Featured Supporters
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The RAF often features aviation enthusiasts old enough to have a little graying around the temples. This month, we are featuring 17-year-old twins Joshua and Caleb Turner, sons of RAF Pennsylvania Liaison Andy Turner. The boys have been flying since toddler age, buckled in the backseat of the family C172, among a week’s worth of camp gear and diapers — there are no diaper stores in Idaho’s and Montana’s backcountry. But you won’t see those cross-country hours in the boys’ logbooks. Instead, you’ll see pages filled with the glider hours each has accumulated since age 14. Caleb says topping his list of “bests” is the feeling of “ flying solo for the first time in a glider.” Now the boys are well on their way to their PPL, and have logged dual instruction beside their Dad, a CFI, in the RV-10 that Andy built. Andy and Sharon Turner were headed into Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness when they were first acquainted with the RAF. Since then, Andy and the boys have helped at RAF work parties every chance they had. A few years ago, they’d journeyed back to Montana and were camped at Meadow Creek. When Andy gave the young boys a choice between fishing the South Fork, hiking, or joining Saturday’s work party at Ryan Field, it was unanimous — both enthusiastically voted for the work. The 14-year-olds spent the day splitting and stacking firewood, painting, mowing grass, and clearing brush, then they enjoyed the fellowship around a potluck meal. They brought their camp chairs around the fire and were welcomed in to listen in on flying yarns under the stars. Josh says, “The RAF has given me an appreciation for flying and wild places. We use some of the airstrips to access the backcountry. Without the RAF helping keep strips open and maintained, I may not have had some of these backcountry experiences.” Caleb agrees, saying, “The RAF has definitely had a positive influence on me and my family. If not for the RAF, we wouldn’t have such wide access and nice facilities at all of these backcountry airstrips.” Aviation is high on the boys’ list of life goals, and Dad says both Josh and Caleb are good mechanics. Both have participated in regional motorcycle trail races. “There is a certain symmetry in their motorcycle avocation, but Caleb is a consistent high finisher, and he has won a couple of these races. Joshua won All-Conference cross-country honors and is a two-time high school state qualifier. So, they each have their area of excellence,” Andy added. Caleb will attend Penn College of Technology for a degree in aviation maintenance, pursuing that as a career. “Earning a commercial pilot license later on could open up a lot of opportunities,” he added. Josh plans to graduate from college with a degree in fisheries and wildlife science. He’s considering future instrument and commercial licenses. “I don’t know where I see myself, but I would like to continue traveling the country by air if I can,” he says. These young men, as they approach college and their individual goals, have set a high bar for what we used to call “good citizenship” – a willingness to contribute time and energy for something bigger than themselves. Here’s how Josh puts it, “Through the various work parties I have been a part of, I have gained an appreciation for the people who put in more work than I do. Those work parties gave me an opportunity to give my time to help others. Because of that, I have participated in and helped organize community service projects.” “The boys are very different, but they share aviation, and a large part of that is thanks to the RAF. For that, I’m very grateful,” Andy said. As a postscript to this feature, Andy just added that on November 8, Josh soloed in the RV-10. Congratulations, Josh!
Anyone whose pulse quickens at the sound of a pair of Pratt & Whitney radials can identify with the passion that lifts Julie Boatman into the sky for her profession and her pleasure. Like the perfect pairing of wine and entrée, her husband Stephen Yeates complements her skills and drive with his own passion to…
Mike Hines was one of those kids who at age 14 worked all month saving up money for an hour of dual instruction in a Cessna 150. He earned his PPL while still in high school, including spin and aerobatic training. This was in the 1970s at the old Ventura County Airport in Oxnard, California,…
You could say Steve Jones has aviation in his blood. He is the IT manager for the company that operates the largest, most diverse private aircraft fleet in the world, hangs out weekends at his active local GA airport, AND is willing and able to volunteer his skills for the RAF. Steve helps manage the…
When the RAF Outfitter developed its expanded online store, RAF HQ called upon aviation photographer Jake Peterson to provide professional imagery of each product to help shoppers make easy and accurate selections. Jake happily volunteers his time providing all this work for the RAF, and it is greatly appreciated. Jake has always loved the outdoors,…
From flying in and helping build amenities at Ryan Field, MT, to flying delivery missions for projects at Forest Service airstrips in Idaho, RAF Supporter Robert Miller’s contributions to the RAF over the years have been many. Robert Miller was raised “one ridge over” from Charleston, West Virginia’s airport, close enough that he was one…
