AZ Backcountry needs you

[vet114]

I would like to begin to compile a list of Arizona pilots who want to stand together to become a visible user group to the APA, Arizona Pilots Assoc. We have been resting too long and the 21 or so airstrips on the Arizona Strip are being looked at as of no use to anyone and a liability to the state. We have rights and I for one want to see them taken advantage of. I am not looking for radical activists but those that will indeed group together and make some meetings to represent ourselves. Please consider this, chime in I'll take note of anyone who wants to join with me.

[gdafoe]

I sure don't want to see them closed. I wish I knew where they all are. There are some great places to fly here. We sure don't want to lose any.

[highroads]

count me in, I am also a member of APA.

[gdafoe]

Forgot to say I'm also a member of APA. Joined about a year ago as I thought they had a lot of interest in back country strips. But have been thinking I'd let that lapse as in a year I have not seen that they were doing me any good. Maybe they are and I just don't know it. If they are I'll re up.

[highroads]

Gerald, you are right about them not being very active in protecting the backcountry airstrip access. but if a few of us could get together and put some push and help into the process, they would probably offer the best forum to get attention from the State.

[FirstCruiser]

I would like to begin to compile a list of Arizona pilots who want to stand together to become a visible user group to the APA, Arizona Pilots Assoc. We have been resting too long and the 21 or so airstrips on the Arizona Strip are being looked at as of no use to anyone and a liability to the state. We have rights and I for one want to see them taken advantage of. I am not looking for radical activists but those that will indeed group together and make some meetings to represent ourselves. Please consider this, chime in I'll take note of anyone who wants to join with me.

Hi Mark, my name is Robert Barnes. Just purchased a PA12. Based in AZ and would not mind being on your list

[vet114]

Hi Robert,
Welcome to the list, I'm sure you will gain lots of info here.
Thanks for stepping up. Email me directly at:
Azstol@aol.com
Thanks

[vet114]

Don and Gerald,
Thank you also for stepping up.
Paul Pitkin used to be pretty active flying his C180 but has slowed down. I'm going to talk to him re his position in the APA, is he really interested or getting tired. At any rate I'm also a member of the Utah Backcountry Pilots and they have all the info on the AZ strip. They are willing to meet with us and share all they have, guide us thru any political hoops and be a template for us to follow.
As a member of the APA for 3 years I've never attended any APA meetings but am going to starting with the one next weekend at Goodyear.
If you guys would email me directly it would help getting my contact list together. Please include a contact phone number.
Thanks again
Azstol@aol.com

[highroads]

Looking at the Cactus Fly-In web page, they have a backcountry airport forum scheduled for Fri. and Sat. March 4 & 5 at 12:30 - 2:30 at Casa Grande. Maybe we could arrange to meet there one of those days.: I can make either day.

[vet114]

Saturday would be the best one for me.

[highroads]

See you Sat then at the back country airstrip forum or maybe see you at breakfast will fly the PA12 in and will be wearing a Supercub.org cap.

[vet114]

Don, Gerald, Robert
I am going to try and make the backcountry session on Friday at 12:30 first and then maybe again on Saturday. Work is working out for that I think. Hopefully see some of you this weekend for sure
cell# 602-315-0410

[pa18driver]

Count me in. Let me know if there is anything I can do from PRC.
Norm

[vet114]

Well guys and gals we had an interesting meeting with the APA at CGZ today at their backcountry forum. It seems they think they are quite opposed to the state closing strips but I've been a APA member for 3 years and have never heard anything about actively opposing closures and yet the Tuweep strip has been closed since the first of the year???
Well they heard about it for sure and stated they want to have more involvement and several of us said we would be there if given the chance and notified. We'll see what comes of it.
Thanks Norm for the interest. Send me your email addy direct to
Azstol@aol.com and I'll keep you in the loop.

[vet114]

Well gang we may have something to do besides sit in the dark and wonder what goes on. Paul Pitkin has organized a clean-up of the Young Az. dirt strip. This is hopefully the first of many efforts to show the state we are serious about saving and utilizing the Az backcountry strips. This clean-up is to take place April 16th from about 7am till done. Payson for dinner on the way home. I'll post more info as time nears.

