Archive for August 2023

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 Jerry Wilke, a proud RAF supporter, longtime pilot, and former executive at Harley-Davidson. It’s been a year of significant milestones … The RAF turned 2

It occurred to me that there is something more valuable to build and save than airstrips, and that is friendship. Friendship forms the backbone of any relationship, be it personal, professional, or organizational. Space does not allow for me to name all the people who have become the best of friends, thanks to the RAF

Bill McGlynn was raised in Butte, Montana, and was so intent to learn to fly that he joined the Civil Air Patrol at Bert Mooney Field. But CAP activities were all about marching, not flying, so he jumped at the chance when a local pilot offered a ride. He loaded three kids in a Cessna…

On August 26, a celebration was held at Two Hearted (6Y5) in Michigan to acknowledge the airfield’s reopening, and to thank everyone involved for their help. Volunteers’ efforts were appreciated and Richard and Kathy Robinson of Rainbow Lodge were acknowledged for their kind hospitality. “If not for them, this could no

“Pilots’ comments on Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument (GSENM) during last year’s Call-To-Action were successful,” RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig reports. “Aviation is specifically mentioned in Chapter 3 of the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for each of the four management alternatives the BLM is c

A June 2023 RAF grant to improve privately-owned Henderson Field, 95IL near Golconda Illinois, included a new RAF windsock, an RAF fire ring, and treating and smoothing the turf runway with a vibrating roller. This was partially matched with in-kind donations and volunteer labor. “Thanks to terrific weather and help fr

While rains have closed Chicken Strip in Death Valley, recent rain has somewhat helped the region around West Glacier in Montana, and the RAF announced the re-opening of Ryan Field in time for folks to enjoy Labor Day weekend there. Click here for the required safety briefing, and more information on amenities, and cab

Death Valley National Park is under a full park closure, due to the fringes of Hurricane Hilary that brought over a year’s worth of damaging rain on August 20. While Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek have not sustained any notable damage from the flooding, at Chicken Strip in Saline Valley, 60% of the runway experience

The RAF-branded Kodiak 100 completed another mission for the US Forest Service, coordinated and assisted by the RAF and Montana Pilots Association. RAF supporter and MPA past president Pete Smith had constructed and powder-coated a 10-gauge steel Forest Service-style bear box for Schafer Meadows and it was trucked to R