Andrew is a Multi Instrument Commercial Pilot with close to 3000 hours who started flying the Idaho Backcountry after learning to fly in the year 2000. It has been one of his greatest thrills to give back to Idaho after all that it has shared with him. Andrew makes his living off the growth in Idaho as a General Contractor building custom dreams and commercial buildings. He is keenly aware of the importance of managing growth proactively for us all to enjoy the aviation access we love today.
WORTH THE READ: ANDREW GEORGE GUEST EDITORIAL
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This month’s guest editorial is by Andrew George, the President of the Idaho Aviation Association.
When I spoke at the 2024 RAF Volunteer Education Conference in Montana, I emphasized to those in attendance that we face one overarching challenge and one true adversary that poses the greatest threat to our industry: public opinion. I have not wavered in this belief.
As aviators, we are a minority voice navigating within a majority of opinions that often shape policies. These policies, in turn, have the potential to restrict our rights to explore the skies. While we can discuss wilderness access issues, the complexities of the air traffic control system, or even the nuances of proper etiquette and behavior, none of these concerns carries the weight of what a negative public perception can do.
Aviation has long battled the stigma of being unsafe or corrupt and careless at times—an image that does not reflect reality. Every industry has its bad actors, but aviation suffers disproportionately because its rare missteps are often catastrophic and widely publicized. Tragedies overshadow human-interest stories, creating lasting impressions that are hard to reverse.
Consider the devastating events at Reno, when the Galloping Ghost experienced a minor mechanical failure that led to significant loss of life and indelible memories for millions. That singular event reshaped how the Reno Air Races operated and began to erode public support, contributing to the eventual decline of the races at Stead Field.
This delicate balance between public perception and our freedoms is not unique to Reno—it applies across the country. One incident is all it takes to shift public sentiment in a way that permanently alters our ability to enjoy the skies.
I see the RAF as a vital force in combating these perceptions. The organization is uniquely positioned to share positive, corrective information about aviation’s benefits. Unlike larger national organizations like AOPA or EAA, which focus on broad industry-wide concerns or specific passions like building and flying experimental aircraft, the RAF’s grassroots approach is tailored to the needs and culture exemplified within individual states.
Aviation adapts to the physical and cultural geography of each region. The RAF excels by fostering a flow of information from local communities to a central hub and then redistributing it widely. The RIF RAF newsletters are great communicators of regional activities and contributions. This creates a system where local knowledge and stories can shape public opinion far beyond where they originated. The RIF RAF has shown where the Congressional information is shared as well. A benefit to its commitment to work with the Federal agencies throughout.
Because the RAF operates at the airfield level —where its contacts understand the specific needs of local pilots—it is uniquely effective in shaping country wide public perception. By focusing on grassroots engagement, the RAF has already made significant strides in influencing public opinion in many areas, with even greater potential in the future.
To maintain and grow this influence, we must all participate. It takes consistent communication—sharing information, correcting misconceptions, and engaging those who may view aviation as reckless or uncaring. Changing minds requires effort from all of us, not just within our local communities but also in collaboration with those far removed from our own neighborhoods.
We are always one bad day away from a shift in public opinion. While this is the reality of the social environment we live in, the degree of that shift depends on what we do today—how we communicate, how we collaborate, and how we behave as ambassadors of aviation.
We will all share in the struggles to protect our rights as aviators while we also create new ways to ensure our behaviors are safe and perceived as positive. The RAF is poised to be one of the few, deliberate organizations that I see as being in the right place at the right time. The RAF is not the AOPA in size and doesn’t need to be. It is not the EAA and has a singular focus. It is not like the IAA either as we are specific to our geographical areas. The RAF, oh it is sitting pretty in my mind…it has the beauty of being large enough to command a seat at the table, small enough to know where it came from yet powerful enough to add strength to any argument it sees fit. That’s where the RAF provides such assistance to help create a stream of information back and for that will and has shaped positive public opinion.
Let this serve as a reminder: Every day, the IAA (or other organizations) seeks ways to share, communicate, and collaborate—not just locally but across the nation. I strongly support the RAF’s mission and its ability to share our passion for aviation, connecting my community to yours and fostering understanding and appreciation for what we all love.
Andrew is a Multi Instrument Commercial Pilot with close to 3000 hours who started flying the Idaho Backcountry after learning to fly in the year 2000. It has been one of his greatest thrills to give back to Idaho after all that it has shared with him. Andrew makes his living off the growth in Idaho as a General Contractor building custom dreams and commercial buildings. He is keenly aware of the importance of managing growth proactively for us all to enjoy the aviation access we love today.