[fobjob]

We have had a lot of good response with political dealings to prevent closure of airstrips....look at www.utahbackcountrypilots.org
oops....didn't read vet's post well enough....

[Fortysix12]

What's the least expensive community airport lot anybody knows of in AZ or Colorado or Utah or Idaho?

[Christina Young]

the Tuweep strip has been closed since the first of the year???

This appears to be a really huge loss. Isn't it the only airstrip access to that part of the Grand Canyon? See here what can be done: http://www.recreationalaviationfound...raf/tuweep.htm

[n4873a]

Thanks for pointing this one out Christina. The article is actually appearing in Pilot Getaways this week and they generously allowed us to print it on our website prior to publication since there is so much lead time.

Clair Roberts at liznclair@att.net is the former Tuweep Ranger now living in Sitka, AK. He is spearheading the effort to save the Tuweep stripand he needs help. There is still a decent chance of saving this one, but people do have to get on the bandwagon. The state wants to require a $5M liability policy which would cost the pilot association approx. $7500/yr.

Obviously, this is ridiculous since they do not require the boaters to have a policy for each boat ramp, hikers a policy for each trailhead, etc.

It is definitely time for the AZ pilots to get together on these airstrip closures.

Mike Sidders
msidders@pilotgetaways.com

[vet114]

Well gang we may have something to do besides sit in the dark and wonder what goes on. Paul Pitkin has organized a clean-up of the Young Az. dirt strip. This is hopefully the first of many efforts to show the state we are serious about saving and utilizing the Az backcountry strips. This clean-up is to take place April 16th from about 7am till done. Payson for dinner on the way home. I'll post more info as time nears.

Well with no calls or emails it seems the Young clean-up is canceled.
I saw it on the APA home page. I guess I'd have never known unless I saw it looking for a link to register my airplanes with ADOT.

[vet114]

What's the least expensive community airport lot anybody knows of in AZ or Colorado or Utah or Idaho?

In AZ it would have to be at PHX Regional NE of Casa Grande.
Pegasus lots are $230,000 these days, Steller is sold out. There are
a number of residential airparks west of Wickenburg that are small and hard to find about.

[T.J.]

Mark:
Why don't you just do your own clean up? There are other Az. pilots here, just tell them to be there on this day and do it.
"He who hesitates, is lost!"

[n4873a]

The guy to contact in Arizona is Ray Boucher with the Aeronautics Division. rboucher@azdot.gov Ray has been doing the best a guy can when shackled by the state government and works to delay closures as long as he can. Also, I would again point you to former Tuweep Ranger Clair Roberts who flew his C170B throughout Arizona. He is truly on a mission to save these Arizona backcountry strips even though he was transferred to Sitka, AK He can be reached at liznclair@att.net

[vet114]

The guy to contact in Arizona is Ray Boucher with the Aeronautics Division. rboucher@azdot.gov Ray has been doing the best a guy can when shackled by the state government and works to delay closures as long as he can. Also, I would again point you to former Tuweep Ranger Clair Roberts who flew his C170B throughout Arizona. He is truly on a mission to save these Arizona backcountry strips even though he was transferred to Sitka, AK He can be reached at liznclair@att.net

Ray Boucher is no longer the Aeronautics director, they moved in and closed Tuweep when the transition is being made. The new director is appealling the move and has some support so we will see where that goes. I did email Claire but haven't heard back from him.
Young is listed as a private strip owned by the USFS and without permission to do the clean-up which I thought Paul P had we would be trespassing. He says now we don't have permission. Sound familiar, I thought I had before I found out later I didn't

[Christina Young]

Young is listed as a private strip owned by the USFS

Is that an oxymoron or what???

Who specifically is behind the drive to close these airstrips? Seems like you guys know the names of those trying to stop the closures. What about the other side?

