The Idaho Aviation Foundation has awarded a grant to Idaho pilot and author, Galen Hanselman, which will be used to support the field work necessary to produce a third edition of his recreational pilot guide, “FLY IDAHO!”
The photography in FLY IDAHO! was originally done in 1993 and has not been updated, Hanselman said, noting that in the past 17 years, wildfires, washouts and runway improvements have changed the character of many of the state’s unimproved airstrips. With the advent of digital photography and modern survey techniques, Hanselman proposes to revisit 80 backcountry airstrips to photograph and survey them to create terrain elevation models and runway elevation profiles similar to what he accomplished in a more recent book, “FLY UTAH!”
The collected data will be shared with the Idaho Division of Aeronautics, the Idaho Historical Society, the Idaho Aviation Association and the Idaho Aviation Foundation as an educational tool to promote safety in backcountry flying.
For information on making tax deductible contributions to the Idaho Aviation Foundation or to submit a grant request, contact Idaho Aviation Foundation President Jim Davies, P.O. Box 2016, Eagle, Idaho, 83616; 208-859-5537; or FlyIdaho.org.
