FLYING Magazine
The Jim Richmond Backcountry Aviation Foundation is expanding recreational access in the Sierra Nevada with the purchase of Meadow View Peak property.
According to the JRBAF, the land is 136 acres of mountain meadows and groves of mature ponderosa pines surrounded by Plumas National Forest land near Reno, Nevada, approximately15 miles west of the popular High Sierra Fly-In site at Dead Cow Lakebed.
According to the foundation, there are plans to develop the Meadow View Peak property as a new public backcountry airstrip with day use facilities, camping, and other amenities.
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“We’ve closed on the land, and now we have the opportunity to create an amazing new public backcountry airstrip,” said Brad Damm, JRBAF’s executive director, in a news release. “Our goal is a place where pilots can land, camp, and experience this landscape for years to come. We’ve already had encouraging conversations with Plumas County, and we’re ready to begin the planning and approval work needed to bring that vision to life.”
To pay for the project the JRBAF has launched Phase 1 of a capital campaign with a goal of raising $200,000.
Half of the goal is marked to pay off the $100,000 seller-financed note on the property. Foundation officials say the remaining $100,000 will be used to pay for a site survey, fencing, airstrip and site improvements, mowing equipment, camping facilities, spring-fed water system, and off-grid power and communications.
“Acquiring the property is a major step, but opening it to the public will take a community effort,” said Joe Dory, chair of JRBAF’s board of directors. “This capital campaign gives pilots, aviation businesses, and everyone who values backcountry access a chance to help build something lasting from the ground up.”
The JRBAF has created other recreational aviation destinations, including the 45 Ranch and Star Valley Ranch in Idaho.
About the Foundation
The JRBAF was established in memory of Jim Richmond, the founder of CubCrafters, the manufacturers of aircraft designed with backcountry aviation in mind. Richmond died in November 2021.
Richmond was known for his passion for aviation and efforts to make backcountry flying more accessible and environmentally friendly.
“Jim believed in the freedom and connection that flying into wild places can bring,” said Susan Richmond, Jim’s widow, speaking on behalf of the Richmond family. “Our family is grateful to see that spirit carried forward through Meadow View Peak. We hope it becomes a place where people make memories and discover why access to the backcountry matters.”
The foundation hopes to open Meadow View Peak by summer 2027.
To learn about the Meadow View Peak project, or to contribute to the JRBAF’s capital campaign to develop this property for public aviation access, visit here.