[Christina Young]

Young is listed as a private strip owned by the USFS and without permission to do the clean-up which I thought Paul P had we would be trespassing. He says now we don't have permission. Sound familiar, I thought I had before I found out later I didn't

Here is an excerpt from http://horizons.eraunews.com/vnews/d.../3f7d281ccaada:

A local example of an airport closing without notice is the Young Airstrip utilized by crop dusting aircraft.

Looks like you guys had another one pulled right out from under you.....

[vet114]

A local example of an airport closing without notice is the Young Airstrip utilized by crop dusting aircraft.

Looks like you guys had another one pulled right out from under you.....[/quote]

The Az State Land Dept is the opposition, they are trying to get rid of all airstrips on their land. Leasing the strip is now out of question with them wanting up to $1mil and a $5mil liability policy to boot. There are some legislators working to turn this around since no one using any of the boat ramps on state land have to have the extreme liability insurance.
I am getting more into who is doing what and really hope to get into the loop somehow. I just found out about a group called Friends for Airport Preservation, Inc and their next meeting is April 20 at DVT, in the restraunt. We AZ pilots have been invited to attend. It appears they have more going than the AOPA or Arizona Pilots Assn together.
I couldn't read in the link posted about the cropduster at Young but it probably was a Air Tractor working for the forest service during the fires and then after reseeding.

[Christina Young]

The Az State Land Dept is the opposition, they are trying to get rid of all airstrips on their land. Leasing the strip is now out of question with them wanting up to $1mil and a $5mil liability policy to boot.

So the USFS owned a private airstrip (Young) on Arizona State Land???

I wish you guys luck. Sounds like the Arizona Pilot's Assn is completely inept. If I lived down there I would be raising hell!

Sooner than you know it, you'll be living in a state like New Jersey where you can't land anywhere except an officially state-sanctioned airport!

[vet114]

The Az State Land Dept is the opposition, they are trying to get rid of all airstrips on their land. Leasing the strip is now out of question with them wanting up to $1mil and a $5mil liability policy to boot.

So the USFS owned a private airstrip (Young) on Arizona State Land???

I wish you guys luck. Sounds like the Arizona Pilot's Assn is completely inept. If I lived down there I would be raising hell!

Sooner than you know it, you'll be living in a state like New Jersey where you can't land anywhere except an officially state-sanctioned airport!

The Young strip is owned by the USFS and that one isn't on AZ State land.
We have some encouraging news about Tuweep. Our APOA rep has met with the Deputy Director of the State Land Dept and her letter to those of us tells of a entity that may be willing to open negotiations for aquiring a lease for it. More to do but some dialogue is in place.
I've emailed the APA to sit and discuss their view of this and talk about options and what they can offer. I may need some committee members soon if things work out there.
Those like Christina out there and looking in at our situation hang in there and watch it work out.

[vet114]

How does this email I got from a Forest Service official grab you?

Dear Sir, I am the Forest Aviation Specialist for the Tonto National Forest
in Phoenix. For many years the Grapevine airstrip at Roosevelt Lake has
been of interest to private pilots and other recreational pilots for
possible use. The airstrip is currently closed and if nothing is done will
dilapidate to total ruin. I would like to see this strip developed to full
use by all aviators.(perhaps fuel, FBO, restaurant etc) The Forest is
unable to provide the funds necessary to maintain this. We are looking for
interested parties to partner with to keep this airstrip viable. This is
just "fishing" for ideas and comments. Feel free to E-mail or call. Thanks,

We have a golden opportunity here. I'm in contact with him and am getting him references from other states where GA and the USFS have jointly worked together and had great success. I'll be needing the local backcountry pilots to pitch in and help with the clean up. Any donated items such as wind sock, pole and paint paint and other misc items will be greatly appreciated!

[vet114]

Arizona Pilots Assn meeting this Saturday at Payson, back room of the restaurant. Possible formation of a Recreational Aviation Committee within the APA chaired by yours truly. General meeting is at 11am, Wings program for those interested at 9am.

