TEAMWORK GETS THINGS DONE AT HISTORIC MEDICINE BOW, WYOMING

“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.

After Feiler’s safety briefing, the team got to work cleaning up and removing debris scattered around the airfield. They filled a six yard roll-off dumpster with abandoned lumber, tires, scrap metal, and other materials. A local volunteer donated his time and use of his Bobcat to remove old aircraft tie-downs and a couple dozen tires.


Feiler treated everyone to sloppy joes, coleslaw, watermelon, and baked beans. The work was wrapped up early in the afternoon. “It was great to spruce things up, and everyone enjoyed having something to do,” Larson said.

Charles Lindbergh, Elrey Jeppesen, and Amelia Earhart had landed at Medicine Bow, no doubt using the beacon and big yellow concrete arrow as nav aids. “It's a historic place that folks like to fly in and camp. It’s cool to think about standing in the same place as Amelia Earhart in the middle of Wyoming,” Larson added.


The original radio shack, light tower and concrete arrow at Medicine Bow are still in place. It is one of the few airfields on the early airmail route that still have these features.

“We had a good turnout for a remote location and quickly accomplished the tasks assigned to us. Several people made new connections, as this is always part of the RAF culture. Finally, I believe we made an impression on Lee Cook, city council member, that the RAF gets things done,” Feiler said.


Find more about Medicine Bow, 80V in the RAF Airfield Guide.


Submitted June 26, 2026

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