Creek, ID. Daher Aircraft stepped up with a Kodiak 900 and solved the massive logistics challenge of operating in a Wilderness where there are no roads, nor mechanical equipment.


The Daher/Kodiak booth became a sea of orange earlier that day, as folks sporting RAF logo wear turned out for the “family photo.” A lively game of heads-or-tails was played, and an RAF logo item was given away.

Thursday morning RAF Director Jeff Russell and Indiana Liaison Bill Steinmetz recapped the RAF success at airstrips such as Cornucopia and North Fox Island in their talk, “How to Save an Airstrip”.

The RAF invited every Oshkosh visitor to the Brown Arch to view the growing array of tiles that commemorate RAF volunteers. One hundred tiles were generous donated by a long-time RAF supporter, whose goal is to honor the volunteers who fuel the mission. We will continue to add tiles in the coming years.


Special thanks go to Director Jeff Russell for all his help preparing for this year’s AirVenture.

Submitted July 31, 2023.

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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.