VOLUNTEERS MAKE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO MICHIGAN’S TWO HEARTED AIRSTRIP

A substantial volunteer effort took place at Two Hearted airstrip (6Y5) during the last two weeks of October. RAF supporter Jerry Ness donated his time and use of his equipment to re-grade a significant portion of the airstrip, with Michigan Liaison Brad Frederick, Leon Everhart and Mike Hintz also contributing time and energy to the project.

Frederick explains that Two Hearted airstrip, 6Y5 is  closed  until the State approves this recent safety rehabilitation.

The project gained leverage with an RAF grant award, and RAF supporter Jeff Littmann’s substantial matching donation. Then, the physical work began. Autumn brings cold weather to the shores of Lake Superior, but that didn’t thwart the crew of volunteers. The crew hauled equipment 3½ hours to the airstrip including a large bucket loader, road grader, skid loader, roller/compactor, and straw chopper. In total about 800 feet of runway was smoothed, topsoil was replaced, tilled, seeded, mulched and compacted, all by October 27. RAF supporter Mike Hintz brought up his fifth wheel camper, “which turned out to be jobsite headquarters and the all important cooking center. A major shout out to the wives who sent enough food to keep the crew fed for the entire project,” Frederick said. 

“We appreciate Richard and Kathy Robinson for the use of their Rainbow Lodge facilities. If not for them, this could not have happened. We cannot thank everyone enough for all that was accomplished by this huge volunteer effort,” Frederick added.

“I am both amazed at the amount of work that was done and humbled by the generosity of our volunteers,” said RAF Director Jeff Russell. 

The airstrip was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Originally only about 1,600 feet long, it’s on a bluff overlooking where the Big Two Hearted River flows into Lake Superior’s rocky shoreline in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A State Forest campground was built on the shoreline, and the privately-owned Rainbow Lodge was developed to serve recreational visitors.

In 2012, Frederick recognized the airstrip’s recreational value, and started working on reopening it. The RAF negotiated leases with both the Michigan Dep’t of Natural Resources and the Rainbow Lodge for property to lengthen the airstrip. The work was suspended when a 21,000-acre forest fire devastated the region and Rainbow Lodge.

“We were able to reopen the extended airstrip in 2017,” Frederick said. “It’s now 2,200 feet long. It was rough and undulating as it had always been, but the State granted a license,” he added. After an aircraft incident and pilot complaints about the roughness, the State Aeronautics commission decided not to issue a license for 2020.

The State will inspect Two Hearted airstrip to determine licensing status, after which the RAF hopes to be able to announce its reopening in 2022.

Posted in News

Recent Posts

FINDING PURPOSE IN THE EFFORT

April 9, 2026
“The only people who can change something are the ones who really want to. And not everybody does.” When I read this, it took me back to the early days of the RAF. We saw a troubling trend taking place — the loss of airstrips across the country with no real organized voices to help put the brakes on the decline. And we really wanted to change that. Change demanded new ideas from us. Ideas that we assumed would initially be resisted. This defined our purpose. Good ideas come with the burden of effort and purpose. That separates those with a strong purpose from those without. We wanted to create an organization that would counteract the attrition of backcountry airstrips we saw taking place. We rolled up our sleeves and didn’t look back. Easy to say now that the RAF was lucky, but it was purpose that drove the organization in the early years; that really formed who we are today. A group of people with a purpose who knew we needed more people who thought like we did, and cared; people who took this idea called the RAF and added to it, keeping it unique but effective. We felt that most of the existing business models in the nonprofit space were not what we needed to be, and we pushed forward persistently with our thinking – thinking that required putting our own personal desires aside and pursuing ones that were for a greater good. You joined in. You, too, found purpose in the RAF and now look where we are. Nearly 15,000 of us are making the necessary sacrifices to make our voices heard, to create a better environment for the future of recreational aviation. We have more opportunities today because of you. Each one of us is important to continue the momentum we have gained. To determine what the RAF can do to further our mission to preserve, improve, and create airstrips for recreational access. To prioritize the many opportunities coming our way. It is about us, and what we are going to do with the time we have left on this earth. This organization will hopefully give you purpose now and in the future. Most importantly, I really hope it will give you as much sense of accomplishment as it has me. Thank you for what you continue to do. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted April 15, 2026

RAF OUTFITTER APRIL FEATURED COLLECTION

April 5, 2026
FEATURING: THE RAF DOG COLLECTION MODELED BY JOSIE & MUD Outfit your four-legged co-pilot for every adventure! From airplane rides to backcountry trails, this collection has everything they need to travel in comfort and style. Featuring two new additions—a stainless steel Orvis dog bowl and DawgMuffs—alongside RAF favorites like the collar, leash, and bandana. This collection includes items designed and created by RAF supporters. Shop the Dog Collection here. If you have questions, please email contact@theraf.org or call 406-582-1723. Your RAF Outfitter purchase is greatly appreciated and furthers the mission to preserve, improve, and create airstrips for recreational access. You can support the RAF mission all year by shopping at the RAF Outfitter online store. Products are being added regularly, and items are thoughtfully selected for durability and suitability for pilots, by pilots. We welcome photos of supporters using RAF gear! Please send your images to ewhite@theraf.org , and let us know if we have permission to post them on social media or our website. Submitted April 5, 2026.

KELLI GANT

April 3, 2026
Call To Action Volunteer

TIME TO REVIEW AIRSTRIP SAFETY BRIEFINGS

March 30, 2026
As you're planning your 2026 flying adventures, remember to review safety briefings for the airstrips you plan to visit. The RAF strongly recommends you review safety briefings and print a copy to have in your airplane - it's even required to fly into some airfields, like Ryan Field (2MT1). For those airfields, pilots flying in are required to review the briefing on an annual basis, and now is the perfect time to catch up on any changes to the runway/area that happened throughout the winter. You can find safety briefings on the RAF Airfield Guide . If an airfield in the Airfield Guide has a required briefing, the airfield listing will clearly indicate it and have a tab to view the briefing. Submitted March 30, 2026 Photo By Jim Stevenson

RAF VOLUNTEERS BEGIN TO RESTORE HISTORIC RANGER AIRFIELD HANGAR

March 30, 2026
RAF Texas volunteers and Ranger Airfield Foundation volunteers helped begin restoration of the historic 1928 Ranger Airfield hangar on March 28. “A Wright biplane landed here at the field in 1911, and people have been using it ever since,” Ranger Airfield Foundation Founder Jared Calvert said. He noted that Amelia Earhart landed there in a Pitcairn Auto Gyro. Richard Bach, Pancho Barnes, and General Patton also landed at the field. It’s the oldest continuously used turf field in Texas.