Presley Melton

After years of experience flying his Boeing Stearman, Decathlons, an RV8, his award-winning 1943 Howard DGA, and a variety of other aircraft, RAF Ambassador Presley Melton of Arkansas says he has the most fun in his open-cockpit AirCam. 

Years ago, Presley journeyed out west in his RV8, enjoying Idaho’s groomed turf airfields, but realized he wanted something that he could safely take into more backcountry places. He decided on the AirCam, an aircraft that was originally a one-off creation, specifically built to fly photographers over Africa’s jungle canopy, where a forced landing could drop you near the den of a hungry lion or poisonous snake. It provided the safety and redundancy of two engines and a very slow stall speed. “It’s like flying a canoe, or a motorcycle. Your elbows are out in the breeze and the view is incredible,” Presley says. Due to public demand, the AirCam design was turned into a kit, and there are now several hundred flying. 

“It’s a long way to Idaho from Arkansas at eighty miles an hour, though,” he added, and now Presley has a Murphy Super Rebel, that he describes as an Experimental Cessna 180. The faster Murphy with an enclosed cockpit makes very long trips much easier. He looks forward to many more years of recreational flying. “Flying is a team sport” he says. When he announced his plans to fly to Big Bend National Park in Texas, “which is on the way to nowhere else,” he was joined by seven other aircraft. “I’ve been very blessed to have made a bunch of friends through aviation,” he says.

While enjoying South Carolina’s Triple Tree fly-in, he was invited to join Mark Baker and John McKenna’s breakfast conversation and became motivated to help the RAF and its mission. Presley retired from a three-generation business, having turned his casket sales business over to his two sons. Now he typically flies between 120 to 150 hours per year. It is very likely RAF members will spot him in any one of his current airplanes at an event. 

Presley and about ten other pilots and family members volunteered recently to assist The Nature Conservancy on a restoration project along a tributary of the Kings River in northern Arkansas. The group planted hundreds of trees. “It was our way to give back, in appreciation for what The Nature Conservancy has given us,” he said, referring to Trigger Gap, (17A) the airfield that the RAF and Arkansas volunteers created near Bentonville on land leased from TNC. 

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JEFF LEISZ

By lellington • June 12, 2026
JEFF LEISZ

VOLUNTEERS BEGIN DEVELOPING UNDERWING CAMPING AT GARRISON DAM, NORTH DAKOTA

June 10, 2026
A group of ten volunteers from the RAF and the Mandan, ND chapter of EAA showed up on May 20 to help RAF North Dakota Liaison Brian Rau develop under-wing camping at Garrison Dam Recreational Airpark (37N). Rau was awarded an RAF grant to convert an adjacent day-use park with flush toilets, a picnic area, horseshoe and basketball facilities into a camping area. Visitors will be able to tie down, pitch a tent, and enjoy the amenities.

CAMP ON THE LAKE AT OHIO'S NOBLE COUNTY AIRPORT

June 8, 2026
RAF Ohio Liaison Christine Mortine and Noble County Airport Board members hosted a work party on May 31 at the Wolf Run Fly In Campground, Noble County Airport (I10). Volunteers cleared downed trees to generate plenty of firewood for four fire rings: one located at each of the three tent platforms, and the RAF-branded fire ring in the large gathering area by the new pilot shelter/storage shed. The two outhouses were cleaned, leaves were raked away from the tent platforms, and volunteers created a raised kindling area. “The Noble County Airport Board provided a full cookout lunch, complete with homemade potato salad and chocolate chip cookies,” Mortine said. “We sat at the picnic tables and shared ideas about new RAF projects sparking in Ohio and gave a heartfelt thank you to the board members, who have contributed a tremendous amount of support with materials and their skills to Wolf Run Fly-In campground.” To celebrate and enjoy this unique destination in Ohio, a fly-in has been scheduled Friday-Sunday, September 11-13, 2026. Mark your calendars for the opportunity to land on the 3,800-ft paved runway, and explore the large forested camping area along the lake nearby. RAF carts are available to haul your gear to the perfect camping spot. Watch the RAF Event Calendar for more details. Find more about Noble County Airport in the Airfield Guide . Submitted June 8, 2026

PARLIN FIELD WELCOMES AVIATIORS TO CAMP AND EXPLORE

June 8, 2026
A source of community pride, New Hampshire’s Parlin Field Airport (2B3) is now more appealing than ever. An RAF volunteer crew of eight met on May 23 and set out picnic tables at each of the six campsites; cleared trees and brush from the south windsock and replaced it to make it highly visible. A volunteer also weeded around the flagpole and planted blooming flowers that RAF New Hampshire Liaison John Meade had purchased. “Airport manager Heath Marsden was extremely appreciative of the progress made and spring cleanup,” Meade said. Parlin was one of the RAF’s earliest grant beneficiaries, thanks to Meade’s goal to add improvements for visitors to access. Visitors landing on either the 1,981-ft turf, or 3,450-ft asphalt runway may access the “base ops” building for shelter and restrooms. Nearby the airfield camping area is the Sugar River, known for trout, and the local Sugar Hill Recreation Trails can be accessed across the historic covered bridge with use of airport loaner bicycles. Find more about Parlin Airfield in the Airfield Guide . Submitted June 8, 2026

WHY ORANGE?

June 8, 2026
In 2003, when the newly formed RAF Board of Directors decided to put the RAF logo on shirts, they turned to local Bozeman outdoors apparel and wader manufacturer Simms. Their fishing shirts were known for their proven outdoors-tested quality. The short list of colors came down to two: an earthy, moss green and an almost iridescent orange. They decided to try both colors, and the choice was made at Florida’s Sun ’n Fun that year when RAF attendees discovered that they could see each other quickly in the large crowd wearing the orange shirts. RAF then-Director Tim Clifford said, “Obviously, the orange is our color. We can own it.” The RAF adopted orange, and from that point forward, the orange brand color became woven into the RAF culture. RAF attendees turned heads when they showed up for local, state, and federal land use and planning meetings. The RAF became known and respected as “the guys in orange.” The RAF orange is also a sensible choice for outdoors activities we enjoy, especially flying. Consider a scenario where you want to spot, or be spotted. It’s definitely noticeable. To illustrate, we asked RAF supporter and videographer Charley Voorhis and RAF President Bill McGlynn to take to the air and help us prove that RAF orange really does stand out (photo below). Whether you are in a crowd at Sun ’n Fun, Oshkosh, or out flying the backcountry — if you want to be seen, wear RAF orange!