Backcountry For All

“My dad’s legacy is more than just the planes he designed or the company he built,” said Richmond’s daughter, Piper Richmond. “His love for the backcountry drove him to push and inspire others to experience the raw beauty of the backcountry for themselves.”

Backcountry flying achieves feats hardly imaginable to a flatland, pavement flyer. Being transported into nature under your own wings is a special kind of accomplishment. It’s no wonder that this kind of aviation continues to grow in popularity. 

However, these remote destinations are a finite resource. This is where the Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation comes in. The JRBAF is a nonprofit organization established in 2023, aiming to preserve, protect, and grow backcountry flying by acquiring remote destinations for pilots of varying skill levels and aircraft types to affordably recreate with friends and family. And perhaps just as important, for pilots of any persuasion, not just CubCrafters’ customers. “This is not a CubCrafters good ole boys club,” said CubCrafters vice president and foundation board member Brad Damm. “Jim [Richmond] was talking about this for several years before he passed away. He [wanted to dedicate] a lot of his personal time and energy over the next 20 years to this idea of expanding backcountry aviation access.”

Jim Richmond was scouting an airstrip to purchase when he first experienced symptoms of the cancer that would claim his life in November 2021 at age 67 just five-and-a-half weeks after being diagnosed. 

“Without Jim here to talk to we’re trying to do our best to think about what he would have wanted, and how he would want this thing operated, and making sure we’re doing things that he’d be proud of,” said Damm. “It’s a project in his honor, his namesake.”

Damm sits at the helm of the volunteer-run organization and is accompanied by other aviation professionals and pilots including Best Aviation Products founder Mark Patey and retired USDA wildlife pilot-turned-aircraft broker Joe Dory. 

“For the last 23 years I’ve lived in Idaho and enjoyed all aspects of backcountry aviation,” said Dory. “I’ve been spoiled with the same backcountry experiences that Jim enjoyed and cherished. As time goes on, though, we’ve slowly begun to lose access to some airstrips. The premise behind the foundation is to purchase properties such as the 45 Ranch and keep them open to all pilots.”

In some cases, individual landowners who developed private strips have passed on, and in a few of those instances the descendants have elected not to carry on the aviation tradition. Backcountry strips are also at risk of being lost to liability concerns and land-use encroachment. 

The 45 Ranch in southwestern Idaho was the first airstrip purchased by the foundation. Located in the Owyhee Valley, the 240-acre property is the only developed private land for over 40 miles in any direction. Only accessible by a well-maintained, 2,700-foot runway or Bureau of Land Management roads, the property is home to California bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, chukar, and quail. The closest town may be three hours away, but satellite internet, solar-powered electrical systems, and backup generators offer the modern conveniences of home. 

“You will never find a better spot to stargaze, as there isn’t a city light within 75 miles,” said Dory. 

The JRBAF has also acquired the Star Valley Ranch in Nevada. With the opportunity to have up to five runways, the property remains a work in progress, but plans are underway to open at least one 1,000-foot strip by the summer. In addition to several runways, the ranch also has three cabins on the property, with one being an original, homestead cabin. “Our intention is to take that and turn it into a walk-in museum for a bunch of the artifacts that are out there from the early settlement days,” said Damm. 

Pilots looking to visit the 45 Ranch, Star Valley Ranch, or another one of the soon-to-be JRBAF properties do not have to be members of the foundation to utilize the lands. However if they plan to stay on-site, the foundation asks individuals to become members of the foundation. 

Annual membership, which costs $100, includes unlimited property access, the ability to reserve cabins up to six months in advance, a membership gift, voting rights at the biennial foundation meeting, and email updates. 

“Just to run the 45 Ranch, to pay the caretakers, and buy the diesel to irrigate and mow the airstrip, and do the maintenance and repairs, it’s about $120,000 a year,” said Damm. “So it’s not super-cheap, but we think we can do it pretty economically.” Damm said rental on camping spaces at the main ranch will also help offset costs.

Kick-started by a donation from the Richmond family, the foundation is currently raising funds through an aircraft raffle—Carbon Cub serial No. 1—to purchase additional airstrips.

“We’ve sold just under $200,000 worth of raffle tickets so far…so we’re on target for our goal,” said Damm. “The big differentiator is that we decided early on that we were going to pay the tax on the airplane for the winner, so hopefully they can keep it.”

The raffle, which will be drawn on June 7, also includes a flight in a North American P-51 Mustang, a weeklong stay at the 45 Ranch, plus a set of Alaskan Bushwheel tires, Bose A-30 headsets, and more. Through annual raffles, Damm hopes the foundation will be able to acquire a total of six to eight airstrips in total. 

Richmond was also passionate about backcountry safety, education, and etiquette, as he understood that acquiring airstrips was just one piece of the puzzle to ensure future accessibility and use.  

“Etiquette is a huge thing when it comes to how aviation is going to be perceived, and we have to be careful,” said Idaho Aviation Association president Andrew George. “[Pilots] are one of many user groups. Our behavior is constantly under a microscope because we are a small minority in the partnerships that create good stewards for the land.” 

The JRBAF plans to educate pilots on proper backcountry etiquette through its website, social media platforms, partnering with other organizations, and with signage on the properties. 

“We’ve got four charitable purposes, and one of those charitable purposes is public education,” said Damm. “We have an opportunity to teach [nonpilots] and spread the word on why backcountry aviation is important, and more so than just for recreation; for wildlife survey, for firefighting, search and rescue—things that the general public doesn’t think about.  “My personal goal with it is to leave something behind that in 50 or 100 years from now, after I’m long gone and forgotten, there will still be people flying in and out, going to the 45 Ranch, sitting around a campfire with their kids, going fishing, connecting with nature.

“I want this to benefit generations and generations of aviators down the road.”