Archive for December 2021

Five inches of new snow didn’t deter a hardy group of 11 RAF volunteers who traveled to the northernmost village in Wisconsin in mid December to cut trees and remove brush at the Cornucopia airfield, WI23. “The snowstorm the previous week didn’t appear to impede the skid steer or the volunteers,” RAF Director Jeff Russell…

After nearly two years, RAF Florida Liaison Bobby Capozzi decided it was time to gather his team of “Gettin’ it Done” RAF volunteers to refresh Blackwater, 8FD3. The group endured a light drizzle, but two aircraft flew in and camped. RAF Alabama Liaison Dan Barnhill and his parents joined the group. “All planned projects were completed,” Capozzi…

In preparation for a December 3-5 Creighton Island fly-in, Georgia Ambassador Eric Davis reported, “We had great weather and a solid showing by our Creighton Island diehards,” in mid-November. Davis was joined by RAF Georgia Liaison Kevin Barry and Ambassador Lou Furlong for a work party at this privately-owned coastal island airfield. The team mowed…

Sporty’s Tailwheel Checkout Course is out, and the RAF appreciates that its final segment shares the RAF mission, and the importance of preserving recreational and backcountry airstrips. Some of the RAF’s accomplishments are shown, while the narrator points out that there is probably a recreational airfield within an hour of your home. There is an illustration of…

California Ambassador Day Job: Having fun. Fully retired after three careers. I bounce between bicycling, flying, photography and playing guitar. Next Adventure: Back to the NW this June, unless we have yet another pandemic. Favorite Strip: Tough to choose, between Las Trancas and the Monterey Bay Academy. Both are on the coast, spectacular and…

Georgia Ambassador Day Job: Retired FedEx pilot, aviation career mentor, and exercising my C-180 throughout the lower 48. Favorite Airstrip: I have two: Creighton Island, Georgia and Cavanaugh Bay (66s), Idaho. And of course, any strips in the Missouri Breaks, Montana! Next Adventure: Work parties at any of the RAF Airstrips in the Southeast U.S.…

Idaho State Liaison “I have, and always will, champion preservation and access to backcountry airstrips as a user and volunteer. It is such an important part of my life,” Bruce “Sparky” Parker says. His passion for flying the Idaho backcountry began early, as his father was a pilot for the US Forest Service, based in…

January 3 is Butchie Ryan’s 100th birthday. To honor this remarkable woman, we’re sharing a few highlights of her very full life. The RAF will be forever grateful to Butchie and her late husband Ben for donating their Ryan Field property near West Glacier, Montana to the RAF so it can be enjoyed by all.…