The New Mexico Pilots Association recently unveiled our new website, located at the same URL: http://www.nmpilots.org. BCPers are invited to check it out, as there are a number of features that are designed for backcountry flyers. Rob Duncan of Airbase One is the webmaster, as he is for quite a few other state pilots associations and type clubs.

Some key pages that are brand new in the new website include:

- Backcountry Flying Page, with links to other pages with information on flying the backcountry in New Mexico and some of our neighboring states as well.

- Airstrips page, with a database similar to the one on the Utah backcountry pilots site, including google maps graphics and data on all 142 of the FAA airport facilities in NM, plus additional backcountry airstrips not in the A/F/D ... we have just a handful of the latter so far, but over the coming months we anticipate gathering and posting information on many of the 100+ backcountry airstrips in New Mexico, including public lands airstrips (USFS, BLM, State of New Mexico, and local governments) and private airstrips, most of which are ranch strips.

- A new forum (not that we're competing with BCP, but this forum is for New Mexico pilots and flying); the forum includes links to the airstrips database, the photo gallery, and documents in our library

- Photo galleries

-Documents, including many backcountry flying docs such as airstrip safety briefings; the text of our bill that's working its way through the New Mexico Legislature to add airstrips to the recreational use statute that grants liability protection to private property owners who open their land to public aqccess; reports on prior fly-ins; and so forth.

- Announcements, including a great slate of fly-ins for 2011, backcountry work parties, social events, and safety seminars.

And much more ... some of the website is still under construction, so it's going to get even better over time.

Come on down, check us out, and consider joining NMPA ($25 a year for a family membership).. you don't have to be a New Mexico resident to join, in fact quite a few of our members and backcountry flyers are from Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and other parts of the country.

Duane

Great site. What is the status of Negrito, MeOwn, and other FS owned strips? Airnav says they are private but I see that you've had events at Negrito. What permission is required to land there?

svanarts wrote:Great site. What is the status of Negrito, MeOwn, and other FS owned strips? Airnav says they are private but I see that you've had events at Negrito. What permission is required to land there?

Scott,

Yes, we've had events at the Gila N.F. airstrips, including Negrito, Me-Own, and Beaverhead, and as you tell from our events schedule, we've got more planned this year (and some that aren't scheduled yet).

The Gila N.F. airstrips are open to public use - the Silver City District Office just requests that pilots check in with them before arrival, so they will know to look out for traffic in their neighborhood, and so they can advise the arriving pilot of their activities. This is especially important during fire season, which typically runs from late April through late June (when the monsoon rains arrive).

Pilots intending to use these airports should read the safety briefing on Negrito and Whitewater Mesa Ranch (a private ranch airstrip, whose owner allowed us to use his facility during our fly-in last October), which is posted in the Library page of the NMPA website. The safety briefing includes info on contacting the USFS-Silver City Dispatcher (telephone and radio frequency), as well as other useful stuff about the airstrip. The Gila airstrips are all quite high (7,350 to 8,130 ft MSL), so make sure you are familiar with high DA operations in your aircraft. Fortunately, the Gila airstrips are all quite long (up to 7,500 ft!) and the approaches are easy. We consider Negrito to be a great facility for newby mountain backcountry flyers, and it's pretty country to boot.

We're doing a Negrito work party/fly-in the last weekend of April - come join us if you want an introduction to our backcountry and to our members - we have a great group of pilots. We also have another fly-in event with camping at Timburon in mid-May ... we'll be checking out nearby backcountry airstrips around the Sacramento Mountain area from Timburon.

Duane

You're missing one link.

Zane wrote:You're missing one link.

Zane - you're right! We'll get that fixed straight away.

Duane

Thanks for the info. I'm going to be crossing NM on my way back from OSH. I'm camping my way there and back and always like to keep my eyes open for good camping spots. Weather permitting of course.

nmflyguy wrote:

Zane wrote:You're missing one link.

Zane - you're right! We'll get that fixed straight away.

Duane

OK, Zane, it's fixed now. Thanks for pointing that out. Actually, I had to create a new category of links on the links page for "Backcountry Flying", then I added BCP and also the RAF. Any suggestions on additional backcountry links are welcome too!

Savanarts:

If your coming thru NM, Negrito is a great choice. Well kept, and even though it is at 8,100 feet, the runway is 7,000 feet with clear and open approaches from both sides. Once you set up camp, there are about 3 or 4 nearby Forest Service strips you can go visit.

Plus, it is truly a gorgeous site. During the flyin last fall, we woke up each morning to elk bugling and coyotes howling.

Make sure that you go into the Library section of the NM Website and read up. Each side of the runway has big rocks (which we are going to try and improve this spring), so stay on the track and shut down and look around before parking so you don't taxi into one of them. They are hard to see in the tall grass.

There is no water at the campsite, so you will need to be packing your own (or walk about 1.5 miles to a nearby Forest Service Camp).

Hope you can make it.

Regards, Larry