Red Devil Airport (RDV)

Red Devil Airport operates as a remote bush aviation facility serving the historic community of Red Devil on the banks of the Kuskokwim River in interior Alaska, named after the former mercury mine that once made this site Alaska's largest mercury producer. Located 250 miles west of Anchorage in the Bethel Census Area, the airport serves as the primary transportation link for this isolated community of approximately 23 residents and visiting environmental teams monitoring the abandoned mine site.

The airport features minimal infrastructure appropriate for bush operations, consisting of a small functional shelter without traditional passenger amenities such as restrooms, retail facilities, or check-in desks. The facility operates as a basic landing point where travelers must be completely self-sufficient, carrying their own water, food, and extreme weather gear suitable for the harsh subarctic environment.

Operational characteristics center on a single gravel runway designated 10/28 measuring 4,801 by 75 feet at an elevation of 174 feet above sea level, covering 311 acres of terrain. The airport operates under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) without sophisticated navigation systems, serving bush carriers like Era Alaska using small turboprops designed for short field operations. Weather-dependent operations are common due to frequent river fog and rapidly changing conditions typical of interior Alaska.

Strategic significance encompasses providing essential access to an environmentally sensitive site where the Bureau of Land Management, The Kuskokwim Corporation, and Calista Corporation are managing cleanup efforts for mercury contamination affecting the Kuskokwim River ecosystem. The airport serves as a critical link for subsistence activities, environmental monitoring, and emergency services in a region where ground transportation is virtually non-existent and seasonal river travel is the only alternative access method.