From watching a radar screen the better part of his work day, to watching out the windscreen of his 1949 Piper PA-16 Clipper, RAF Supporter Donn Castonguay is very happy to have made the transition to his place in the GA world. He and his wife Suzanne enjoy leisurely flights over the green rolling hills, colonial architecture, and covered bridges of the Northeast from their home in West Cornwall, Connecticut. RAF Liaison Drew Lyons — then of Connecticut — got the couple engaged in work parties at Mt. Tobe (Waterbury airfield), one of the few remaining public turf airfields in Connecticut. Suzanne and Donn recognized and appreciate the RAF mission to preserve this and other idyllic airfields against development pressure and willingly pitch in to help. Donn’s career was a New York Center controller located at Long Island MacArthur Airport. He might have been the voice on your radio when you asked for flight following, or transitioned into or out of his busy New York airspace. Donn retired in 2018, trading busy Long Island for Connecticut’s quiet corner. His wife Suzanne, also retired from her career as an architectural consultant specializing in “curtain wall” construction — the high-rise glass and metal wall designed to move independently from the floors. They met in college at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, both pursuing architecture, then Donn discovered a new interest in aviation. He got his private pilot license in 2010 and wanted his tailwheel endorsement, which Berkshire Aviation in Great Barrington, Massachusetts provided in their Cubs. Flying with the Civil Air Patrol Oxford, Conn. Squadron, Donn tows gliders during CAP’s summer ten-day Academies and enjoys his role helping teens solo in those ten days. “There’s nothing like soloing an airplane to make someone feel that they can do anything,” he says. Many cadets advance to the Air Force Academy. Piper’s first Clipper rolled out of the Lock Haven factory in 1949, priced just under $3,000. Donn found this one in March of 2018. The plane is perfectly suitable for Donn, Suzanne and camping gear. They flew it to AirVenture in 2021, enjoying the Piper Short Wing gathering along the way. They have flown to Sun N’ Fun, and to an Antique Airplane Association fly-in in Blakesburg, Iowa. To get a dose of high speed flying, Donn attended several Reno Air Races with a friend. Castonguays have two grown sons. One is employed in a New York area school for autistic children. The other settled in Maine after discovering his passion for boats aboard a windjammer out of Penobscot Bay. He is engaged in digital design for boat builders. Today, Donn flies photo missions for the state with his CAP squadron, and serves as a lifeguard at the local YMCA. He enjoys motorcycle touring, and tinkering with their 1993 Volkswagen “Weekender” camper van. He and Suzanne enjoy a half-day flight to a favorite camping airfield, like Plumb Island, north of Boston where they take a car to the beach, or Parlin in New Hampshire where the RAF made improvements, and you can bicycle to a nice dinner in Newport. In contrast to the West with its higher elevations, density altitude and convective turbulence, Donn points out, “You don’t need a 180 here in the Northeast to enjoy beautiful flying over forested areas with welcoming small towns here and there.” In fact, at 100 mph, one can really enjoy sightseeing New England. Submitted on January 10, 2025 By Carmine Mowbray
“Buy a Maule,” Bob Gillette said to his friend Chuck Aldrian when Chuck retired from his Milwaukee-based architectural firm. Chuck had been regularly flying his Cessna 310R to oversee his projects all over the country, from groundbreaking, through the ribbon cuttings. Chuck’s wife Judy points out that the twin was a wonderful way to take the family to faraway places for vacations, as well. “I had 2,500 hours in the 310, and I credit it for the success of my architectural business,” Chuck says. ”I’d get a call, and take one or more of my staff to make a site visit. We’d be home by dinner,” he added. Chuck earned his private pilot license in 1967, and muses, “Two days afterwards, I loaded Judy and our two young children in a Cessna 150 and flew into Billy Mitchell Field. Can you imagine four people in a Cessna 150 among the DC3s and DC6s? But we were all lightweights then.” When Chuck and Judy no longer needed their 310 for business, they wanted to relax and enjoy a different kind of flying. “So we bought a brand new Maule,” he said. Chuck took the mountain and canyon flying course in McCall, Idaho and the couple started flying to backcountry airstrips. That began their new form of exploration, and distance didn’t seem to matter. “In addition to out West, we took it to Key West, Eastern Canada, and twice to Alaska,” Chuck says. They flew commercially to Australia and joined a guided group in C172s, logging 40 hours over the continent Down Under. “One day I asked Judy if she wanted to see some polar bears, and we flew up to Churchill, Manitoba on Hudson Bay.” The huge runway was built for defense during World War II, and the Aldrians found it amusing to see their little Maule alone on the tarmac. They loved their four days there, and were rewarded with views of the bears and beluga whales. They learned about “a little grass strip near Glacier Park,” from RAF co-founder Chuck Jarecki, and they landed at Ryan Field even before the RAF became fully involved. They enjoyed knowing Ben and Butchie, and flew out for several Ryan Fly-ins and became RAF supporters. Both Judy and Chuck are well into their eighties now. They’ve sold their expansive northern wooded property and vacation home that Chuck designed and built near their dear friends the Gillettes’ Lakewood Lodge. Chuck and Judy enjoyed 1,200 hours in their beloved Maule before selling it and its hangar. As Chuck reflected on their last flight, there was deep emotion in his voice. “It was October 2016. We flew to Lake Superior for lunch, over the beautiful fall colors and our house in the woods.” Chuck and Judy remain active in their EAA chapter. Thanks in part to his dedication flying 458 Young Eagles, and his over 50 years of safe flying, Chuck earned the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award. “Flying, and the RAF brought so much fun and joy into our lives,” Judy says, “We will remember it forever.” Chuck added, “ We have met so many wonderful people, it has enriched our lives.”
