The Recreational Aviation Foundation preserves, improves, and creates airstrips for recreational access.

Donate Today

HOW DO I JOIN?

The RAF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, however, we are not a membership organization. We rely solely on donations to fulfill the RAF mission. To become an RAF supporter, click the Join Now button or click the Donate button in the website menu. To become a volunteer, click the Volunteer button to learn about volunteer opportunities.

Welcome to the RECREATIONAL AVIATION FOUNDATION

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) was founded by a group of Montana pilots who realized that the threat of recreational airstrip closure was of national concern. They also recognized that there was the need for a unified effort by pilots everywhere to protect public recreational opportunities. The RAF is dedicated to preserving existing airstrips and creating new public-use recreational airstrips throughout the United States.

Event Calendar

Team RAF

Support our work with your tax-deductible donation. The RAF is a 501(c)(3) organization.

GET TO KNOW US

The RAF Way

Ryan Barn, MT

Trigger Gap, AR

The RAF implements its mission through these Guiding Principles:

➢ We believe that aviation is a valid form of accessing recreational resources on public and private lands.


➢ We believe in collaboration with both public and private entities to arrive at solutions that provide benefit to all parties.


➢ We value the relationships of all stakeholders – both public and private – and commit to fostering relationships based upon integrity and transparency.


➢ We believe that creation of new recreational airstrips will encourage the general aviation community to get out and recreate as well as provide more dispersed recreational opportunities.


➢ We prioritize safety - from pre-flight planning to the experiences on the ground where our planes have taken us - and consider it a lifetime commitment, rather than an isolated event.

DID YOU HEAR? RAF supporters will receive a $1,000 discount on the purchase of Hartzell Propeller's Voyager, Pathfinder, Explorer, and Trailblazer propellers through 2025. Read the Press Release!

Latest News

WORTH THE READ: BRITT LINCOLN GUEST EDITORIAL

By Taylin Trafton • November 17, 2025
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This guest editorial is by Britt Lincoln, a pilot and RAF volunteer.

GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED SCIENTIST DR. RIC HAUER PASSES

By Taylin Trafton • November 17, 2025
The RAF is saddened to report the passing of Dr. Frederick “Ric” Richard Hauer. The RAF was the beneficiary of Hauer’s globally recognized authority. In 2014, he devoted his time and expertise to setting up and overseeing a pivotal study of the effect of aircraft noise on wildlife. The two-year study concluded with Dr. Hauer's statement, “ . . . there is no significant increase in stress levels among deer due to recreational aviation activity.” The peer-reviewed results helped establish the RAF as an organization with a sound scientific basis. “It’s clear that early on Ric gave the RAF the authority we needed as we approached land managers to defend airstrips,” RAF Chairman John McKenna said. The entire study remains a reference in RAF guidelines for land managers. Hauer grew up in a small Michigan farming community, where his German immigrant father practiced medicine. He held B.S. and M.S. degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in Stream and River Ecology from the University of North Texas. He and his wife, Brenda, settled in Montana, where he enjoyed flying his red and white 1975 Skywagon extensively for research and pleasure. In addition to his passion for flying, he was a lifelong learner and served as a tenured professor at the University of Montana. He taught advanced courses, mentored graduate students, and directed major research initiatives. He founded the Institute for Ecosystems and the Systems Ecology graduate program and led over $70 million in environmental research. Ric published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles and co-edited the influential textbook Methods in Stream Ecology. His global impact extended to South America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia, where he participated in conferences, fieldwork, and policy discussions. He was an active member of the backcountry pilot community, and he and Brenda enjoyed RAF gatherings and camaraderie. “I always learned something when he was talking,” RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower said. Submitted November 17, 2025. Featured photo credit: Legacy.com

HOLLY HAAG

By Taylin Trafton • November 14, 2025
Holly was born a “military brat” to a Marine aviator who also loved flying in the civilian world of general aviation. Her grandfather worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company as a flight instructor and a carpenter in the Red Barn. As evolution would have it, the aviator genetic mutation began three generations ago… Holly graduated from SDSU and worked as a design architect for several years. Having grown up riding around in her dad’s Piper Cherokee, she thought it would be fun to pursue her Private Pilot Certificate as a “hobby.” She quickly realized that her heart was enamored with the world of aviation. The bug had bit and she decided to abandon cubicle life and fly airplanes for a living. In 1999, she landed her first airline job. Today, Holly and her husband Matt are recent empty-nesters. The aviation gene continues its dominance! Their son, Wyatt, is working as an A&P and pursuing his Instrument Rating and Commercial Pilot Certificate. Holly and Matt own a Cessna 185 and 172, as well as an Aeronca L-16. Holly works as a seasoned captain at Southwest Airlines, but she and her husband consider themselves to be “little airplane people” who happen to also fly bigger ones for a living. Holly considers herself and her family to have been great beneficiaries of the world of recreational aviation. Being able to share the aviator’s perspective of the world with her family and friends along the way has been a great privilege. She feels that volunteering as a VP of Appreciation for the RAF might be an avenue to pay it back a little, and maybe even pay it forward for future generations of aviators. hhaag@theraf.org Submitted November 14, 2025
View More

Volunteer for the RAF

Did you know…the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) achieves its mission almost entirely through the efforts of volunteers?

It's why you learned to fly

Aviators are hungry for new places to go, where new and memorable adventures await.

Get Involved