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Landing and camping at Taylor Flat airstrip puts your tent only a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River, as it carves through spectacular Utah canyons. You can tie down and camp under your wing along the north side of the airstrip, or walk to the river and camp. Just 34 nm northeast of Vernal, you can now land at this high, remote BLM airstrip and enjoy its world-class fly fishing, but be sure to get your license before you arrive. If you packed your kayak or inflatable, there’s a boat ramp just west of the public campground. An easy 1.8-mile walk from the airstrip takes you to the historic 1880 John Jarvie Ranch, an open-air museum with hands-on exhibits showing pioneer ranch life in this remote northeast corner of Utah. This airstrip had lain dormant for thirty years, and is now open for public non-commercial use, thanks to pilots who recognized its special recreational value. The RAF worked through the steps to see that the BLM reopened it. One restoration work weekend brought twenty-five volunteers from both Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP) and the RAF who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, painted them, and used them to mark the runway corners and thresholds. UBCP provided a new windsock pole for the new RAF windsock. RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig said, “It was another demonstration of working together toward the same goal.” There are no other amenities, so be prepared with what you need, and as always, please pack everything out. Those using the airstrip are asked to be mindful of the sensitive environmental area, marked with 16-ft X’s, creating a displaced threshold on the east end of the dirt runway. The useable runway length is 2,500 feet, and the field elevation is 5,630. The area east of the runway is hazardous to aircraft operations. In addition to being a sensitive environmental area, it. is cross-crossed with ditches, and is not safe for aircraft use. Taylor Flat is another special recreational destination for pilots to visit as RAF works across the country on Expanding The Map! Find more on Taylor Flat in the Airfield Guide . You may also find user reports here on the UBCP website . Submitted July 31, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe and former Maine Liaison/now Ambassador Steve Mason have long been advocating for and organizing improvements at several airfields in North Maine, in cooperation with North Maine Woods (NMW). Rowe was awarded an RAF grant for materials to add a shelter, picnic table, and outhouse at Estcourt Airfield (19ME) and organized RAF and NMW volunteers to provide labor.
The new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, developed by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), is now open to backcountry aviation enthusiasts. Located in East Tennessee, Fly Rocky Top is a "basecamp and outpost" concept for regional aviation exploration, adding the Southeast to a growing collection of well-recognized recreational airstrip networks across the country, including Fly Oz in Arkansas and others in the West and Southwest. Fly Rocky Top is the most significant achievement to date of the RAF's Expanding the Map initiative, a nationwide effort focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to airstrips, helping connect aviators to more of the places they love to explore. Named and inspired by local culture, each Fly Rocky Top airstrip has unique features, amenities, and recreational options that embody the mission and spirit of the RAF. The new network is in the heart of a region nationally recognized for its unique topography that includes the Obed Wild and Scenic River, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Cumberland Plateau, and Great Smoky Mountains… altogether a landscape uniquely suited to backcountry aviation. Rockwood Municipal Airport, RKW, anchors the network with its 2,400-ft manicured turf landing area and is designed with backcountry flyers in mind. Rockwood Aviation, which operates RKW, offers products and services for pilots to engage in tailwheel, backcountry, and recreational flying, including training, service, and support. City of Rockwood Mayor Jason Jolly highlighted the significance of Rockwood Airport to the community and East Tennessee. Mayor Jolly said, "We are a national recreation destination and the progress at Rockwood Airport and the surrounding network of airstrips is just the latest step in our region's growth and development for adventurers and enthusiasts." The Fly Rocky Top network is unique in that the initial collection of airstrips – with more planned – are a combination of both public lands and privately owned property with the common desire to welcome the flying public. Specific new airstrips in the Fly Rocky Top network include Smuggler's Landing, a grass landing area at RKW (with tent camping and a welcoming pavilion planned), McGraw's Backyard (5TN4), Robbin's Farm, and Tellico Plains (85TN). An additional outpost, Sawbriar, will be ready in August 2026. More airstrips are in the process of being added and will appear on the Fly Rocky Top webpage . Plans continue to add amenities to each RAF Fly Rocky Top airstrip, including accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters where camping is available. Other attractions include access to world-class upland bird hunting, hiking, some of the nation’s best trout fishing, kayaking/canoeing on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers, and a 44-mile Water Trail on Beaver Creek. Select airstrips have access to meals and accommodations. RAF Co-founder and Chairman John McKenna highlighted what makes this opening so important. “Fly Rocky Top is not just a new airstrip network; it’s also a group of pilots who are passionate about aviation, stewardship, and the great outdoors,” he said. “Fly Rocky Top will connect Southeast pilots, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike with the shared mission to preserve access to the region's wild beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.”
RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower organizes the annual Montana Pilots Association and RAF cooperative work party at Schafer Meadows USFS airstrip, and on Saturday, July 18, nearly two dozen volunteers flew in to help. The airstrip lies in the Great Bear Wilderness, so work is limited to hand tools. A special thanks to Montana Aeronautics Aviation Support Officer Stephen Torske and the team at MT Aeronautics for their support.
RAF Michigan Liaisons General Grant and Tanmoy Ganguly organized a work party July 11 at North Fox Island, 6Y3, the Lake Michigan island airfield just 24 nm northwest of Charlevoix. This year the work party added a new feature for visitors to enjoy – Tanmoy’s do-it-yourself RAF Kabob Station. The group cleared drainage ditches, cut out stumps, split and stacked firewood, cleaned up several miles of beaches, and trimmed and cleared four miles of trail. Grant thanked the volunteers for what he called, “A full day of work.” They gathered unneeded items and flew them off the island. Tanmoy is known for providing delicious kabobs at work parties, and debuted his RAF Kabob Station for pilots who want to cook up his legendary kabobs while on their own camping adventure. Many volunteers opted to camp for the weekend and enjoyed camaraderie around the campfire. See the Airfield Guide for more on North Fox Island. Please read the airfield Safety Briefing. Below it, you will now find a “Kabob Station” briefing. Submitted July 29, 2026
