POWELLS RECOGNIZED AS “THE WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS”

Dave and Julie Powell of Rogers, Arkansas were honored with the “Wind Beneath Our Wings” award during the RAF’s biennial education conference in May. This award recognizes extraordinary efforts to further the RAF mission. This award was created and sponsored by RAF co-founders/volunteers Dan and Margie Prill, and Chuck and Penny Jarecki. Powells’ names have been engraved on the list of honorees.

In July of 2016, Dave volunteered to serve as the RAF’s first Arkansas Liaison, and his wife Julie handwrites Thank You notes as an RAF Vice President of Appreciation. But that tells only a part of their story.

Dave’s passion for aviation runs deep. He started Summit Aviation which operates FBOs, flight training and a Cessna Service Center in Bentonville and Springdale, yet found the time to initiate the RAF mission in his beloved state. Dave was instrumental in building the relationship between the RAF, “Fly Oz” and Arkansas’s chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which led to the successful partnership to turn a hilltop meadow above the Kings River into the beautiful Trigger Gap public-use Airfield.

He and Julie have spent countless hours on the ground helping build and improve camping amenities at several turf airfields in the Ozarks.

To publicize the joys of accessing these backcountry places, Dave and collaborator Chip Gibbons created the original Airfield Guide, and rolled it out in 2016. The pair spent countless hours on coding and entering data, with a keen eye on accuracy and current conditions.

With typical modesty, Julie and Dave accepted the award with tears in their eyes as the crowd gave them both a standing ovation.

Submitted June 14, 2024
By Carmine Mowbray