Crista V. Worthy lives in Hidden Springs, Idaho and is Editor of “The Flyline,” the monthly publication of the Idaho Aviation Association, as well as the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association newsletter. A freelance writer and editor with land and seaplane ratings, she has authored over 1,000 magazine articles, edited several books, and is the author of “Images of Aviation: Idaho Aviation” with 277 photos. The book is available on Amazon or from cristaworthy@hotmail.com.
WORTH THE READ: CRISTA WORTHY 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 guest editorial is by Crista Worthy, a pilot, freelance writer, and editor.
Our Aviation Inheritance :
You, and other pilots who support organizations like the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), Idaho Aviation Association (IAA), and Montana Pilots Association (MPA) know these organizations are dedicated to preserving recreational airstrips across the U.S. and in their respective states. But who first built them, and why? And why are they still here? Follow my journey of discovery, summarized below, and your understanding and appreciation of these places will grow.
Based in Santa Monica, Calif., we’d flown our Robertson-STOL-equipped C-210 to 44 states, but never Idaho or the backcountry until August 2001 when I discovered Galen Hanselman’s book, Fly Idaho! On our first trip, we camped at Wilson Bar and swam in the Salmon River. At Johnson Creek, I watched huge Chinook salmon spawn in the shallows. I wept; those fish had overcome giant dams and fought their way 900 miles inland and a mile above sea level, for this, their final act of survival, to perpetuate their line. And at Fish Lake, we spent the day watching cow moose forage in the lake, calves at their sides. These were among the happiest days of my life.
I joined the above organizations, made more trips to Idaho, and, after seeing a spectacular photo of RAF supporter Michael Todd’s silver Skywagon in the Missouri Breaks during a lightning storm, wrote letters in support of the Missouri Breaks airstrips. By the time we moved to Idaho in 2011 I was Managing Editor of Pilot Getaways magazine. I began producing the IAA’s monthly Flyline and became deeply involved with the recreational aviation community.And then Arcadia Publishing asked me to write a book about Idaho’s aviation history.
Wow! In the process of gathering historic photos and stories for my book Images of Aviation: Idaho Aviation , I “met” an amazing array of courageous, hard-working, innovative, and often hilarious characters: the men and women who used aviation as a tool to make their living in the wilderness. You see, we use these airstrips for recreation. But they were built for work.
In 1910, a terrible drought struck the West. Late that summer over 1,000 fires converged into the “Big Burn,” which scorched 3.25 million acres in just 36 hours, destroying towns, wasting 8 billion board feet of timber, and killing some 85 people. The USFS turned to aviation for help. In 1922, WWI veteran Nick Mamer, an Air National Guard pilot out of Spokane, began flying patrols to report forest fires. 100 years ago this year, he landed at Stonebraker Ranch in Idaho’s Chamberlain Basin to make a deal with William Stonebraker, a hunting outfitter. Mamer flew hunters into the ranch for Stonebraker, and commercial backcountry aviation began.
But it didn’t stop there. Mines like the Stibnite in Idaho had to shut down every winter, but once pilots like Mamer and A.A. Bennett figured out how to put skis on airplanes, supplies and people could be ferried in and out year-round. Airstrips were built and new planes like the Zenith, in which Bennett carried everything from mining equipment to a piano and even a cow, were designed.
The USFS built some 5,000 fire lookouts in the 1930s, but they also built airstrips so pilots could fly firefighters into the forest. Mamer taught Bob Johnson and Penn Stohr to fly, and soon Johnson Flying Service out of Missoula had a fleet of sturdy aircraft and skilled pilots who flew in lumber, mail, and literally the kitchen sink so homesteaders could build ranches for themselves and visitors. Those primitive airstrips were lifelines. Bill Gowen made the first-ever landing at Cabin Creek in 1931 to rescue a critically-injured man. An old miner, hiding in the trees, watched the Travel Air 6000 take off from the hastily-cleared field and ran to the backcountry phone, exclaiming, “Slim! It’s all over for that plane! It’s gonna crash! The wings weren’t flapping!” He’d never seen an airplane.
In 1935, the Zimmerly brothers flew 60,000 pounds of freight, trained 20 students, and carried 3,600 passengers. In the 1950s, Jim Larkin rescued 4 prize horses from Morgan Ranch in the winter. Bob Woods regularly flew horses and ponies into Pistol Creek for the little girls who summered there.
This is just a tiny peek into the legacy you have inherited, and that the 1980 Central Idaho Wilderness Act, and subsequently the RAF, IAA, and MPA have preserved. Enjoy!
Missouri River Breaks Storm
Moose, Fish Lake Campsite
Moose Creek Ranger Station, 1938
Zimmerly Brothers with Passengers, 1935
Nick Mamer, Spokane Air National Guard Airplane with William Stonebraker, Stonebraker Ranch, 1925
Photos courtesty of Mike Todd, Crista Worthy, and University of Idaho Library.