[Vin]

Mark, please add me to your list. I'd be happy to help out in any way I can.
Vin Nitido
Tucson, AZ

[vet114]

Hey gang it's has been a good couple of weeks. I got some valuable info from Idaho to present the Forest Service Aviation specialist here in Az so he can check with other Districts where GA and the USFS have joined forces and been successful.
I've talked to Mr. Bob Madill and will meet with him on Thursday to discuss the Grapevine airport and what we can do to help open and maintain it.
Re: Tuweep, we are ready to attempt negotiating a lease thru the APA and have requested a meeting with the State Land Director. I've done this thru Arv Schultz and Stacey Howard our AOPA Regional rep who has had many good meetings with them. I'll let her take the lead to set the meeting up and hopefully we can start negotiations real soon.
Feel free to email me directly if you have any input or questions.
Azstol@aol.com

[pwfeenstra]

Mark, I've got the pole and the wind sock. Plus, I've got equipment to erect it. Count me in on helping. Pat

[vet114]

I met with Richard Hubbard, #2 guy in the Az State Land Trust dept last Thursday. Arv Schultz and Stacey Howard went with me, Richard had invited the AZ Dept of Aeronautics so Kim was present as well as Chuck Hudson of the Land Dept as well.
I feel the meeting went very well, they are indeed interested in having someone take and care for the strip. They are sending me an application packet and I'm preparing a proposal for our use and management of the strip to send in with the application. I feel we will be able to lease reasonabley and am at this point hoping that the insurance requirement will be reasonable. Their mandate is to get as much for the land as possible and our only competition is some rancher running cattle on it so I feel we can offer more.
At this point we have first right of refusal to orther offers so I guess that means we are in negotiations at this time.
More later.

[mountainflyingvideos]

How does this email I got from a Forest Service official grab you?

Dear Sir, I am the Forest Aviation Specialist for the Tonto National Forest
in Phoenix. For many years the Grapevine airstrip at Roosevelt Lake has
been of interest to private pilots and other recreational pilots for
possible use. The airstrip is currently closed and if nothing is done will
dilapidate to total ruin. I would like to see this strip developed to full
use by all aviators.(perhaps fuel, FBO, restaurant etc) The Forest is
unable to provide the funds necessary to maintain this. We are looking for
interested parties to partner with to keep this airstrip viable. This is
just "fishing" for ideas and comments. Feel free to E-mail or call. Thanks,

We have a golden opportunity here. I'm in contact with him and am getting him references from other states where GA and the USFS have jointly worked together and had great success. I'll be needing the local backcountry pilots to pitch in and help with the clean up. Any donated items such as wind sock, pole and paint paint and other misc items will be greatly appreciated!

We from PacNW don't get over there SW as much as we'd like but, are interested in all backcountry flying issues. We'll give support by letters & whatever we can for now if, we know what's going on. Thanks.

[mmr]

Is this Jim?
Mark

[vet114]

Hey gang sorry to have been so absent. Alot has happened since June. Any way the lease application for Tuweep has been turned into the AZ State Land Dept. Hopefully they will review it and get back to me soon. Since I had gotten the info and app from them several things had to happen, all of which are tough during the summer. The Arizona Pilots Association is sponsoring the lease and it had to be reviewed, approved and then signed by the board. In getting this done I have been given a position on the board and am the current Secretary. Anyway while I'm not too excited by that I am excited to be able to report progress now.
The next step is for the State to review my opinion of the lease amount per year and get with the risk management dept to set the liability insurance requirement. We are hoping for 1/2 million dollar policy and for sure not more than a million. Things should come together quickly now and it would be nice to get a lease and subsequent clean-up during the fall.
More later, I can be contacted directly at Azstol@aol.com.

[AirEd]

I haven't seen it posted anywhere on this website. I just found out about it the other day. Mark Hawkins, who posted here as vet114, was killed in the crash of his Cessna 180 on Father's Day, June 18th.

http://www.azpilots.org/mark_hawkins.htm

[behindpropellers]

I haven't seen it posted anywhere on this website.

http://www.azpilots.org/mark_hawkins.htm

Here is a link:

SuperCub.Org Member Mark Hawkins Killed in Crash

Very tragic.

Tim