Matt Rhoades caught the flying passion from his employer at Setpoint Systems Inc. who flew a Cirrus out of Centennial, Colorado. One day he picked up Matt and a colleague from their Scottsdale meeting and flew them to Las Vegas for dinner. “That planted the seed,” Matt says. “It’s one thing to land at McCarran in a 737 looking out the little window. It’s another thing to be in a Cirrus with a 360º view!”
Some hundred years after the event at Kitty Hawk, two Wisconsin brothers calling themselves the “Wrong Brothers” built their own ultralight, and like Wilbur and Orville, attempted to teach themselves to fly. At least the more recent sibling duo had the advantage of a book on flying techniques. “We’re still here,” says Jeff Plantz, one of the Wisconsin brothers. But the bug had also affected their father, and when he was age 60, they bought a Cessna 172 – that remains in the family, in addition to his brother’s Cherokee, and Bellanca Cruiser. Jeff and his wife Patti earned their private ratings. When Jeff and Patti decided to try some float flying, “We learned we couldn’t rent a seaplane, so we built one,” Jeff says. He met RAF Director Jeff Russell who had a Cub across his home airport at Madison and was impressed with it. Beginning with a Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser, they assembled a side-by-side Cub on amphibious floats with plenty of baggage room for their many cross-country adventures – the payoff for those ten years it took to assemble the aircraft. Patti and Jeff have a unique appetite for adventure. After college, he had his own counseling practice. But “the urge for goin’ ” affected both Jeff and Patti, and they became what he calls “bed buggers,” or long-distance truckers. They bought a semi tractor, with a custom-designed cab and sleeper with the amenities they wanted, especially considering they brought their young child on their trips. “We’d work hard for two weeks, get rid of the trailer, then camp at National Parks, or stay with relatives from Seattle, or Colorado, Florida, to Vermont.” Following that enterprise, they operated a jewelry business, repairing watches and clocks while their kids grew up. Jeff went back to driving, and took a Fed EX route while Patti provided accounting services. “Patti is a heck of a trooper. She’s a great taildragger and floatplane pilot. We’ve been together nearly 50 years, and she tolerates stuff like when I alerted her of a huge credit card charge for those amphibious floats,” he said. Jeff’s social conscience led him to a job with Head Start, and among all these engagements, he and Patti have fit in many flights throughout the country. After ten years of flying the Cub on floats, they’ve exchanged them for wheels. Close to home they’ve helped out at Gillette’s Lakewood Lodge, Cornucopia, and have ventured much farther through Montana and Idaho, enjoying camping in the Missouri Breaks, Ryan Field, and Johnson Creek. “You usually run into very nice people,” Jeff says. This autumn, the fall colors sparked their wanderlust, and they drove their RV to Nova Scotia. So if you do catch a glimpse of this interesting pair of travelers, be sure to thank them for their support of the RAF. Submitted Oct 14, 2024 By Carmine Mowbray
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At about this time, every year, we have this conversation at the RAF about what our year end letter (code for asking for your financial support) should say to you, and about the RAF and the accomplishments of the past year.
A Christmas gift of flight lessons from his parents started Scott Anttila’s aviation journey in 1985. “I learned at Johnson Field, a small grass strip tucked into the woods in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and that early exposure to simple backcountry flying stuck with me,” Scott says. Growing up in the U.P., he spent a lot of time outdoors and found that flying was another way to get to the places he liked to explore—especially the ones most people never saw. As he earned more ratings and eventually moved to the Detroit area for work, Scott realized he needed a way to stay connected to northern Michigan. He bought an airplane and used it to get back to the smaller airstrips and lake country he enjoyed. Along the way, he also flew gliders out of Frankfort, soaring along the Sleeping Bear Dunes and towing sailplanes over the Great Lakes. “Those flights gave me a different appreciation for the landscape and made me even more interested in the small, out-of-the-way airports scattered around the state,” he says. Visiting those kinds of places, Scott first came across the Recreational Aviation Foundation. He started using RAF-supported airstrips both inside and outside Michigan. “I noticed how well-kept they were and how much access they opened up,” he says, adding, ”Over the years, I’ve watched a number of grass strips close, which made the RAF’s mission feel especially important to me. Maintaining these airstrips keeps aviation connected to the outdoors and makes it possible for more people to reach the quiet, remote areas that inspired me to fly in the first place.” Scott joins the other two RAF Michigan Liaisons, General Grant and Tanmoy Ganguly. He can be reached at santtila@theraf.org . Submitted December 11, 2025.
