Dan found time to learn to play the fiddle, and enjoys bluegrass music. At the time of this writing, he and his son Ted are preparing to fly the RV-7 that they completed in his shop at home in Sand Coulee. Their youngest son’s family lives close by, and their daughter is fulfilling a Navy career, currently based in San Diego.
Dan Prill
Dan Prill of Sand Coulee, Montana, has interests as varied as the snacks aisle at your supermarket. From flying his Cessna 185 off his own airfield, to the slower pace of trolling for fish in his kayak.
For many summers, Dan and his wife Margie flew their SuperCub on floats to his family’s rustic fly-in fishing lodge on Prill Lake in Saskatchewan. The couple treated fly-in guests to comfortable rooms, mornings fishing in the lake, abundant meals of fresh-caught walleye, Margie’s homemade blueberry pies, and a cooler full of adult beverages, all flown in.
Engineering runs in Dan’s family, and Ted and his twin brother Tom surprised Dan with a custom fabricated kayak trailer that he uses in Montana and Arizona to enjoy river and lake fishing. Dan and Margie also find great sport plying the Arizona, California, and Nevada deserts on their side-by-side, basing out of Quartzsite, Arizona in the winter.
A founding director of the Recreational Aviation Foundation, Dan served on its board for ten years; eight years as Vice President. “The RAF is especially proud of Dan’s work throughout the approval and construction of Russian Flat airstrip in Montana’s Lewis and Clark National Forest,” RAF Chairman John McKenna said.
“The RAF has always taken the ‘high road’ when dealing with policy makers. Our data is science based, and we approach issues in a kind and courteous manner,” Dan says. That approach had results, and in cooperation with the Montana Pilots Association, and the USFS District Ranger, the first new airstrip on U.S. Forest Service land in over forty years was opened for public use. Dan stayed on the task throughout seven years of meetings and two more years of construction, with all RAF and MPA volunteer labor. His efforts earned him an RAF Golden Pulaski Award, which honors exceptional volunteers for their hard work on behalf of the RAF.
“While working in Montana, we formed our mission and learned the right way to do things,” Dan says. The RAF then used those principles to advance its mission throughout the country. Early on, Dan was asked to accompany McKenna and other RAF volunteers to meet officially with federal lands managers in Washington, D.C. He met a half dozen times face-to-face with decision makers, always wearing the signature orange RAF shirt. On one of the trips, he and McKenna were invited to a formal Senate reception. McKenna looked at Dan in his orange shirt and jeans.
“You packed a white shirt, tie, and jacket?” McKenna asked.
Dan took a cab to the closest menswear store, took out his credit card and bought new black shoes, slacks, white shirt and sport jacket to be appropriately dressed. “I did buy an orange tie,” he quipped. His time and expense paid off. As a result of those meetings, the USFS Planning Rule now acknowledges the importance of recreational aviation.
Margie is just as devoted to the RAF mission, and has helped staff many trade shows and events. She cooks, serves, and turns out sweet baked goods at fly-ins, cheerfully including KP duty, and keeps the kids entertained with games and activities. Margie also serves as an RAF VP of Appreciation and has hand-written over a thousand thank you cards – and counting.
Prills have always included their family in their pursuit of recreational aviation, and both Ted and Tom are pilots. Tom and Dan helped roof the pilot shelter at Ryan Field. Dan and Margie have included their grandkids in aviation activities since they were tots, and the photogenic kids have appeared in many Ryan Field images. “We know how important it is to preserve this opportunity for future generations,” Margie says.
“Margie and I treasure the friendships we’ve made during our association with the RAF,” Dan says. As Director Emeritus, Dan still advocates for the RAF. He urges others to “support the organization by volunteering or donating, and enjoy the resources of recreational and backcountry airstrips. It’s why we do this. It’s why we learned to fly, so go enjoy them,” he adds.
Submitted July 14, 2023.
