The New Mexico Pilot Association is holding its 2nd annual Negrito (0NM7) Fly-in on Sept 16-17-18. For details and updates, please check the NMPA website announcements, the posted Safety Briefing, photos from last year's event, and our Forum discussion .... they're all available at http://www.nmpilots.org

This year we hope to have an even better event than the innaugural last October, which was great. The Negrito Airstrip has recently been improved (well, at least, a little) in the April NMPA work party - we added four new tiedowns and removed quite a few of the rocks that lurked in the tall grass just off the runway near the main camping area.

NMPA is going to hold a "Backcountry Flying Ground School" on Saturday the 17th, and there'll be fly-outs to the other Gila National Forest airstrips in the area (including Beaverhead, Me-Own, and Jewitt Mesa), group cook-outs, and other activities, all amongst the cool pines of the Gila.

And fortunately, Clayton Stansell and his band will be back to serenade us with their country tunes - Clayton (an experienced backcountry/mountain flying CFI) will also serve as the chief instructor for the Backcountry Flying Ground School.

September is a great month to visit the New Mexico backcountry. Not only is the weather usually great in the Southern Rockies this time of year, but like last year, you can also anticipate being serenaded just before dawn by bugling elk from the local herd who inhabit this piece of the Gila.

Again, go to the NMPA website for details and to sign up for the event.

Last year we had participants from Colorado, Arizona, and Texas, in addition to our New Mexico members. We'd love to see BCPers from all over show up at this year's event.