Joyce Woods was introduced to flying by her husband Art. Flying since 1993, she is multi-engine and instrument rated and owns a Cessna Hawk XP. A retired engineer, she actively volunteers with NMPA, RAF, EAA, and facilitates the NM Airstrip Network.
WORTH THE READ: JOYCE WOODS 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 Joyce Woods, an RAF friend and volunteer who also facilitates the NM Airstrip Network.
“Value is Created with Partners” was my new manufacturing boss’s mantra in the 90’s. Inspired to reform our leadership culture, he demanded teamwork from his department heads vs. the typical management style of the time, driven by egos. Previously, I was coached that the way to get things done was to pound your fist on the table. It never seemed right to me.
When I first heard rumblings of forming a backcountry group in New Mexico, there was great interest in a closed state-owned airstrip adjacent to a state park. Meetings were arranged to pursue reopening the field that had been X’d out on the charts for many years. Meeting resistance, the bulldog approach was invoked by eager but well-meaning pilots, triggering a Mayor Daley style response by the agency. The field was slashed and removed from the charts. We still dream about access to this and another airfield on land this agency since purchased. If we only knew then, the lessons RAF has taught us.
Enthusiastic members of the New Mexico Pilots Association (NMPA) formed a Backcountry Committee in 2009 which immediately benefitted from RAF resources and leadership counsel. The NM Recreational Use Statute was amended. We used the Land Managers Guide and gained support for volunteer efforts at public and private airfields.
New Mexico success with USFS airstrips is the result of partnerships established at multiple levels. Relationships developed by John McKenna and Mark Spencer (AZ Liaison) with top Region 3 leadership enabled initial green lights. At the forest level, the friendship developed by Larry Filener and Ron Keller (past and current NM Liaisons) with now retired John Pierson, previously Reserve District Ranger in the Gila National Forest. John, who joined Negrito Airstrip work parties sleeping under the stars with only a bedroll, immediately recognized the value of our team. He bragged on hardworking, resourceful pilots with easy access to remote areas, establishing a sustained partnership.
In 2016, the New Mexico Airstrip Network was formalized with an MOU signing and roundtable sharing of each leader’s perspective of mutual benefits. Our 13-member partnership endures despite numerous leadership personnel changes. Besides RAF and NMPA, network partners are BLM, USFS, state agencies (Aviation, Economic Development, Tourism, and State Land Office), AOPA, EAA, USPA, NM Airport Managers, and the NM Council of Outfitters and Guides.
Volunteers at annual NMPA/RAF work parties rehabilitated and reopened two USFS abandoned airfields, rebuilt fences and nearby campgrounds, and helped fund and install camping amenities near airstrips including two vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, and a shade structure. These and Ron Keller’s leadership for continued NMPA/RAF airfield maintenance support have not gone unnoticed. A recent USFS news release highlighted the value of this partnership.
Working together with the BLM resulted in getting Cuba Landing Strip (NM2) back on the charts. Three new private airfields were charted and another rehabilitated. Working with NM Aviation and Tourism is bringing visibility to the economic value of recreational aviation through fly-ins to rural airports, often paired with a nearby backcountry weekend event. A refueling stop with free lunch for pilots; what’s not to like?
Cultivating personal relationships and partnering for mutual benefit is key. We value each airstrip access permission and work party support obtained, and never take a partner relationship for granted. Per John McKenna’s sage advice, we strive to “be polite but persistent”. Demonstrating patience and our commitment to preserve public lands and wildlife, perhaps someday we’ll add new partners and earn access to those currently off-limits airfields. Meanwhile, we enjoy flying the Gila region, a Southwestern New Mexico gem, especially this June as we celebrate 100 years of the Gila Wilderness, the first in the nation.
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FEATURING: RAF PULASKI GLASSES Raise a glass to the work that keeps backcountry aviation alive! These RAF Pulaski Glasses are a perfect addition to your bar or a thoughtful gift for any aviation or backcountry enthusiast. Each glass features the RAF’s signature Pulaski tool, a tribute to the hardworking volunteers who preserve, improve, and protect airstrips across the country. Just like the tool itself, these glasses celebrate grit, utility, and a commitment to getting the job done. The Pulaski is a versatile, heavy-duty tool used for trail building, chopping wood, and clearing brush, making it an essential part of backcountry work for RAF volunteers. Made in the USA from high-quality glass, they’re built to last. Get yours today.
