Arizona Pilots Association
Preserving
Promoting
Protecting

General Aviation in Arizona

Advocating the common interests of Arizona's general aviation community at the local and state level.

Arizona Pilots Association
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The Voice of General Aviation in Arizona!

Scholarships

Scholarships are given each year to help fill the financial need of students pursuing aviation related educational opportunities at accredited colleges.

Backcountry

Safety briefing pamphlets, map, and videos for the backcountry airstrips in Arizona that the APA and volunteers have worked to reopen and currently maintain.

Airparks

Information regarding properties and contacts in a listing of the airparks located in Arizona, with special articles detailing the ins-and-outs of many of them.

Passport App

Win awards and stay proficient by visiting Arizona’s public-use airstrips and airports, as well as many airport restaurants and aviation themed museums in our #FLYAZ Passport App.

Safety

The APA provides safety seminars around the state, as well as articles on various safety topics each month. We also have available for download GAJSC safety presentations.

Calendar

The APA maintains a comprehensive calendar of many aviation events around Arizona, as well as our monthly Grapevine BBQ and special getaways. Find out what's happening.

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We would like to thank our corporate sponsor!

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Latest News Articles

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With fire season in full swing, all pilots, but especially backcountry pilots, need to be diligent in their pre-flight awareness of fires and related TFR’s. In many of the National Forests, including our USFS region 3, AZ and NM, our backcountry airstrips are being used as staging areas for firefighting efforts. You may recall a few years ago, Air Tractors made 24AZ, Pleasant Valley (Young), their home for a week or so for a local fire. This month, Grapevine (88AZ) has already served the USFS firefighting crews as a home for the Chinook with a water bucket for the Sawtooth fire. There are a few backcountry locations where the USFS type 1 aircraft can operate from, and Grapevine is a great one given its location on the shores of Roosevelt Lake. USFS Fire & Aviation officer Travis Stanfill contacted us to ask our help to get the word out to the GA community, since NOTAMS can be difficult to post for an airstrip charted as private, as all of our backcountry airstrips are here in AZ. Please like or follow the APA Facebook page and check for news on these airstrips, as we are diligent to post there as soon as we have any word from government agencies about a use of one of our backcountry airstrips.

backcountry and fire season tonto national forest

As seen above, on 6/4 the TFR for the Sawtooth fire on the Tonto National Forest was quite large, but there is no pictorial indication that Grapevine, just to the northeast, was in fact closed and being used by the USFS aircraft. Whenever you see a TFR in the vicinity of a backcountry airstrip, it is probably a wise and safe move to avoid any nearby backcountry airstrips.

Throughout the year the Grapevine (88AZ) is utilized by various military users, such as the Davis Monthan Search and Rescue and the Air National Guard, for training, so again, please check APA’s Facebook site and all available aviation information before using one of the backcountry airstrips. Feel free to even drop us an email with any questions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

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“The backcountry success of reopening airstrips in Arizona which the APA has accomplished through volunteer efforts is unsurpassed.”

Brian Schober, APA President
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We would like to thank our partners!

2022 bill robinson blue skies light sport repair

Bill Robinson
Arizona Light Sport Airplane Repair
(623) 218-4646

2022 photos happen

Karyn King
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(206) 795-2796

2023 pilot clinic

The Pilot Clinic
Flight Physicals
(623) 469-4688

2022 steven huff designated airworthiness representative

Steven Huff
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(602) 390-4246

2022 arizona skies aviation

Glenn Roberts
Arizona Skies Aviation
(602) 463-5528

2022 10 partner91

Steve Thompson
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(480) 980-9846