CHRIS ARNO

Maine State Liaison

Chris was born, grew up, and now lives in Dover Foxcroft in central Maine. After high school, Chris took after his father in the utility power line trade and now owns a power line construction company that he started with his father who has since retired. Chris has always had a vast interest in aviation, and during his youth had a large collection of RC airplanes. In 2019 at the age of 47, he received his private pilot license – his seaplane rating and tailwheel endorsement soon followed.


Chris has been flying a 1942 Aeronca Super Chief Seaplane and recently completed a three-plus year total overhaul of a Cessna L-19 Birddog along with his IA. “The project started with only the firewall in a jig, and the rest of the airplane built new around it,” he says. It has many performance upgrades and is rigged for wheels, skis and amphibious floats. “The lovable ‘one niner’ (L-19) turned into a bucket list item that I didn’t know I wanted,” Chis added. “I swear that I didn’t have the RAF in mind for the color scheme. My wife Diane picked out the colors for it.”


While still a student pilot owning a Piper Cherokee, Chris had hopes of building a hangar at Charles A. Chase Jr. Memorial Field, (44B) a 3,000-ft grass strip in his hometown. The airport was named for Charles A. Chase Jr. who was tragically killed in December of 1959 while flying his Cub dressed as Santa. The Chase family gifted the airfield to the people of Dover Foxcroft but neglected to stipulate that it remain an airfield in perpetuity.


When Chris learned that the town manager and board had plans to close the airport for a solar power generation farm, he joined the dedicated group of individuals who formed the Save the Charles A. Chase Jr. Memorial Facebook page. It attracted 1,000 followers along with much of the town, as well as Chase family members determined to save the airport.


“The town manager was one postage stamp away from sending the paperwork to the FAA to shut down the runway when this all started,” Chris says. He was introduced to the RAF.


Together with the support of RAF supporters Steve Mason, John Meade, Rene Robillard, and Andy Rowe. Wearing their signature orange, they attended public meetings along with townspeople and Chase family members. The town manager and board of selectmen decided not to close the airport. “The airport is now doing well with three new hangars that have been built since I built mine,” Chris said.


Chris is heavily involved with the charitable organization “Wings for Wishes” that benefits the Make A Wish Maine Foundation which raised over $60,000 in 2023. Wings for Wishes is held each August and brings people together from all over the country to a private airfield in Exeter, Maine. “We eat, laugh, fly, and enjoy each other’s company for a few days but most importantly, we raise money to put smiles on the faces of kids and families who might not have that opportunity without the help of Make A Wish,” he says.


“The RAF has been a big part of my aviation background already, and I have been lucky enough to meet so many great people in the organization. I look forward to seeing more good things we can do to help create, maintain and preserve backcountry aviation!


207-852-1881

carno@theraf.org

    Recent Posts

GET READY FOR THE 2026 PHOTO CONTEST OPENING OCTOBER 1!

September 3, 2026
The tradition continues — RAF 2026 Photo Contest! We’re excited to announce the upcoming RAF 2026 Photo Contest! It’s time to look through your photos and find your favorites. Once again, we’ll include the “RAF Mission” category, recognizing photos that best capture people enjoying recreational aviation, no matter the region. Each winning photographer will receive a package of high-quality greeting cards featuring their photo on the front and photo credit on the back — just in time for the holidays! New this year: We’re especially excited to see your photos from our Expanding The Map airstrips! Submit a photo taken at one of these airstrips, and we’ll send you a small gift from the RAF Outfitter as a thank-you for sharing it with us. Stay tuned for our next announcement, which will include everything you need to know to enter this year’s contest. Eligibility: The contest is open to all RAF supporters, amateur and professional photographers alike, including those aged 18 and under. Our judges are the RAF’s volunteer VPs of Appreciation, who also handwrite the RAF’s thank-you cards each week. They especially enjoy photos featuring airplanes, beautiful scenery, and people experiencing the fun and adventure of recreational aviation. The contest opens October 1, and winners will be announced November 15. Start looking through those camera rolls — we can’t wait to see where recreational aviation has taken you! Submitted September 3, 2026