You’d have a hard time finding a more beautiful place to fly than Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport (KDIJ). The Grand Teton, Big Hole, and Snake River mountain ranges surround this eastern Idaho valley. Driggs has become a world-class destination for the pilot community. National Geographic magazine listed Driggs as “one of the ten best outdoor recreation destinations in the U.S.” Just a 45-minute drive over Teton Pass is Jackson, Wyoming, a famous Western destination. The airport, at an elevation of 6,257, accommodates aircraft on both its 7,300-ft paved runway and 3,000-ft turf landing area, marked with cones. Note: The SW 3,451 feet of the paved runway is closed until August for reconstruction. Check NOTAMS before landing. Fly-in visitors are welcome to camp underwing at its grassy tie-down area. It’s an ideal gateway to the Idaho backcountry. Enjoy views of the nearby Teton Range from the 12' x 16' cedar pilot shelter. There is potable water, a toilet, power, a gas barbecue, and a charging station nearby. Within walking distance of the campground is the Forage restaurant. A bike shed and loaner bikes, provided by the Idaho Aviation Association Borrow-A-Bike program, are available to ride into town. If you desire a more urban experience or wish to explore further, the airport has rental cars. “It’s a great destination for the pilot community, with access to hiking, biking, fishing, floating, golf and a small town with numerous shops and restaurants,” RAF Director and Driggs resident Tim Riley says. He and a local RAF supporter recently completed a spring cleanup to ready it for the season. The amenities were provided cooperatively through the RAF, the Idaho Aviation Association (IAA), the City of Driggs, and its Airport Board, with financial contributions from each. For more information on Driggs, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted July 1, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
It’s bear grass season around West Glacier, Montana, and nearly a score of volunteers from three different states drove in to Ryan Field June 12-13 to complete seasonal maintenance, and enjoyed spotting the showy blooms throughout the woods. Bear scat was also seen in several places – a reminder that a clean camp protects both campers and wildlife. The airfield remains closed until the new runway grass has stabilized for landing, so watch the Airfield Guide for an announcement that the field has re-opened. As a result, there was no annual Ryan Fly-in this year. Volunteers removed downed trees, cleared and marked hiking trails, mowed around the buildings and part of the runway, cleaned bear boxes, the pilot shelter, cabins, and barn. “We welcomed new volunteers and continue to work hard maintaining the field. We are as eager as everyone for the grass to take good hold so the runway can open again,” Administrative Director Tricia McKenna said. Submitted June 30, 2026
RAF President Bill McGlynn met in mid-June with the US Forest Service, Idaho Dept of Aeronautics, and Idaho Aviation Association to evaluate steps to improve Magee (S77) airstrip, 23 nm east of Coeur d’Alene. On the way, Bill picked up Joe Sober, one of two airport engineers from Oklahoma City who have volunteered their professional services and have been instrumental in creating maintenance and remediation plans on Idaho backcountry airstrips. “The Forest Service engineering teams have too much on their plate just addressing roads, so having this resource to make airstrip engineering assessments and plans is instrumental to resolving challenges on USFS airstrips like Magee,” McGlynn said. The improvement project at Magee has been organized through a Cost Share Agreement that the RAF has with the USFS. McGlynn, Sober, Willy Acton of the Idaho Airstrip Network, along with USFS District Ranger Holly Hampton, Don Macintosh of IAA, Dan Conner of Idaho Aeronautics, and RAF Idaho Ambassador George Weaver investigated the sources of flooding that plague Magee airstrip every spring and analyzed means of redirecting the problematic water. Magee airstrip was created in the 1940s by the Corps of Engineers as a hidden fighter base in case of a Japanese attack on the western US coast. A dike that was built to channel water away from the runway has eroded over the past eighty years. Sober took numerous measurements and will develop a plan to submit to the USFS for approval. Work could begin over the next year or two to recover about 700 feet of runway. “We truly could not do this work without our volunteer engineers and are very fortunate to have their expertise,” McGlynn said. Weaver said, “The airstrip is a real gem, and the restoration work will make it a great backcountry destination.” Submitted June 28, 2026
“It was really nice to spend some time with Wyoming folks cleaning up a little piece of history,” RAF WY/UT Ambassador Karen Larson said of the May 30 work party at Medicine Bow airport, on the historic US airmail route. RAF Wyoming Liaison Joe Feiler organized the work and reports that about 15 people with a wide range of backgrounds arrived at 9 am to help. Attendees included RAF supporters, EAA Chapter 420 members, local residents, as well as Lee Cook, Medicine Bow airport board member and town council member.
