"It has long been recognized that access to privately owned rural lands must play a strategic role in meeting the increasing demand for public outdoor recreation. Liability for recreational injuries has been identified as a particularly worrisome problem for landowners. However, landowners' perceptions of liability are not commensurate with the reality of legal risks." - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Vol 57 No 3

Each state in the USA has its own Recreational Use Statute (RUS). They all share similarities, but states differ on the types of land protected, the types of activities protected, commerce restrictions, and a host of other details. The intent of all recreational use statutes, however, is the same; to promote public recreational use of privately owned lands by offering land owners a level of protection from liability for personal injuries or property damage.

Our objective on this page is to share the good news about the RUS with landowners who have airfields that are currently private use only. We hope to encourage you to make access to those airfields public, or at the very least allow pilots to use these resources with permission.

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) is a not-for-profit organization that has been leading the charge to have aviation included as a recreational activity in states where it either isn't included or where the law is ambiguous. We have some outstanding material on recreational use statutes that can be found at The RAF Website.