RAF FEATURED SUPPORTER: ERIC JOHNSON

By Carmine Mowbray • September 3, 2026
When pilot Eric Johnson of Canby, Oregon steps up to help on RAF projects, he says he’s motivated to preserve these opportunities now and for future generations. Eric is a third-generation pilot himself, and he and his wife Elle have three children, all under age five as of this writing. Eric says, “Jett, the oldest, is obsessed with airplanes,” and Grandpa Kevin Johnson treats Jett to donuts at the local FBO on Fridays so they can watch airplanes. Kevin Johnson’s name should be familiar to readers, since he has supported the RAF all over the West. He has designed, delivered, and assembled a number of camping structures and other amenities at RAF-supported airfields, often assisted by Eric, who loves to contribute his precious spare time on these projects, saying, “Our family values tradition and hard work, which is a big part of what the RAF is. That’s how all the work parties are. Everyone shares the same goal and is happy to be there.” Eric earned his private pilot license in 2012 in the same Cessna 172 that his grandfather and Kevin bought in 1976, and that he now co-owns with Kevin. “We hangar it at the home that we live in, that my grandfather built in 1990,” Eric says. Elle is a private pilot as well, and worked for Columbia Helicopters until becoming a stay-at-home mom. Her father is building an RV4, so “Aviation is on both sides of our family,” Eric says. A licensed General Contractor, Eric has transitioned into property management, helping oversee the family’s 277-space manufactured home park and industrial properties in northwestern Oregon. Eric has made flights into OSH for AirVenture. He says, “The biggest adventure of the 16-hour flight is the last five minutes.” Anyone who has also nosed into that swarm of approaching traffic will probably agree. At Airventure he became acquainted with the RAF at a presentation on backcountry flying. “The mission aligns perfectly with my other outdoor hobbies,” he says. Rafting the Snake River on the Idaho-Oregon line in the Hells Canyon Wilderness, he’s looked up toward the many airstrips near the river. “The only time I’ve seen Moose Creek airstrip is floating and fishing the Selway,” he added. Now he looks forward to landing, pitching his tent, and maybe helping one of his kids tie a line to fish these rivers, perhaps sparking another lifelong passion in the next generation. Submitted September 3, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: KEG KNOLL, UT

By Carmine Mowbray • August 28, 2026
Some outdoor enthusiasts experience Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness from the flat and peaceful water of the Green River as it goosenecks between Navajo Sandstone canyon walls, spires, and side arches. From a vantage high above, this region of stunning geologic and cultural wonders is equally as stunning. Thanks to the diligence of the RAF’s Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig, pilots may now land on a mesa overlooking the vast San Rafael Desert at Keg Knoll airstrip. This public airstrip is truly a gateway to some of Utah's most remarkable canyon country near Horseshoe Canyon and Canyonlands National Parks, offering a quiet alternative to the busy national park trails. Lessig led an effort over the past three years to advocate for the reopening of Keg Knoll airstrip. Various meetings were organized with the BLM to explore whether the airstrip could be reopened as allowed by the Wilderness Act, leading to the BLM's decision to authorize public access earlier this year. Lessig is planning a work party at Keg Knoll this fall with BLM and Utah Back Country Pilots to further improve the airstrip. Keg Knoll Airstrip has outstanding recreational value and offers pilots ready access to a true wilderness experience. Trails take visitors past ancient stories etched in desert varnish and painted on stone. Or to Colonnade Arch – just two miles from the airstrip – much-photographed for its five time-honed windows in the sandstone. Pilots are reminded that this airstrip lies within a Wilderness Area and all wilderness rules apply, including leaving all motorized and mechanized devices at home; no bicycles, drones, power tools, etc. The southwest 700 feet of the original airstrip is closed to aircraft due to sensitive vegetation. Those seeking a remote, dark sky experience should put Keg Knoll on their travel plan. Bring your self-reliance, and leave nothing behind. The RAF is thrilled that this airstrip has opened this year as part of its nationwide Expanding the Map initiative. Find out more about Keg Knoll airstrip in the Airfield Guide and on our dedicated web page . Submitted August 28, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray

RAF AND USFS COLLABORATE ON LOST CREEK, MI IMPROVEMENTS

August 28, 2026
RAF Michigan Liaisons Tanmoy Ganguly and Scott Anttila met with district U.S. Forest Service staff prior to starting work at Lost Creek airstrip, now MI45, (formerly 5Y4) in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in north-central Michigan. “We had a very constructive discussion about what the RAF does, and what we envision for future amenities at Lost Creek airstrip,” Ganguly said. The mid-August work weekend attracted 16 aircraft and 20 volunteers, including new MI Ambassador Ryan Minnick, MI Ambassador Ehsan Hamtaei, and IN Liaison Bill Steinmetz, many of whom enjoyed camping overnight in the forested setting. The crew was joined by nearby residents who donated their time, tools, and machinery to help and provided snacks.

RAF LOUISIANA LIAISON CAPTAIN MARCEL LEBLANC (RET)

August 27, 2026
Submitted August 27, 2025