May 2019 - Page 4 of 10 - Recreational Aviation Foundation

WAYNE LOEBER

Utah State Liaison Wayne was born on a sugar beet farm outside Sheridan, Wyoming in 1946 and did not experience running water or electricity until the age of 10 when he moved to Southern CA. Wayne attended high school and college in CA where he soloed in a Super Cub at the age of 17.…

RAY JILEK

South Dakota Ambassador Ray grew up on a family farm in southwestern North Dakota and moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota in the late 80s where he met Laura, the love of his life. Laura and Ray now live in Spearfish and have two daughters. Ray learned to fly in a Cessna 150,…

BILL REPUCCI

South Carolina Ambassador Day Job: Global Analyst for ABB Favorite Airstrip: Williamsport Airpark (SC86); Creighton Island is a close second. Next Adventure: to continue working scratchbuilding my Spacewalker II and try to finish it in time for my son to learn to fly in it.

ANDREW TURNER

Pennsylvania State Liaison Andy Turner was introduced to aviation at a young age, buckled in the rear seat of his parents’ TriPacer. Always interested in outdoor pursuits, he earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Michigan State University, and now lives in Clarion, Pennsylvania, where he works as a professor of Biology and Geosciences at…

JUDSON RUPERT

Pennsylvania State Liaison Jud was born and raised in central Pennsylvania where he says he helped his A&P/IA father, “as much as I was allowed.” He attended Penn State University where he received his BS in Aeronautical Engineering, followed up with his MAS from Embry-Riddle. He was a member of the US Naval Test Pilot…

RICHARD MAYES

Oregon State Liaison Richard grew up in Texas and earned his private pilot’s certificate at age 18. After completing a couple of engineering degrees in California, Richard decided – without much forethought– that his future lay in Alaska. Earning his commercial, instrument, MEL and SEL ratings, he flew to remote locations throughout the state for…

STEVE THOMPSON

Oklahoma State Liaison Steve Thompson was raised on a farm in southern Oklahoma. He was born in 1966 and since his earliest memories he knew what he wanted to do. Fly Airplanes. At age 14 his dad introduced him to a coworker that was in the Civil Air Patrol and soon he started taking flying…

FREEMAN SWANK

Ohio State Liaison RAF Ohio State Liaison Freeman Swank is as comfortable piloting a John Deere tractor or a motorcycle as he is flying his Piper Cherokee. An Ohio native, Freeman started flying in 1971. He was inspired by the Flying Farmers he met while he was in the Farm Science program at Ohio State. …

CHRISTINE MORTINE

Ohio State Liaison Following a career in classical music, Christine turned from conducting instruments to flying by them. She is an FAA appointed pilot examiner, maintains CFI-ing (especially tailwheel), a former AOPA safety seminar presenter, and when not flying in the back country, is thinking about it. Christine has a Cessna 185 and a Super…

BRIAN RAU

North Dakota State Liaison Brian is the first to admit that he’s a “flatlander”. “I do recognize that the world is round and not every place is as flat as North Dakota.” Actually, his portion of North Dakota – Prairie Coteau (French for “pot holes”) – is quite rugged with rolling hills. Brian and his…