Welcome to the October 2026 Edition of the APA Approach!
Welcome to the October 2026 Edition of the APA Approach!We’re finally starting to see some hints of fall weather here in Arizona, and I know everyone is anxious to get their airplanes out of the hangar to enjoy it. Toward that end, the APA Backcountry team has been working hard to get several important projects completed at Grapevine (88AZ) and Double Circle Ranch (AZ66).
Tommy Thomason and the team from Cholla Paving spent several days doing runway maintenance including crack sealing at Grapevine. If you’ve had the opportunity to visit Grapevine, you’ll know that this is no small task since there is a lot of surface area on a 3,800’ X 40’ airstrip. Grapevine is one of the few paved backcountry airstrips in Arizona, and the west, which allows pilots that don’t fly big tires to enjoy this special place. Our first Grapevine Camp-ing weekend for the 2026/2027 season is scheduled for October 16 – 18 (see page 10 of the newsletter for the full schedule). If you have any questions or would like to host a future Camping Weekend, please reach out to Leanne Tawoda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Tommy and volunteers from the New Mexico Pilots Association spent a day at Double Circle Ranch to install a new windsock and remove mesquite trees that were encroaching on north end of the runway. As you may recall, Double Circle has a lot of history including links to the San Carlos/White Mountain Apache tribe and later as the site of the largest cat-tle ranch in Arizona. I’m happy to report that the US Forest Service recently completed an archeological survey at Double Circle and recommended that the structures be preserved to ensure they will remain intact for future generations.
This kind of maintenance is supported by a Cost Share Agreement between the US Forest Service, the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and APA. As a part of this agreement, APA contributes to volunteer labor and funding to help maintain backcountry airstrips across Arizona. These valued partnerships are the foundation of this important part of APA’s mission and help preserve access to the backcountry for generations of Arizona pilots.
One important note – if you plan to visit any of the APA backcountry airstrips, please download the pilots notes and safety brochure from our website at https://azpilots.org/pilot-info/backcountry-airstrips. We would also appreciate a quick email letting us know that you are planning to visit these airstrips and if you see anything that needs attention – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Finally, just a quick reminder that applications for 2026 APA Scholarships are due by 31 October. You can find all the program information and online application at https://azpilots.org/pilot-info/scholarship-program.
Thank you for supporting APA’s mission through your membership and as always, please feel free to reach out to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any comments, concerns or questions.
Fly Safe,
Chris