Recreational Aviation Foundation Opens High Rock Airfield in Western Maryland as Sixth 'Expanding the Map' Airstrip

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has opened High Rock Airfield (68MD), a privately owned turf airstrip in western Maryland, to visiting pilots. It is the sixth airstrip added under the RAF's "Expanding the Map" initiative, an effort to increase access to recreational aviation destinations, particularly in regions where backcountry flying opportunities have historically been limited.

The airfield sits on a bend of the North Branch of the Potomac River, 85 nm northwest of Washington, D.C. Its 1,700-foot turf runway lies on former farmland beneath an overlook that rises approximately 1,000 feet above the property. The Maryland-West Virginia state line runs through the adjacent river, and the area offers camping, swimming, picnicking and fishing; the North Branch holds rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout.

The property was gifted to the RAF by the late Bob Armstrong. He and his father, Harold Armstrong, were aviators who based several rare and vintage aircraft there and earned numerous awards for aircraft restoration, including the top Lindy Award at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for an Aeronca Champ restoration. After Armstrong's death in 2024, the RAF took over stewardship. RAF director Jeff Russell and volunteers Mike Truschel and Brian Haines prepared the field for public use, and the organization obtained the required licensing through the FAA and the state of Maryland.

RAF president Bill McGlynn said the organization is humbled to be steward of the site and will honor the Armstrong family's legacy by creating a welcoming place to enjoy the fellowship of backcountry aviation. High Rock is currently a primitive airfield, with additional amenities planned, and visiting pilots are required to review the airfield's safety briefing before arrival.