Hello everyone, I have not posted in a very long time or even logged in for that matter. I have lurked a few times but that is it. I am ready to get back to the basics, and want to start doing some back country camping. I thought I would start with a strip that I had previously wanted to visit in SE NM near Las Cruces. I thought it was owned by the forest service, but when I went to look for it I could not find it. It was a really remote strip on top of a hill with nothing around it for miles. Just wondering if it was one that got shut down to the public or not? I had it in my mind to take my son up that way this fall in the Pacer. Any help would be appreciated.

http://www.shortfield.com/sfx/

Check shortfield.com, and use the map explorer. It has tons of uncharted strips. Based on your description, it could be Chloride, Me-Own, or Beaverhead, all to the Northwest of Las Cruces.

Here's another:

https://www.airnav.com/airport/0NM7

The NMPA and RAF just repaired a bunch of the perimeter fencing around the strip in an agreement with the USFS.

Thank you, I checked out those four and shortfield, but they were not the one I was thinking of. I had it marked on goggle earth, thinking one day when things get less hectic. But my hard drive on that lap top crashed. I am very impressed with the work RAF is doing on keeping these remote airstrips open. The aviation community owes them big time.

There's a closed airport on the chart near San Miguel SE of Cruces. Looks nice on the satellite view, but it's definitely not a USFS strip and I have no idea who owns it.

I would probably not land anywhere that close to the border that wasn't an attended, public airport. You could run into narcos or get a visit from some DHS goons.

You might try Big Big Ranch State Park 3T9 or Terlingua 1E2. I also just reviewed 17A in NW Arkansas. That's a no joke backcountry strip that the RAF built. Not that it's difficult, but it really does feel remote, even though you can access it by car and it's a 5-10 minute flight to Rogers. It's quiet and there's lots of stars.

I attended the first NMPA Fly-In at Negrito a few years ago and had an amazing time. What a great group of people. There were honest to goodness cowboys, honest to goodness hippies and a few boring vanilla people like me. I loved it. Mountain flying skills are a must. They have a clinic a few weeks before in Santa Fe I think. I got my 145hp 170 in and out of there without too much pucker factor, but it does sit at 8000 feet.

Buck:

If you get those coordinates, would be interested in getting them. I work with New Mexico Pilots Association and RAF here in NM and we are always looking for possible airstrips to reopen. Relationship with the FS and BLM has been good and they seem willing to look at airstrips if they are in their boundaries.

If you get a chance, plan to attend the Gila Regional Flyin. 9/21/18 thru 9/23/18. Always a good time and a good group of people.

Regards, L

I will do that for sure.
A couple old strips that I thought would be fun to fly over and check out would be, Transwestern #7 and #8 I can't help but wonder what kind of shape they are in. If you get the chance I would sure be interested to hear about it. It's a long ways for me.

Buck:

There are a number of the Transwestern Strips that are landable (they had a bunch of them in NM).

However, one of our members recently had interaction with them (actually Transwestern has been bought out and I am sorry, but the name of the company that bought them escapes me) concerning the strip that was very close to the UFO site. It is actually BLM land leased by the company that bought Transwestern. They absolutely refused to even discuss giving us access to the strip because of liability reasons. Sure is a shame because there are a number of the Transwestern strips that are in interesting areas.

Hope to see you in the fall.

Regards, L

To bad they feel that way, but we have to respect their wishes.

A thread about the passage of the Recreational Use Statue that limits liability in NM:

https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/new-mexico-liability-protection-for-private-airstrip-owners-6978

Although the Transwestern strips may not be on private land, the liability issue may be defused because of the constructive relationship the NMPA and RAF have with the BLM and USFS through the MOU. That the current lease holder is citing "liability" concerns may be a smokescreen for a matter they would really rather not deal with. It might be more constructive to approach the NMPA and RAF during the Back Country Committee meetings to see if that is an effort they might be interested in pursuing.

Has anyone here ever camped at E32 Lindrith? It looks like a great strip to stay, it's primitive, but that's the way I like it.

Just a little NE of Lindreth is Murrow airport (NM99) a private strip which I think is a bertter choice. Contact Rol Murrow
[email protected] for permission to land and camp there.

Buck:

Second the vote on Murrow Field. Rol's place borders Santa Fe National Forest. Some pretty formations within pretty easy walking distance. While your there, consider visiting Besley Airstrip. Within walking distance of the Rio Grande Gorge. The field is only about a 15 minute flight from Murrow. If you haven't flown that area before, truly a beautiful place. Also, within 20 minutes of Murrow Field is Navajo Lake. It is a public strip. If you are a fisherman, no better spot than the San Juan River below the dam. Airstrip is about 1.5 miles from the Quality Waters.

You need permission for Murrow and Besley. A gave you email for Murrow. There is a safety briefing for Besley at http://www.nmpilots.org under Documents / Backcountry / Safety Briefings which has contact info.

Have fun and post some pics!! L

Wow! Sounds good, I've never explored that area at all. Oh I've flown over it at altitude and dreamed of lurking around in the canyons but that is all. I've got the charts down and am in planning phase now. I also want to explore the Guadalupe Mountains on my way there. I don't see anything published, but there has to be some fine spots on the tops of those hills.
Thanks
Buck

Let me know when you are in the area. Might be able to get a couple of the NM wild bunch together and drop by and say hello.

Regards, L

Stauman Farms owns the nice strip at San Miguel. They were the main aerial spray outfit in the Mesilla Valley and own the very large pecan farm there. When they changed to june bugs on pecan caseborer, they closed the airport. They used the airport with their people aircraft but became anti-ag.

88H wrote:Let me know when you are in the area. Might be able to get a couple of the NM wild bunch together and drop by and say hello.

Yes that would be excellent. I am planning for a camping excursion, but felt like I should wait until it cools off a bit more. I was planning on bringing a couple more planes from Texas. I cannot help but think that Texas needs it's own pilots Association.
I must say that I'm impressed with NM & CO.

contactflying wrote:Stauman Farms owns the nice strip at San Miguel.. They used the airport with their people aircraft but became anti-ag.

So I don't quite understand, are you saying that the strip is available for use???
Thanks
Buck