Florida’s Essential General Aviation Resources

Here are some suggested resources to help you prepare for flying in Florida:

Florida Aviation Groups & Communities

Florida Aero Club

A network of pilots across Florida focused on recreational flying with fly-ins and an online forum.

Florida Aviation Network

A satellite broadcast system that promotes aviation and aviation safety.

Regional EAA Chapters

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has numerous active chapters in Florida:

• EAA Chapter 66 (Fort Myers)
• EAA Chapter 74 (Gainesville)
• EAA Chapter 110 (Ocala)
• EAA Chapter 245 (Jacksonville)
• EAA Chapter 282 (Tampa)
• EAA Chapter 454 (Orlando)
• EAA Chapter 635 (Miami)
• EAA Chapter 1241 (The Villages)

These chapters offer:

• Monthly meetings with educational presentations
• Fly-in breakfasts and social gatherings
• Young Eagles programs introducing youth to aviation
• Builder support for homebuilt aircraft enthusiasts

Flying Clubs

Clubs can provide aircraft for members, social events, mentorship, and safety seminars.

Facebook

Search “Florida Pilots Facebook Group,” and you’ll find half a dozen different groups you can join.

Seaplane Pilots Association

Since water flying is prominent in Florida, many pilots connect through this national organization to protect and promote the seaplane community.

AOPA

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is a major resource for general aviation pilots, providing safety updates, advocacy, and flight planning tools.

Pilotpair Florida Region

This group can help you connect with Florida pilots for cost sharing, find flying partners with similar interests, and coordinate group flights to Florida destinations.

SocialFlight

The app offers an events calendar, restaurant and destination information, and the ability to connect with other pilots attending the same events you are.

Foreflight Florida Pilots Club

You can use the app to share routes and flight plans specific to Florida, discuss weather patterns, and gain local knowledge.

Recreational Aviation Foundation

The RAF was established in Montana in 2003 and now serves to protect recreational aviation across the U.S. The organization is active in Florida, with one state liaison, Amrat Chugani, and five state ambassadors—Brent Box, Joe Deleon, Shane Hartman, Cole Pearson, and Rob Keane.

You can find Chugani’s contact information at TheRAF.org/state-liaisons. The RAF Airfield Guide also contains information about recreational airstrips nationwide.

Florida RAF Projects

Blackwater

Blackwater Airfield (8FD3) sits near Munson, within the Blackwater River State Forest (BRSF) in the Florida Panhandle. Managed by the Florida Forest Service, the strip was closed to the public until 2012, when the RAF negotiated a “user permit” process to allow public access.

Before flying to Blackwater, pilots must complete an RAF safety briefing. Print a copy and bring it with you in the aircraft. You’ll need to make a phone call to get your permit. Instructions are in the briefing, where you’ll also find runway information, frequencies, arrival procedures, and other tips. 

Tall pines surround the runway, 4,000 feet of super-smooth turf. Be prepared for any winds to decrease dramatically as you drop below treetop level. After landing, taxi on either side of the runway and park at the south end of the field. Bring your own tie-downs. The Aviation Consumer rated these from Abe’s Aviation the best.

The Blackwater staff and RAF have developed a cooperative relationship to make this access possible and to further improve the airstrip. Please be a polite flyer and gracious guest by always adhering to the RAF code of conduct.

Volunteers and the Florida Forest Service built a substantial fire hub. There are nearby plumbed restrooms with hot and cold showers, and water, picnic tables, and a barbeque at the south end of the airfield.

A camp host is located at the Krul Recreation Area, about 150 yards down the pathway exiting the southeast end of the field. The firepit should have wood, but if not, you can ask the ranger or camp host.

The 6.5-acre swimming hole is actually a pristine, sand-bottom, spring-fed lake that offers walkways and floating platforms for swimmers, with barbecue facilities and two campgrounds ashore. No pets allowed.

Payment slips are outside both campground restrooms on the bulletin boards and should be deposited in the Iron Ranger (a slotted metal tube). Pilots aren’t assessed any extra fees for flying in, so you simply pay the same access and camping fees as anyone else, around $12-$25.

The BSRF hosts over 300 species of birds, so bring binoculars. It’s also part of the largest contiguous longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystem in the world. These forests once covered over 60 million acres—less than 3 million now remain.

“A forest like this is rarer than a tropical rainforest,” said Callie DeHaven, a Nature Conservancy public lands protection manager.

Every year in October or November, the RAF conducts a work party to maintain the runway and surroundings. Contact the Florida liaison in September for the exact date.

Arcadia

Arcadia Municipal Airport (X06) is in Central Florida, just 50 nm south of Lakeland Linder International (KLAL), site of the annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo. U.S. Route 17 and the Peace River lead you right to Arcadia Municipal, with crossing runways (one asphalt, one turf).

After landing, just taxi past the tie-downs and behind the hangars to the wooded fly-in/campout area. 

Friends of Arcadia Airport (FOAA), with the aid of a $5,000 RAF grant, have provided a wonderful camping opportunity for transient pilots. You can now enjoy picnic tables under a covered pavilion, camp in either of two campgrounds, and relax around the fire hub. Hot showers and full restrooms mean you don’t have to rough it, either. And don’t miss Taco Tuesday. 

If you’re up for a little adventure, contact the folks at Peace River Charters. They know you don’t have a car, and they’ll be happy to shuttle you to and from the airport. They offer a plethora of activities.

The Peace River is just that—peaceful, quiet, and perfect for canoeing. They’ll drop you off upstream and pick you up 8 miles downstream. If you’d like, they can take you back upstream via one of their airboats. Isn’t riding an airboat in Florida on your bucket list? 

It’s just a short walk north from the airport to Arcadia’s Historic District and antique shops. Closer to the airport, try the Reef & Beef Restaurant and Lounge or Beef O’Brady’s.

Now you know you can camp in the woods, right next to your airplane, at a facility built just for pilots. Enjoy!

This article first appeared in the July/August 2026 Issue of Plane + Pilot magazine.