VOLUNTEERS MAINTAIN SACATON, NEW MEXICO AIRSTRIP

RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller’s call for volunteers in May brought folks from as far as 270 nm who flew in to Sacaton airstrip to help with seasonal maintenance. Keller himself drove 250 miles one way to oversee the group of volunteers.

At the work party, volunteers installed a new windsock, repainted the segmented circle, and removed vegetation from the runway. “The winds came up later and really straightened out the windsock,” Keller added.

Several years back, Keller had recognized Sacaton’s recreational value, with its proximity to the Gila Wilderness and 10,000-foot Mogollon Mountains. The airstrip had lain dormant and overgrown for four decades, so he approached the US Forest Service about cooperating on reopening it. In 2022, RAF and NMPA volunteers drove the many miles in and rehabilitated Sacaton, thanks to an RAF/Gila NF Challenge Cost Share agreement. Keller got approval for volunteers to install a vault toilet and access ramp at the trailhead into the Gila Wilderness. That project was completed in 2024.

Visitors can enjoy direct access to the Gila Wilderness, and truly dark-

sky stargazing in this remote place. “The experienced backpacker can hike miles into the Wilderness, and do some fishing. Rain Creek Trail, just northeast of the airstrip, is rated moderate to difficult, and is popular for its spectacular scenery,” Keller added.

Anyone wishing to fly in to Sacaton, NM16 needs to contact USFS Gila Dispatch, 800-538-1644 for permission to land. Find more information in the Airfield Guide, including a link to the NMPA’s Sacaton safety briefing.

Submitted on June 11, 2025.

Posted in News

ROB KEANE

February 24, 2026

FLORIDA AMBASADOR

HOWIE BOHL

February 24, 2026

CALIFORNIA AMBASSADOR

RAF AWARDS GRANT FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF HCRC

February 24, 2026

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