“The word that comes to mind when I think of our second Walker Ridge work party is magical,” RAF California Liaison Doug Lumgair said, "even though it started off again with a truck stuck in the mud.” Volunteers began arriving Friday afternoon in a tailwheel Rans, a Super Cub, and Lumgair in his Cessna 170. A pickup with a big dump trailer brought the Polaris Ranger, and more pickups arrived. The runway surface posed major problems with boulders protruding from the surface. Everyone was eager to get started with pry bars and remove them. Once they fired up the generators to power the hammer drills, they discovered that this was the best method for attacking the rocks below the surface and breaking them up into pieces that they loaded into the trailer for removal. “At times, it felt like we had taken on an impossible task. But with steady work and persistence, by afternoon, we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Lumgair said. In the Friday evening fire circle, they made new friends while sitting around a propane fire pit that had been cleverly transformed into a radiant heater by placing a washing-machine drum over it. Walker Ridge lies in a dark-sky area. Before the full supermoon rose, Lumgair said they could see the Milky Way with the naked eye. The campsite at the south end of Walker Ridge has a gorgeous view of the valley, and the view became “even more breathtaking as Central Valley tule fog filled the valley and the supermoon lit the fog, creating a shimmering white lake.” Lumgair said. Saturday morning, two crews quickly organized with hammer drills, and others began cutting brush along the runway edges. Volunteers had already removed what Lumgair called an incredible amount of brush during their first work party, but Saturday, they hauled out twelve more trailer loads. Late on Saturday, they had enough time to work on the rock outcroppings in the south turnaround area as well. "It was amazing that we were able to cut and haul so much brush and break down rocks and fill the resulting holes—all in one steady, hard-working day. Thank you very much to everyone for supporting the RAF in so many ways,” he said. Some stayed Saturday night to enjoy another beautiful evening. Work remains, and Lumgair is planning more work parties in the coming year to complete further improvements, some of which will require additional approval from the BLM. “Please let me know if you get up there this winter. I’d love to hear your thoughts and see any photos of your experience, Lumgair added. Doug Lumgair can be reached at dlumgair@theraf.org . Submitted December 11, 2025.
Chris at TacAero in Fredericksburg, Texas to fly what he calls, "the mighty XCub. It's an awesome airplane,” he added.
That is the end of a quote that goes a bit like this: “It may not be easy, but if you don’t start, it won’t happen at all.” When I read that, I thought back 23 holiday seasons ago, about when the RAF got underway. We likely were a bit naïve about the road, or lack thereof, that was out front of the RAF, but we were wise enough to grasp that if the RAF were to become a successful contributor to our country’s recreational and backcountry aviation, the path would not be easy. What we did know was – and some of you have heard this before – “If not us, who? And if not now, when?” That simple realization got us started, or it wouldn’t have happened at all. The RAF works much that way today. We are a “jump in and figure it out” organization. We sense a need, and bypass the tendency to spend lots of time getting ready to get ready. As RAF Director Bill Brine of Massachusetts says, “The RAF has a bias towards action.” And we attract folks who have that same get-it-done attitude. What I try to do in this piece is relate these words to other parts of my life, and those who spend a few minutes reading them. With it being the giving season, I suggest that one of the best gifts you can perhaps give is one that says, “It might not be easy, but now is a good time to get going or (you guessed it), it won’t happen at all.” In this digital consumption world we live in, I urge you to be your best authentic you. We’re all bombarded with algorithms and social media. If you’re reading this, you are that authentic person the RAF seeks, who pitches in on the team that the RAF thrives on. You can be the wrapping paper around the gift of getting started, of helping others to take meaningful action, and accepting responsibility as opposed to taking credit, all while embracing the learning that comes from the occasional setback. If success had been a requirement ahead of passion, the RAF would not be where it is today. The RAF has proven that people with passion get things done. So, at this time of year, give that gift of passion and leadership, the kind the RAF works hard to exemplify. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted December 9th, 2025.
