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Your RAF Directors met January 22-24 for their annual in-person board meeting in Bozeman, MT, with Director Bill Brine coming the farthest from his home on Martha’s Vineyard. Director Emeritus Alan Metzler of Pennsylvania attended, in spite of the heavy weather forecast in the Northeast. RAF Alaska Liaison Stef Goza attended, demonstrating the great distances these volunteers are willing to travel to be present. The RAF Board meets monthly, but this annual get-together allows time to explore opportunities in more detail, and set areas of focus. RAF Kansas Ambassador Bruce Latvala was elected as RAF Secretary, joining current RAF officers . Director Steve Taylor of the Seattle area is stepping down as an active board member, but will continue his wholehearted support of the RAF mission. This year’s meeting included special guests to discuss topics relevant to upcoming RAF initiatives. Director Emeritus Todd Simmons presented a new hub and spoke network of backcountry airfields in Tennessee, with the opportunity for RAF support. Director Matt Foster updated the group on the goals and responsibilities of the Safety, Education, and Etiquette (SEE) Committee. The board reviewed opportunities to support new airfield locations on both public and private lands; and were given a customary review of RAF financials.  - By Carmine Mowbray Submitted January 29, 2026

RAF Chairman John McKenna and President Bill McGlynn met recently in Washington, DC with US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, who oversees the management of 193 million acres of public land across the nation. McKenna and McGlynn reviewed backcountry airstrips with Mr. Schultz, with an appeal to continue to maintain existing airstrips and possibly open some additional ones. Mr. Schultz said that some of the best recreational opportunities in the world are on Forest Service lands, and he desires to increase those opportunities. He was receptive to the RAF’s request to explore returning some of the airstrips to service. Mr. Schultz studied forestry at the University of Montana and is familiar with the western backcountry, as his career includes working for state agencies in both Montana and Idaho. In addition to the meeting with the Chief and other key team members of the USFS, McKenna & McGlynn met with Department of Interior staff to discuss opportunities on DOI & BLM lands. “These were productive and engaging meetings and will lead to continued opportunity for collaboration,” McGlynn said. “We're excited to work with the Forest Service on additional recreational airstrips on our public lands that can be enjoyed. - By Carmine Mowbray Submitted January 29, 2025

If you’re looking to extend your backcountry flying season in the Southwest, consider plans to visit New Mexico’s Gila National Forest. Me-Own, 28 nm NE of Silver City, is one of Gila’s several recreational USFS airstrips, and has a 3,700 x 50 foot runway at an elevation of 7,554 feet. You can count on cool summer days and moderate winters among the ranges of desert grasses and mountain forests of ponderosa pine, pinyon-juniper, aspen, spruce, and fir. The Gila’s USFS backcountry airstrips are cooperatively maintained by RAF and New Mexico Pilots Association (NMPA) volunteers and provide access to this remote and beautiful region of the state. Sacaton, Rainy Mesa, Beaverhead, Negrito, and Jewett Mesa are "comfortably long and level runways [that] create a flying paradise,” according to the NMPA. Paved Reserve airport serves as a base for NMPA's annual Gila Regional Fly-In. Me-Own, 1NM0 offers trail access to the Aldo Leopold Wilderness, just past the vault toilet. Here’s where you can join Section 23 of the Grand Enchantment Trail that stretches 770 miles from the Sonoran Desert near Phoenix to the outskirts of Albuquerque. This remote and rugged Wilderness trail passes Gila cliff dwellings, traverses canyons and verdant creek bottoms, and offers sweeping views from elevations reaching 10,770 feet at Mogollon Baldy. The NMPA assures us that the sluggish but venomous Gila Monster is “rarely encountered.” RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller is working with the USFS to improve facilities at Me-Own thanks to the RAF’s cooperative Challenge Cost Share agreement with the Gila National Forest. The USFS requires prior permission to land at this airstrip. For permission, please call the Gila Dispatch at (800) 538-1644 and ask for the Aviation Branch. Me-Own is also used for firefighting. Check with the USFS office in Silver City for conditions prior to use at 575-388-8451. For the latest PIREPs, go to the NMPA website , and click "Backcountry PIREPs.” See the RAF Airfield Guide for more information. - By Carmine Mowbray Photo by Joyce Woods Submitted February 1, 2026

