Volunteers with the Recreational Aviation Foundation and the Montana Pilots Association have gathered twice already in 2025 to perform maintenance on the airstrips in Flathead National Forest.
The Spotted Bear USFS Airport (8U4) work weekend, held June 7-8, brought 17 people who replaced windsocks, filled gopher holes, rolled the runway, removed small trees from the runway approach, and removed bushes and small trees in the runway environment.
The following Saturday, volunteers showed their support at Meadow Creek USFS Airport (0S1) completing needed maintenance.
“This work party had one of the largest turnouts in recent memory. We had nearly 30 people fly in as well as hike in to the airstrip,” said RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower, who is also a past president of the Montana Pilots Association.
The crew installed new bear box support posts, and new shelves were built under the bear boxes to keep firewood dry.
“These shelves were designed and built by Trevert Adkins, son of long-time Meadow Creek visitor and supporter, the late RT Adkins,” Newpower noted.
Volunteers cut many downed trees and stacked the firewood, weed whacked three camping areas, filled gopher holes, mowed the airstrip, and replaced both windsocks. Some cleared downed timber from the trail to the Flathead River gorge.
The next Flathead Forest work party will be July 19 at Schafer Meadows Airport (8U2) in the Great Bear Wilderness. You can call Newpower for work party details at 406-670-3169.
For more information: TheRAF.org, MontanaPilots.org
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