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The new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, developed by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), is now open to backcountry aviation enthusiasts. Located in East Tennessee, Fly Rocky Top is a "basecamp and outpost" concept for regional aviation exploration, adding the Southeast to a growing collection of well-recognized recreational airstrip networks across the country, including Fly Oz in Arkansas and others in the West and Southwest. Fly Rocky Top is the most significant achievement to date of the RAF's Expanding the Map initiative, a nationwide effort focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to airstrips, helping connect aviators to more of the places they love to explore. Named and inspired by local culture, each Fly Rocky Top airstrip has unique features, amenities, and recreational options that embody the mission and spirit of the RAF. The new network is in the heart of a region nationally recognized for its unique topography that includes the Obed Wild and Scenic River, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Cumberland Plateau, and Great Smoky Mountains… altogether a landscape uniquely suited to backcountry aviation. Rockwood Municipal Airport, RKW, anchors the network with its 2,400-ft manicured turf landing area and is designed with backcountry flyers in mind. Rockwood Aviation, which operates RKW, offers products and services for pilots to engage in tailwheel, backcountry, and recreational flying, including training, service, and support. City of Rockwood Mayor Jason Jolly highlighted the significance of Rockwood Airport to the community and East Tennessee. Mayor Jolly said, "We are a national recreation destination and the progress at Rockwood Airport and the surrounding network of airstrips is just the latest step in our region's growth and development for adventurers and enthusiasts." The Fly Rocky Top network is unique in that the initial collection of airstrips – with more planned – are a combination of both public lands and privately owned property with the common desire to welcome the flying public. Specific new airstrips in the Fly Rocky Top network include Smuggler's Landing, a grass landing area at RKW (with tent camping and a welcoming pavilion planned), McGraw's Backyard (5TN4), Robbin's Farm, and Tellico Plains (85TN). An additional outpost, Sawbriar, will be ready in August 2026. More airstrips are in the process of being added and will appear on the Fly Rocky Top webpage . Plans continue to add amenities to each RAF Fly Rocky Top airstrip, including accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters where camping is available. Other attractions include access to world-class upland bird hunting, hiking, some of the nation’s best trout fishing, kayaking/canoeing on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers, and a 44-mile Water Trail on Beaver Creek. Select airstrips have access to meals and accommodations. RAF Co-founder and Chairman John McKenna highlighted what makes this opening so important. “Fly Rocky Top is not just a new airstrip network; it’s also a group of pilots who are passionate about aviation, stewardship, and the great outdoors,” he said. “Fly Rocky Top will connect Southeast pilots, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike with the shared mission to preserve access to the region's wild beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.”
RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower organizes the annual Montana Pilots Association and RAF cooperative work party at Schafer Meadows USFS airstrip, and on Saturday, July 18, nearly two dozen volunteers flew in to help. The airstrip lies in the Great Bear Wilderness, so work is limited to hand tools. A special thanks to Montana Aeronautics Aviation Support Officer Stephen Torske and the team at MT Aeronautics for their support.
RAF Michigan Liaisons General Grant and Tanmoy Ganguly organized a work party July 11 at North Fox Island, 6Y3, the Lake Michigan island airfield just 24 nm northwest of Charlevoix. This year the work party added a new feature for visitors to enjoy – Tanmoy’s do-it-yourself RAF Kabob Station. The group cleared drainage ditches, cut out stumps, split and stacked firewood, cleaned up several miles of beaches, and trimmed and cleared four miles of trail. Grant thanked the volunteers for what he called, “A full day of work.” They gathered unneeded items and flew them off the island. Tanmoy is known for providing delicious kabobs at work parties, and debuted his RAF Kabob Station for pilots who want to cook up his legendary kabobs while on their own camping adventure. Many volunteers opted to camp for the weekend and enjoyed camaraderie around the campfire. See the Airfield Guide for more on North Fox Island. Please read the airfield Safety Briefing. Below it, you will now find a “Kabob Station” briefing. Submitted July 29, 2026
Visitors to the remote Black Bear Lake cabin on Prince of Wales Island, 50 air miles west-northwest of Ketchikan, can now enjoy the results of reconstruction completed by RAF volunteers in cooperation with the US Forest Service. The project began in 2025 thanks to an RAF grant for materials. RAF Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest and Alaska Ambassador Kari DeFreest report that they and two other volunteers flew in June 24-28 to provide labor. The project started last summer to begin deferred maintenance on the Panabode-style USFS cabin. It is one of 140 recreational cabins for public use in the Tongass National Forest. Where most of these cabins experience heavy winter rains, Black Bear Lake typically sees twelve or more feet of snow at its 1,650-foot elevation.
Thank you to the many RAF supporters who attended our Tuesday donuts and coffee social at Redbird’s booth. It was well-attended with new friends and long-time supporters joining in lively conversation. “We want to send special thanks to Redbird Flight Simulations CEO Charlie Gregoire and the entire Redbird team for hosting us this year,” Marketing Coordinator Taylin Trafton said. At Tuesday’s event, RAF President Bill McGlynn and RAF Tennessee Ambassador Matt Axley announced details of the Fly Rocky Top airstrip network in Tennessee as part of the RAF’s latest Expanding the Map initiative. McGlynn added a message of thanks to all the RAF volunteers who are giving so much time and effort toward making Fly Rocky Top a great destination. Thanks also to those who attended Tuesday’s RAF Forum "Beyond the Pavement in the Southeast,” presented by aerobatic pilot Mike Goulian. He provided more details about Fly Rocky Top and the RAF mission to an enthusiastic crowd.