Competitive Nordic ski racing is, “Probably the hardest aerobic sport you can do,” says Shayla Swanson, former Canadian national team member. Shayla likens her passion for demanding outdoor mountain sports to starting and managing her successful Bozeman-based business, Sauce. “My tolerance for hard things is abnormally high,” she admits with a laugh. The RAF proudly selected Sauce as one of its local vendors, and Sauce headwear “flies” out of the RAF Outfitter store. The RAF was impressed with Sauce’s commitment to cottage industry service and versatile production capacity. Everything happens under one roof at their Bozeman, Montana location – from design, through manufacture, to packaging. “We choose to keep things local and domestic,” Shayla says. Now, Sauce products sell across North America and are worn by all ages, countless teams, and all kinds of sports clubs. “We are proud of the quality of everything that goes out of our door,” Shayla says in her company video. Shayla was raised among the Canadian Rockies in Canmore, Alberta, and from a very young age engaged in adventure and endurance sports. When she wasn’t outdoors, she was at her sewing machine practicing her “Middle School nerdy hobby” of making things out of fabric. She started making headwear for her ski team, then realized there was a market for warm hats that are so comfortable that people forget they’re wearing them. She moved to Bozeman to finish her education in Exercise Science from Montana State University, and explains that a coach with a good reputation, plus the chance to live among the Bridger and Gallatin Ranges, was enough draw to resettle in the US. Her enterprise became her professional focus, and she started with a few hat designs cut and sewn from bolts of pre-printed fabric, but she and her creative crew decided to design their own imagery. They invested in very specialized imprinting equipment to infuse their sprightly colors on plain fabric in a process called dye sublimation, committing themselves to working out all the new technology. “It was a tremendous leap in flexibility, quality, and waste reduction,” Shayla points out, adding, “Our machinery is one of a kind. We’re on our own if something goes wrong. The closest place for service is Seattle.” For the past dozen years, Sauce has offered its Sauce For a Cause program. Anyone is invited to submit design ideas, and the public votes for their favorite. Sauce produces the winning hat as a limited edition item and donates a portion of those sales to the design winner’s charity of choice. The contest has benefited Huntington’s disease research, The Cure Starts Now cancer research, Erin’s Hope Project, animal shelters, local schools, and the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness just to name a few. And why the quirky name, Sauce? “Our products add zest to your wardrobe, just like sauce adds zest to a dish you eat,” Shayla says. “Sauce is the perfect name for our spicy, colorful, and tasteful activewear.” See a short video on the Sauce story here . The RAF Outfitter offers Sauce items in adult and youth sizes. Color choices are Molten, Autumn Harvest, Dark Coral; or for warmer protection from northern winters, select fleece-lined Snowy Night or Grey Embers. See the Sauce selections in the RAF Outfitter here . By Carmine Mowbray Submitted January 19, 2026

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 Tanmoy Ganguly, a pilot and an RAF Michigan Liaison.

It was a cold, blustery, and snowy day at Cedar Mountain Airstrip in Utah when RAF Utah Liaison and UBCP Board Member, Wendy Lessig met with representatives from the Utah Division of Aeronautics (UDOT Aeronautics) and the BLM, to scout out locations for a portable weather station. UDOT Aeronautics is proposing to place 11 portable weather stations at backcountry airstrips across Utah. “This weather data can fill in gaps where no weather collection currently exists. This will help enhance public safety,” Lessig said. These weather stations will provide on-airstrip weather data for pilots, emergency services, firefighters, BLM employees, and other recreational users. A project developed together by the UBCP and UDOT Aeronautics as part of Utah’s Airport Capital Improvement Program, the weather data will fill in gaps where no weather collection currently exists, which will help enhance public safety. RAF Utah Liaison, Wendy Lessig, is facilitating communications with the BLM and has prepared the applications for BLM to review and approve the weather stations. "This project is a true collaboration of stakeholders working together to improve backcountry aviation," Lessig said. In the photo, L to R: Wendy Lessig (RAF Utah Liaison), Nick Holt (UDOT Aeronautics), Nicole Zinger (UDOT Aeronautics), and Dan Rainey (BLM). Submitted January 15, 2025

