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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FEATURING: TOOL ROLLS Whether you’re heading to the hangar, the backcountry, or your next work party, staying organized matters. The RAF Tool Roll keeps your essential tools secure, accessible, and ready when you need them most. Designed to fit conveniently in your airplane or vehicle, it features multiple zippered pouches, labeled compartments, and a durable roll-up design with built-in handles for easy transport. No more digging through a loose toolbox or searching for that one tool you need. Keep your gear organized to spend less time looking and more time flying!
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.
