Big Creek Airstrip: Idaho's Wilderness Canyon Where the Only Road In Has Wings
Big Creek Airstrip in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness offers 2,200 feet of grass runway at 5,600 feet MSL - accessible only by air, earned only through preparation.
Ramp Check
Aviation events, destinations, and field reporting with Ramp. Airshow coverage, fly-in previews, airport restaurants, pilot destination guides, and the human stories behind the machines.
Sedona Airport: The Mesa-Top Strip in the Heart of Red Rock Country
Sedona Airport (SEZ) sits atop Airport Mesa at 4,830 feet MSL - one of the most visually stunning pilot destinations in the Southwest, with real density altitude demands pilots must plan for.
The Yellow Shirts: AirVenture's Volunteer Marshallers and the Human Art of Parking Ten Thousand Airplanes
EAA AirVenture's volunteer marshallers park tens of thousands of airplanes on grass each July using decades of institutional knowledge, pure visual communication, and no paycheck.
Johnson Creek, Idaho: The Grass Strip That Backcountry Pilots Dream About All Winter
Johnson Creek (3U2) is Idaho's most iconic backcountry grass strip - a 3,400-foot meadow runway at 5,000 feet elevation that rewards prepared pilots with one of aviation's finest experiences.
Spruce Creek Fly-In Community: The Florida Neighborhood Where Your Hangar Is Your Garage
Spruce Creek Fly-In Community (7FL6) in Port Orange, Florida is a 1,400-home neighborhood where roughly 700 aircraft are based, with hangars opening directly onto taxiways.
The Saturday Morning Pancake Fly-In: The Weekly Ritual That Holds General Aviation Together
Every Saturday morning across America, hundreds of EAA chapter fly-in breakfasts quietly keep general aviation's culture alive - one pancake at a time.
Antique Airfield at Blakesburg: The Iowa Grass Strip Fly-In Where You Camp Beside the Old Machines
Antique Airfield (IA27) in Blakesburg, Iowa hosts a late-August grass strip fly-in where pilots camp beside historic aircraft - one of aviation's most intimate gatherings.
The Valdez Fly-In and STOL Drag: Where Alaska's Bush Pilots Land Shorter Than Anyone Thought Possible
The Valdez Fly-In and STOL Drag draws the world's best short-field pilots to Alaska each May, where modified bush planes stop in under 50 feet.
Gaston's White River Resort: The Grass Strip in the Ozarks Where Trophy Trout and a Runway Share the Same Property
Gaston's White River Resort in Lakeview, Arkansas is a legendary fly-in destination with a private turf strip, trophy trout fishing, and riverside dining in the Ozarks.
Jackson Hole Airport: The Only Commercial Airport Inside a National Park
Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC) is the only commercial airport inside a U.S. national park, combining stunning Teton approaches with serious high-altitude operational demands.
The FBO Crew Car: The Battered Keys That Open Small Town America
The FBO crew car - a loaner vehicle handed over on nothing but trust - is one of general aviation's most enduring and underappreciated traditions.
Moose Creek Ranger Station - Flying Into the Heart of the Selway-Bitterroot
Moose Creek Ranger Station in Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness is one of the most remote and demanding backcountry GA airstrips in the continental United States.
The Saturday Morning Fly-In Breakfast - The Ritual That Keeps Small Airport Communities Alive
Saturday morning fly-in breakfasts are the social glue of general aviation - why pilots fly hundreds of miles for bad coffee, great eggs, and the community that keeps small airports alive.
Johnson Creek Airport - The Backcountry Strip That Built a Community in the Idaho Wilderness
Johnson Creek Airport (3U2) is a 2,800-foot grass strip in Idaho's Payette National Forest - a beloved backcountry destination that demands serious mountain flying preparation.
The EAA Young Eagles - How Volunteer Pilots Have Put Over Two Million Kids in the Right Seat
The EAA Young Eagles program has given free introductory flights to over 2.3 million children since 1992, powered entirely by volunteer pilots flying their own aircraft.
The Valdez STOL Competition - Alaska's Annual Festival Where the World's Best Backcountry Pilots Land in Under a Hundred Feet
The Valdez Fly-In and STOL Competition is North America's premier short-field landing event, where backcountry pilots stop aircraft in under 100 feet against a backdrop of glacier peaks and Prince William Sound.
The Ramp Rat - How Small Airports Grow Pilots Before They Ever Touch the Controls
Long before formal training begins, small airport culture quietly produces pilots through fence lines, hangar conversations, and the informal mentorship of ramp rats.
The North Forty at Oshkosh - Where Two Thousand Airplanes Become Your Neighborhood for a Week
The North Forty at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh lets pilots camp directly beside their aircraft for a week - here's what it's actually like on the ground.
Johnson Creek and the Idaho Wilderness Strips - The Backcountry Flying Mecca You Have to Earn
Johnson Creek Airport (1U2) is a 2,400-foot grass strip in Idaho's Boise National Forest - one of the most demanding and rewarding backcountry destinations in the lower 48 states.
Spruce Creek Fly-In - The Florida Neighborhood Where Your Driveway Is a Taxiway
Spruce Creek Fly-In in Port Orange, Florida is a gated community of 1,400+ homes where every house has an attached hangar and roughly 700 aircraft are based on-field.