When asked, “What do you like about the RAF?” Jeremy Harris quickly answered, “I love to fly, I love being out in nature, and sharing that with other people.” When the opportunity came up to take a more active role with the RAF, Jeremy didn’t hesitate to raise his hand. “I’ve wanted to fly friends and family around since I was a kid. Growing up in central Texas, the idea of freedom, adventure, and seeing new places from the air always stuck,” he says. After two years of college, he joined the US Army and worked as an intelligence analyst supporting combat search and rescue. “Being around airplanes every day only fueled my desire to fly,” he says. After his Army service, Jeremy took his first flight at a small flight school outside of D.C. and was instantly hooked. Life got busy with a new marriage, growing a technology company, even finishing his undergrad and master's degrees, and three great kids. On his 32nd birthday, he earned his PPL. Over the years, he partnered in several airplanes and focused mostly on training. “The sense of adventure slowly faded, until I decided to fly for fun, even if nobody else wanted to go,” he says. He earned his tailwheel endorsement in a J-3 Cub in the mountains of West Virginia. “Flying through mountain valleys and landing on grass strips next to rivers reignited everything for me,” Jeremy said. He bought a Maule M-4 and began flying to backcountry camping spots. In 2022, Jeremy moved back to Texas and purchased a Citabria, where he now provides tailwheel endorsements and spin training. He flies almost every day, and says, "I build relationships with local airstrip owners, and look forward to helping the RAF keep this dream alive—connecting pilots who love flying, freedom, and time spent in nature.” Jeremy will work together with Texas Co-Liaison Tres Clinton and a team of Ambassadors on the RAF mission. Feel free to reach Jeremy at jharris@theraf.org . Submitted January 13, 2025.

The RAF warmly welcomes Will Richter to the State Liaison team. Will Richter began his aviation journey in the midst of his law enforcement career when he had an opportunity to try out for the Greenville, South Carolina Sheriff’s Air Support Unit. He spent the next seven years flying co-pilot on a Bell OH-58 patrol helicopter. As time and finances allowed, Will pursued his sport pilot license flying Weight Shift Control (WSC) trikes, as well as earning his private and instrument ratings in fixed wing aircraft, and a commercial UAS pilot certificate. Now semi-retired, Will is a licensed general contractor in the stormwater and environmental sector. He owns a Sling TSI fixed-wing aircraft, and an Evolution Revolt WSC trike. “I fly several times a week for work and pleasure,” he says. “The mountains of Western North Carolina have always felt like home to me, and I look forward to exploring and connecting with as many airfields as possible to further the RAF mission,” he adds. Will can be reached at wrichter@theraf.org . Submitted January 13, 2025.

At age 21, Mike Kuefler started tinkering with lightning protection, and his interest developed into a satisfying 40-year career based in St. Ignatius, Montana. From the Pacific Northwest to Florida, Kuefler Lightning Protection designs and installs grounding systems to protect against lightning strikes in hospitals, schools, FAA ATC towers, military munitions and missile magazines, USFS fire lookout towers, homes, agricultural, and commercial facilities. And one could say that opportunity struck like lightning in 2003 when Mike and his wife Julie were delivering materials near West Glacier, Montana. They heard about an airfield a few miles up Ryan Road, so they drove in and were welcomed in warm Montana style by Ben and Butchie Ryan, igniting a friendship. Julie began bringing homemade foods whenever they were in the area, and Veteran Army pilot Ben shared WWII flying stories with Mike.