WORK CONTINUES ON RAF FLY ROCKY TOP AIRFIELD AMMENITIES

Volunteers gathered at Rockwood Airport in eastern Tennessee the first weekend of November to continue working on two Fly Rocky Top airfield projects. The RAF project leaders are Tennessee Ambassador Matt Axley and Fly Rocky Top Team Lead Jeff Smith of nearby Lenoir City.

 

RAF Ambassadors Kevin Johnson (OR) and George Weaver (ID), along with Liaison Steve Thompson (OK), traveled to help direct the efforts, aided by dozens of local and regional volunteers, many of whom camped on site.


Heavy rains had ceased, leaving morning mists and sunshine for outdoor work. The crew concentrated efforts on a large pilot pavilion at Smuggler’s Landing, the 2,400-ft turf landing area with under-wing camping at Rockwood, KRKW, which will be the basecamp for the network of up to seven backcountry airfields, as part of the RAF’s Expanding the Map initiative. 


In October, the crew poured concrete for the pavilion, and started building small post-and-beam picnic shelters at McGraw’s Backyard and Higdon Field. The ground at Higdon Field was too soft to return there to finish the picnic shelter, so the crew focused work on McGraw’s and Smuggler’s Landing.

Steve Thompson's wife Rachel’s homemade on-site pies, cobbler, and biscuits and gravy were a hit. Folks were amazed at the delicacies she turned out of the two portable propane ovens they’d packed in their Cessna 180 beside all their camping gear. RAF Michigan Liaison Tanmoy Ganguly treated the whole crowd to his lamb kabobs on Friday night.


By Sunday, significant headway had been made on the Smuggler’s Landing pavilion and tank toilet; the picnic shelter at McGraw’s was stained, and the kiosk structure was installed, creating a beautiful shaded tie-down and camping area with cleared trails along Baker Creek.

Check the Airfield Guide for developments and safety briefings on these Fly Rocky Top destinations.


Submitted November 11, 2026

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