Submitted July 31, 2025
Posted in Guest Editorial, News
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A dozen volunteers in seven aircraft and a few cars arrived at Washington State’s Olympic Field on Saturday, May 2, to help with needed maintenance. They enjoyed mostly good weather, being Spring in the Olympic Peninsula. “A lot of things got accomplished in a short amount of time,” RAF Washington State Liaison RAF Ballantyne reported. The crews thinned an adjacent stand of trees to create about 500 feet of a “buck and rail” fence for runway safety. They trimmed around the runway lights and sanded and refinished a large circular table and several chairs for the camping area. The field is privately owned by Ryan Larrance and his wife, Marianne. “Marianne made delicious scones for the arrivals, and a great pulled pork on homemade bread with fixings for lunch,” Ballantyne said, adding, “We had a great time getting to know each other. Many hands truly make light work. We discussed current events in Washington, and even got to play a game for an RAF Yeti.” Olympic Field, near Port Townsend, has a 2,500-ft turf runway, bordered by an equally long pond for seaplanes to land. In 2025, using an RAF grant, volunteers built an off-the-grid bathhouse with a vault toilet and hot shower. The Larrances have a tradition of welcoming fly-in visitors to their field. See Olympic Field in the Airfield Guide . Submitted May 8, 2026
THE RAF SPRING SALE IS HERE! Gear up for the flying season ahead! For a limited time, take up to 30% off a selection of RAF Outfitter gear. Show off your support for the RAF and head into the summer flying season in style. Our Spring Sale includes items from Stio and Kuhl, along with hats, jackets, accessories, and more. Check it out before they are gone! Shop the Spring Sale here.
There are two fly-in public use cabins on Heckman Lake in the Ketchikan Misty Fjords Ranger District of Alaska. Both are approximately 15 miles from Ketchikan, and open year-round to welcome visitors for what RAF Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest calls “a very unique remote recreational experience. Relaxing on the deck gives you a view of the lake, surrounded by the Sitka Spruce and western hemlock forest.” Either site can be accessed by float plane or by boating into Naha Bay. Each cabin has a table, benches, a wood stove, and an outhouse. Guests should bring their own firewood, as it is not guaranteed. Drinking water is not available; guests should treat the creek or lake water, or bring their own. Southeast Heckman Fly-In Cabin is situated on the southeast shore of Heckman Lake and is only accessible by floatplane. The 16x22-ft pan-abode style log cabin accommodates eight people and is wheelchair accessible. In 2024, the RAF and Seaplane Pilots Association provided grants to restore the cabin. Volunteers, assisted by Misty Fjords Air, collaborated with the US Forest Service to complete work on the cabin, dock, outhouse, and trails. The other cabin is a 12x14-ft pan-abode style that can accommodate up to six people. It can be accessed by float plane or by boating into Naha Bay and hiking six miles on the Naha River National Recreation Trail. Visitors may use the 14-foot aluminum skiff with oars or bring their own short shaft motor. The Naha River is accessible from the cabins and provides opportunities to fish for trout. In season, there are steelhead and salmon runs. The Naha River National Recreation Trail winds downstream six miles through a rainforest where you may spot Roosevelt Lagoon, Jordan Lake, and a waterfall on your way to Naha Bay. Visitors would be wise to bring extra provisions, as occasionally, poor weather can cause extended stays. The RAF Airfield Guide includes information on these cabins. Recreation.gov allows visitors to check availability and find other USFS information on the Southeast Heckman Lake fly-in cabin and Heckman Lake cabin . Submitted April 30, 2026
RAF North Dakota Liaison Brian Rau and Ambassador Jeff Faught have been working with the Army Corps of Engineers and North Dakota Aeronautics Commission to develop an underwing camping area at Garrison Dam Recreational Airport (37N). Rau presented a plan to convert an adjacent day-use park with flush toilets, a picnic area, horseshoe and basketball facilities for the camping area. He gained approval from the Corps of Engineers and ND Aeronautics and was awarded an RAF grant to help with the project. “Garrison Dam Recreational Airpark is an excellent existing recreational airstrip. There is fishing, hunting, and hiking available adjacent to the proposed underwing camping area,” Rau said. The ND Aeronautics Commission will develop an existing road into a taxiway to connect the 3,200-ft long turf runway to the new camping area. The Commission has finalized its plans and has awarded the work to a contractor. Rau and Faught will organize volunteers to install signage, remove trees, grind stumps, prepare the camping and tie-down surface areas, install drain tile, and plant 75 new trees. Rau expects the contractors to begin work in June 2026. See the RAF Airfield Guide for information on Garrison Dam Recreational Airport. Submitted April 30, 2026
The RAF has done a deep dive into all 50 states’ Recreational Use Statutes, and you can find them here . The purpose of these statutes is to help keep private lands open to the public for recreation by limiting landowner liability. In its advocacy of recreational aviation, the RAF has made efforts to increase landowners’ protection when allowing others to use their airfields. With added protection, landowners are more willing to open their airfields to public use, with or without certain conditions. Thanks to these efforts, many states now include “aviation” in the named recreational, non-commercial activities in their Recreational Statutes; some states are more general. We invite you to check out your state’s legal language, or feel free to contact either of the RAF’s RUS Liaisons, John Nadeau at jnadeau@theraf.org or Rick McCraw at rmccraw@theraf.org . Our efforts continue to include “aviation” in all states’ statutes, so this information will be updated as needed. Submitted April 30, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray Photo Credit: Ron Barrett, Sullivan Lake, WA
