New public backcountry aviation access has opened at the 45 Ranch in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands. [Credit: Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation]
Key Takeaways:
The Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation (JRBAF) has been established as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) to honor CubCrafters founder Jim Richmond and expand public access to backcountry flying.
JRBAF is dedicated to opening more high-quality destination locations for pilots to experience and enjoy unimproved areas.
A key initiative involves the purchase of Idaho's historic 45 Ranch, making its previously private airstrip publicly accessible for landing and exploration, with membership offering access to camping and cabins.
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.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
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.
![New public backcountry aviation access has opened at the 45 Ranch in Idaho’s Owyhee Canyonlands. [Credit: Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/PRESS-PHOTO-45-Ranch-1-scaled-1.jpg)
