Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico signed into law House Bill 12 on April 6, which adds “operation of aircraft” to the state’s existing Recreational Use Statute. “This is a great step for recreational pilots, the backcountry, and of course, the state of New Mexico,” said New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) President Joyce Woods.
The new law is likely to lead to the opening of a large number of small airstrips located in beautiful areas of the mountains and deserts of New Mexico, according to NMPA officials. The volunteers of the NMPA Recreational Airstrip Committee have begun mapping airstrips in the state and will be adding them to the NMPA website as the information is verified.
RAF President John McKenna stated: “What a great day for New Mexico and all of aviation. Surely this will lead to the opening of new airstrips in New Mexico as well as showing others across the country that this can be done. The RAF is pleased to be a part of opening new airstrips, as opposed to watching closures.”
Read more about it here.
It would be nice to see GANews run a full story on RAF. How it started. What they’ve accomplished. Future plans.
There are other advocacy groups throughout the country. Why not dedicate a page of every issue to advocacy groups like RAF. The page could also have ads or announcements from various advocacy groups. Why not have AOPA and EAA help sponsor the page?