It is official! After over three years of fighting the local county government, two trips to the Idaho Supreme Court and many Franklins surrendered to people with "Esquire" in their names I have demonstrated that you can indeed fight City Hall and win. It is not easy, quick or pleasant but it is possible. 

It all started with the tragic crash of N599L into the wooded area next to my airstrip. Grant Bailey and Barry Boepple perish in the crash. Nate Calvin is lightly injured but deeply scarred. In the midst of the shock and grief following the accident, a mid level county official, apparently empowered by her 15 minutes, declares on local television that my airstrip is illegal. No hearing, no trial, innocent one moment and guilty by bureaucratic decree the next. This is America! This will not stand! I wasn't born on Independence Day for nothing, and those were fighting words!

In retrospect it is surprising how easily grief is channeled into a determined strength of will. I suppose the emotional energy behaves as radioactive material, either slowly dissipating by half lives into the mists of memory, festering  into a cancer that erodes the soul or fusing into a directed energy.

I am happy to announce that the Regan Ranch Private Airstrip is now officially recognized by the FAA and is identified as 6ID1. Length 2,200 feet, width 40' (paved), altitude 2,700 MSL. During the application process an official from the local FSDO came to inspect the site. His determination was that this was one of the nicest and safest  private airstrips of the ones he had visited.

What of the county officials? The big mouthed bureaucrat and her supervisor have both been shown the door and the three county commissioners involved have been voted out of office (as incumbents). Justice, it may be a struggle to achieve, but, it still lives.

I dedicate this small victory of general aviation to Grant and Barry and I wish to thank those of you who supported my efforts.

Regards
Brent Regan