State Liaison Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Recreational Aviation Foundation

KEVIN BARRY

Georgia State Liaison “I pretty much grew up in the cockpit,” Kevin Barry says. “My father was a fighter pilot turned test pilot, and my favorite birthday present every year was to sit in the cockpit of whatever fighter aircraft Dad was flying at the time.” Kevin chose the United States Military Academy at West Point…

KIRK HINER

Minnesota State Liaison Kirk Hiner, who lives in Kenyon, MN, grew up in an aviation family thanks to his dad who flew B24s out of England during World War II and then continued to fly after the war. Kirk received his private pilot license in 1976, and his commercial, instrument and CFI ratings in the…

RENE ROBILLARD

New Hampshire State Liaison Rene always wanted to fly, and was lucky enough to find a spouse who came from an aviation family and who also loved to fly. In 1999, his extremely pregnant wife, Heather, was on the ramp to watch his first solo. After a career change and relocation from Colorado to the…

ANDY ROWE

Maine State Liaison I may be the slowest learner in aviation history as I first soloed in 1963, but did not get my private license until last summer….2010! I followed up with a seaplane rating a month or so later and am presently working on an instrument rating. I’ve owned 2 aircraft, a Champ (in…

JEFF SMITH

Kentucky State Liaison Jeffrey grew up in rural New Jersey near the Delaware Water Gap. His father exposed him to flying at 15 with an introduction to Ernie ‘Pete’ Billows at Trinca Airport in Northern New Jersey. Jeffrey soloed on his 16th birthday in a J-3 Cub on skis, landing in a cornfield. “After a…

MIKE PURPURA

Illinois State Liaison After his enlistment in the Navy, Mike earned a degree in Environmental Science and went on to start a brokerage in Eastern Oregon specializing in agricultural land and ranches. Hiring local pilots to ferry him and his clients around large ranch properties, proved to be expensive and complicated. He decided to buy…

DREW LYONS

MA and RI State Liaison RAF MA and RI Liaison Drew Lyons was born and raised near Boston, always dreaming of being an airline pilot, but “life eventually had different plans,” he said. After serving in the US Army 82nd Airborne Division and finishing college, Drew finally achieved his dream of becoming a pilot, earning…

PATRICK ROMANO

Colorado State Liaison Patrick Romano always knew he wanted to fly. So it was not a surprise to anyone when he took his first lesson at age 14 and started instructing by the time he was 18. After a decade of flying everything from helicopters to business jets, he had to get a real job. …

BOBBY CAPOZZI

Florida State Liaison Like many others, Bobby Capozzi started his quest for aviation by building and flying model airplanes. Model aircraft were the stepping stones to Bobby soloing at 16, achieving his private at 17, and purchasing a 1953 PA-22 two weeks later. “I bought it as a time builder and continued preparing for my…

TOM HAEFELI

Colorado State Liaison Tom was intrigued with flying from the very beginning as a child, in a family whose business was beekeeping in southern Colorado “I worked in the business through high school then – being a typical teen – I couldn’t wait to get out into the world,” Tom says. He earned his first…