New public backcountry aviation access open at the 45 Ranch in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands. [Courtesy: Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation]
Key Takeaways:
The Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation (JRBAF) has been launched as a nonprofit dedicated to honoring the legacy of CubCrafters founder Jim Richmond, who passed away in 2021.
JRBAF's core mission is to expand public backcountry aviation access by developing and opening new high-quality destination locations for pilots to fly to and enjoy.
A significant initiative of the foundation is the purchase of Idaho's historic 45 Ranch, making its airstrip and property publicly accessible, with camping and cabins available to members.
For many pilots, Yakima, Washington-based aircraft company CubCrafters is synonymous with backcountry flying.
The company was founded 1980 by the late Jim Richmond who, after noticing how the Piper Super Cub was used for backcountry operations while on a trip in Alaska, modified and refined the design for better safety and performance.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
