At the April board meeting of the Recreational Aviation Foundation, John Nadeau of Maine was elected to the board of directors. John brings the experience gained from his time as the RAF regional representative for the New England States. 

John has also been very instrumental in the Recreational Use Statue (RUS) amendment across the United States.  “The RAF is fortunate to have the quality of individual that John Nadeau represents,” said RAF President John McKenna. Please meet John Nadeau and read about him and his family.  

Negrito Airstrip, New Mexico

Thanks to the hard work of RAF Member Ron Krohn, and support from many others, the Governor of New Mexico signed into law House Bill 12 on April 6th.  This law adds "operation of aircraft" to the state's existing Recreational Use Statute. “This is a great step for the recreational pilots, the backcountry, and of course, the state of New Mexico” said New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) President Joyce Woods.

Beautiful weather on Saturday brought large crowds to Sun N’ Fun as well as to the RAF booth!  The great weather brought many supporters and kept RAF volunteers busy all day.  One of the highlights of the day was the young folks that came thru the booth. Bringing young folks to the world of flying was one of the topics of a Town Hall meeting panel discussion held today at Sun N' Fun. The meeting was sponsored and moderated by Congressman Sam Graves of MO. Following the discussion Congressman Graves stopped by the RAF booth to visit with his RAF friends. He has taken the time to understand aviation issues and is an active supporter of all things relating to flying. It was interesting to see the change that a couple of days can bring in weather. When we look back to Thursday when the tornado passed through compared to the blue skies of today it was hard to believe that we were in the same place. The Sun N' Fun grounds had very little visible signs of the mess left from the storm, a tribute to all who put forth a large effort so the show would continue uninterrupted. Attendees were in a good mood and happy to be out in the Florida Sunshine.

The Sun 'n Fun flight line was littered with damaged aircraft after the tornado struck.

Strong winds flipped multiple aircraft.

Lakeland, Fla. — A tornado struck the Lakeland Airport during the Sun ’n Fun Fly-in on Thursday afternoon, Mar. 31, 2011, causing extensive damage to numerous aircraft in vendor displays and on the flight line. In the aftermath of the storm, twisted and flipped aircraft littered the display area.

The RAF had a full complement of folks in Lakeland with 14 on hand, and the entire team was at ground zero during this most unfortunate event. The onset was sudden, and the RAF tent became a shelter for many passers-by who were seeking refuge from the storm. Our tent held tight, unlike those of many vendors around us. There are some early reports of injuries, but no fatalities. Fortunately, our only casualties were a damaged display aircraft, broken TVs, and some wet shoes and shirts. We all made it out of the Sun ’n Fun area safely, and will have to wait until we can return tomorrow before we can fully assess the damage.

Click here to read more and see videos of the event.

When the golf cart stopped at the RAF booth a seasoned looking gentleman asked new RAF Maryland State Liaison to tell him what the RAF was all about. Craig McCullough of Baltimore (left) started in. The gentleman said "I want to know the whole story, from the beginning". That gentleman was none other than EAA Founder Paul Poberezny. Later, when recounting the story to the rest of the RAF crew Craig said, "I didn't know who he was when he pulled up and I could not believe the enthusiasm and interest he had for what we are doing". "My trip has been made" Craig said. Pictured with Craig and Paul is RAF volunteer Dave Flatter. Despite the  rain from the day prior to Sun N Fun opening there was good activity all day.