JRBAF Receives $100,000 Donation for California Airstrip Opening and Idaho Ranch Maintenance
Why It MattersDonor-funded nonprofits are adding free public backcountry airstrips, which gives general aviation pilots more remote destinations and keeps that access dependent on private philanthropy.
The Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation (JRBAF) announced a $100,000 donation to support the opening of a public backcountry airstrip in California and the maintenance of a second airstrip in Idaho. The gift came from Royce Anderson and Nancy Schatzberg of Wellington, Nevada. Anderson was a longtime friend of the late Jim Richmond, founder of CubCrafters and namesake of the nonprofit, which was established in 2024 to preserve Richmond's legacy and expand access to backcountry flying.
Part of the donation will let JRBAF match donations toward the Meadow View Peak airstrip in Plumas County, California, which it aims to open to the public in summer 2027. Earlier this year the foundation bought a 136-acre property in the Sierra Nevada, where it plans a 1,750-foot grass airstrip and aircraft campsites. The runway is planned to be 60 feet wide at a field elevation of about 6,370 feet. JRBAF is seeking $200,000 for the first phase and, as of Monday, had received over $35,000 from 66 supporters.
The remainder will fund preservation and maintenance of the historic 45 Ranch in Idaho's Owyhee Canyonlands, a 240-acre property with a private 2,700-foot airstrip that JRBAF opened to the public in 2024. The airstrip sits at about 4,300 feet, and the compound includes a three-bedroom cabin, a caretaker's home and several outbuildings, powered by solar with backup generators and satellite internet. Part of the project funds will go toward repairing the roof of the caretaker's residence.
Richmond founded CubCrafters in Yakima, Washington, in 1980 and died in November 2021 at age 67. JRBAF acquires private property in remote areas, develops infrastructure for aircraft access and opens the sites to the public for free recreational use. Brad Damm, vice president of CubCrafters, serves as volunteer executive director of the tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity, which is separate from the manufacturer. Members pay $100 per year, and the foundation's 2026-27 raffle offers a chance to win one of three restored Piper J-3 Cubs.
