![[Credit: Recreational Aviation Foundation]](https://planeandpilotmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/FRT-Map-28sans-USA-29-3588acb0-1920w-1.jpg)
As part of its Expanding the Map initiative, the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has announced the new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, a collection of well-developed and renovated airstrips in east Tennessee giving pilots access to the diverse topographies found across the area.
Homebase for the network of airstrips is located in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains at Rockwood Municipal Airport (KRKW), roughly an hour outside of Knoxville. Operated by Rockwood Aviation, KRKW offers training, service, and support for backcountry pilots. A 2,400-foot-long turf strip directly parallel to the airport’s 5,000-foot-long asphalt runway has been dubbed “Smuggler’s Landing,” signifying KRKW’s headquarters status for the backcountry network.
“We are a national recreation destination,” said Rockwood Mayor Jason Jolly. “The progress at Rockwood airport and the surrounding network of airstrips is just the latest step in our region’s growth and development for adventurers and enthusiasts.”
In addition to Smuggler’s Landing, the Fly Rocky Top network includes three operational airstrips, McGraw’s Backyard (5TN4), Robbin’s Farm, and Tellico Plains (85TN), all of provide a distinct way to experience the Ridge and Valley Province that spans across east Tennessee.
Sawbriar, the planned fifth airstrip in the network, is scheduled to open in August and will feature a 1,300-foot airstrip on a 600-acre piece of property known for its upland bird hunting. According to the RAF’s Fly Rocky Top web page, three additional airstrips for the network are in development.
The RAF called the opening of the Fly Rocky Top network the most significant achievement yet in its Expanding the Map program, which seeks to renovate previously dormant backcountry airstrips and renovate new ones across the country. This announcement is the fourth to date in the organization’s initiative following three successful restoration efforts—two in California and one in Utah.
The Fly Rocky Top network is a combination of both public and privately owned land, making it an increasingly unique project, according to the RAF. There are also plans to upgrade the existing airstrips as well as future inclusions with accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters in areas where camping is available.
