Overflew McKenzie 4/18/19. Lots of standing water in the first 1/2 of the runway.

We plan to undertake some work at the McKenzie Bridge State Airport (00S) this coming Saturday 27 April. The objective is to try and improve the surface condition. Our plan is to drag a harrow to knock down the larger rodent mounds, followed by a weighted roller to level and compact the surface. We will be operating with two tractors generously contributed by John Gillett and Harry Wildgen.

If you have a free day, we could also use some additional folks with shovels and garden rakes to address the deeper holes. If you’re really keen, you can bring your chainsaw and start removing the small trees growing in the overrun area at the West end of the airfield. If anyone has additional equipment you would like to contribute, please bring it along.

We plan to start the equipment working about 0900 and should be finished by no later than 1600. Bring your own tools, safety gear, lunch, water, etc.

I stopped by the airfield last week and, as noted above, it was pretty wet. However, it should be quite a bit drier by Saturday. If you decide to fly in to assist, an early arrival will be appreciated to avoid disrupting the work efforts. I’ll have a handheld radio to try and coordinate between aircraft, tractors and workers. Please use caution.

We will hold an additional work effort the weekend of 01 June, at which we will mow the airfield, undertake additional brush clearance, and further enhance the edge/end markings. We have obtained a tilt-up windsock pole, but we need to construct an appropriate concrete pad foundation to support it. Anyone that can assist with this endeavor, please let me know. Discussions are underway with USFS to dig a new toilet vault near the camping area. If successful, we plan to frame up a new toilet building.

Like last year, we’ll plan on overnight camping, BBQ and adult refreshments for the June weekend.

Windknot54

I'm up to my ears in PEX plumbing Saturday but I should be able to make the June 1st event. Not to be thick, but is there some place to find out a bit ahead of time about these work parties in our area? I'm an RAF member, Maybe I'm not reading the news letter carefully enough?

Marc

Thanks to everyone that showed up to help us out on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day and the time passed quickly. The gophers and Elk had managed to do a reasonable amount of damage over the winter, with some particularly rough areas at the Western end.

We managed to drag the field to knock down the worst of the rodent mounds, hand filled the deeper holes, and rolled the surface to compact and smooth it out a bit. We also managed to mow the Broom along the southern edge.

The conditions are suitable for most aircraft, but still expect a bumpy ride. The field is still quite soft for the western 1/4, but should dry out well this week. Camping conditions were great so get out and enjoy.

TriPacerPilot wrote:Windknot54

I'm up to my ears in PEX plumbing Saturday but I should be able to make the June 1st event. Not to be thick, but is there some place to find out a bit ahead of time about these work parties in our area? I'm an RAF member, Maybe I'm not reading the news letter carefully enough?

Marc

Typically, these events are noted on the RAF website and events calendar. In addition, I also send a mass email out to RAF members as we approach the date. This particular activity was an ad-hoc effort because we needed to coordinate the equipment availability and suitable site conditions. I plan to hold another work party at McKenzie Bridge the weekend of 01 June. Hope to see you then.

Stopped by Mckenzie last night. The field is looking great. The outhouse got a makeover since the last time I was here. Thanks for all the hard work. I plan to make the work party.

Thanks to everyone that attended our work party at McKenzie Bridge over the weekend of 01/02 June. We had a great turnout and accomplished a tremendous amount of work. For the record:

1. Approximately 30 volunteers attended the event, most camping on the airfield;

2. Three (3) tractors were provided by volunteers, along with a collection of industrial quality brush clearing equipment and large assortment of hand tools;

3. Taylor NW Construction of Bend provided 21 tons of graded fill materials, which was delivered by Alex Hodge Construction, also from Bend;

4. Grading Unlimited Inc. of Hillsboro provided fill compaction equipment;

5. Tony Hann of Infinite Air in Albany provided the barbecues for the pot-luck dinner;

6. The airfield, tie-down, and helicopter operations areas were mowed;

7. Damage to the runway caused by rodents and Elk was addressed with the graded fill materials;

8. Brush and small trees encroaching along the South side of the runway, and within the overrun area at the West end of the runway, was cut and removed;

9. Runway edge markers (18 horse stall mats) provided by ODA were painted white and installed at quarter points of the published runway length; and

10. The damaged airport sign was repaired and remounted.


The volunteers dedicated approximately 210 man-hours of labor, not including travel time to and from the site. I would estimate the in-kind value of the donated materials and equipment time at approximately $5,600.

The majority of the volunteers came from Oregon, ranging from as far away as Hillsboro, Medford, Enterprise, and Prineville. We also attracted two RAF members from Northern California who attended specifically for the event. We were visited by two USFS rangers, who expressed appreciation for the work being undertaken and commented on the improved appearance of the facilities.

We have made great improvements to the airfield over the past couple of years - thanks to everyone that has contributed time, materials, and man-power. The airfield surface is still a bit rough, but it is now useable for most general aviation aircraft. The tall trees at the East end of the runway restrict landing and departure directions and continue to present a safety concern.

Excellent thread regarding GA, not just backcountry. “Rubber meets the Road”.

Thank you. Very inspired.

Side note: Attempted landing in May. But, descending below the ridge I encounter a fairly strong wind shear and decided to stay at Nehalem instead. I’ll be back however. Good to check winds aloft thoroughly anytime crossing the Cascades or Sierras.