CONNECTICUT AIRFIELDS AWARDED RAF GRANTS FOR IMPROVEMENTS

A helicopter is flying over a river with a runway in the background

Improvements at two Connecticut airfields, Goodspeed, 42B near East Haddam, and Waterbury, N41 near Plymouth have been funded by RAF grants, thanks to RAF Connecticut Liaison Brian Thomas.

Improvements at two Connecticut airfields, Goodspeed, 42B near East Haddam, and Waterbury, N41 near Plymouth have been funded by RAF grants, thanks to RAF Connecticut Liaison Brian Thomas.

At Goodspeed, Thomas has lined up volunteers, and will use the grant to purchase materials for four 10-ft x 10-ft tent platforms to establish a desirable camping area. Additional improvements planned are the installation of several RAF branded fire rings on a base of crushed stone, and park style barbecue grills. Thomas also plans to erect a wooden kiosk to display camping information and the RAF mission and its contributions to Connecticut recreational aviation. He located Mini Kiosk kits made from locally sourced and naturally rot-resistant New England wood.

“This is phase one of a larger project,” Thomas said. “Additional items for later consideration include a pavilion, bathroom and other amenities at Goodspeed,” he added.

At Waterbury, Thomas continues making improvements with recent RAF grants. “With acres of flat ground just off the main runway dotted with shade trees, Waterbury is an ideal place to camp and escape the hustle and bustle,” he said, adding, “We are well on our way with the 2022 addition of tent platforms completed with funds raised from local pilots, and the 2023 RAF grant which provided funds to install an outhouse, fire pit and newly constructed picnic tables.”

This season found Thomas seeking an efficient way to relieve the airfield owners’ burden of weed whacking and mowing, the most difficult part of the airfield upkeep. He found a used Husqvarna commercial grade riding lawn mower, “that had been maintained in an impeccable condition with less than 300 hours on it,” for well below market value. With its purchase and weed whacking tools, Thomas has recruited RAF volunteers, both Connecticut State Liaisons, and Ambassadors to
assist with weekly mowing and weed whacking during the spring, summer and fall camping season.

The grant included the cost of an informational kiosk for volunteers to assemble and install at Waterbury, as well.

For information on each of these airfields, see these links in the Airfield Guide:
Goodspeed
Waterbury

Submitted on July 12, 2024
by Carmine Mowbray

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Oregon RAF Liaison Bill Ables has been awarded a $5,000 RAF grant to retain RAF membership in and support the Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative (HCRC) for the next five years. The HCRC was organized in 2016 at the request of Idaho’s Congressional Delegation as a framework for the various recreational user groups to collaborate with the US Forest Service within the 652,488-acre Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Ables, a past Director and current member of the group, explained that HCRC membership is a cross-section of user groups from both the private and commercial sectors, including river rafters and jet boaters, backpackers, horse packers, aviators, and governmental management agencies. Providing ongoing support ensures continued aviation representation. The rugged Snake River canyon region hugs the borders of northeastern Oregon and western Idaho, and includes nine backcountry airstrips within the Recreational Area. All are maintained by volunteer aviation groups in collaboration with the USFS: Cache Creek, Salmon Bar, Dug Bar, Temperance Creek, Pittsburg Landing, Sluice Creek, Lord Flat, Memaloose, and Big Bar. “Our support of HCRC, combined with the other involved aviation groups, ensures ongoing maintenance and improvements at each of these nine airstrips. It benefits general aviation by preserving access to enjoy the beauty of the Hells Canyon area, which directly speaks to the Mission of the RAF,” Ables said. For more information on Dug Bar, Cache Creek, Big Bar, and Memaloose, see the Airfield Guide . Pittsburg Landing, Sluice Creek, Temperance Creek, and Salmon Bar are not listed in the Airfield Guide at this time. Submitted February 24, 2026