RAF AND USFS COOPERATE ON ALASKA CABIN REPAIRS

After a year of planning the project and logistics with Seth Roseberry, Recreation Management Specialist with the US Forest Service in Ketchikan, RAF Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest organized a seven-day volunteer work party for maintenance at the SE Heckman Lake public use cabin. With the help of an RAF grant, the USFS had approved DeFreest’s plan, and the project was scheduled for late April. Seven RAF volunteers from around the country, including Michigan Liaison Rob Aho and Director Jeff Russell from Wisconsin, joined Roseberry and Forestry Technician Katie McCann completing repairs to restore cabin access for users with mobility challenges. Additional work was accomplished at the second USFS cabin on Heckman Lake and the cabin on nearby Jordan Lake.


“The teams worked as one integrated group without much distinction between us and them. It was awesome,” DeFreest’s wife Kari said, adding, “We also had great, professional support from our local partner, Misty Fjords Air & Outfitters.”


More effort than expected was required to reposition the dock that had been damaged by ice and forced to a high and dry position down the shoreline. Jeff Russell said, “Seth led the effort with a clear plan, common sense and remarkable bush skills. He came up with the idea to cut and peel hemlocks to skid the floating pier back into the water which was pure bush genius.” DeFreest was equally impressed and added, “Katie was also a joy to work with. Her common sense, demeanor and practical skills were invaluable.”

The workers completed additional maintenance to prepare the cabins for use. “Seth and Katie had done their research on cabin utilization and recent maintenance already accomplished at the old Heckman and Jordan Lake cabins, so that our volunteers’ energy and emphasis could be placed on filling those wood sheds and brushing trails. All told, the RAF was able to help manage not just one, but three cabins in the Naha drainage,” DeFreest added.


“I think we made a big impact on the cabins we worked on,’ Russell said. “True to the RAF way of doing things, we had a great time. Work got done, fun was had, and relationships were built.”



By Carmine Mowbray

Photos by Jeff Russell and Jeff DeFreest

Posted in News

    Recent Posts

MAGEE, ID FLOOD MITIGATION ASSESSMENT BEGINS

By lellington • June 26, 2026
RAF President Bill McGlynn met in mid-June with the US Forest Service, Idaho Dept of Aeronautics, and Idaho Aviation Association to evaluate steps to improve Magee (S77) airstrip, 23 nm east of Coeur d’Alene. On the way, Bill picked up Joe Sober, one of two airport engineers from Oklahoma City who have volunteered their professional services, and have been instrumental in creating maintenance and remediation plans on Idaho backcountry airstrips. “The Forest Service engineering teams have too much on their plate just addressing roads, so having this resource to make airstrip engineering assessments and plans is instrumental to resolving challenges on USFS airstrips like Magee,” McGlynn said. The improvement project at Magee has been organized through a Cost Share Agreement the RAF has with the USFS. McGlynn, Sober, Willy Acton of the Idaho Airstrip Network, along with USFS District Ranger Holly Hampton, Don Macintosh of IAA, Dan Conner of Idaho Aeronautics, and RAF Idaho Ambassador George Weaver investigated the sources of flooding that plague Magee airstrip every spring and analyzed means of re-directing the problematic water. Magee airstrip was created in the 1940s by the Corp of Engineers as a hidden fighter base in case of Japanese attack on the western US coast. A dike that was built to channel water away from the runway has eroded over the eighty years. Sober took numerous measurements and will develop a plan to submit to the USFS for approval. Work could begin over the next year or two to recover about 700 feet of runway. “We truly could not do this work without our volunteer engineers and are very fortunate to have their expertise,” McGlynn said. Weaver said, “The airstrip is a real gem, and the restoration work will make it a great backcountry destination.”

TEAMWORK GETS THINGS DONE AT HISTORIC MEDICINE BOW, WYOMING

June 26, 2026
“It was really nice to spend some time with Wyoming folks cleaning up a little piece of history,” RAF WY/UT Ambassador Karen Larson said of the May 30 work party at Medicine Bow airport, on the historic US airmail route. RAF Wyoming Liaison Joe Feiler organized the work and reports that about 15 people with a wide range of backgrounds arrived at 9 am to help. Attendees included RAF supporters, EAA Chapter 420 members, local residents, as well as Lee Cook, Medicine Bow airport board member and town council member.

STEVE JONES

By lellington • June 25, 2026
Steve Jones was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio just an hour from the birthplace of aviation. He fell in love with airplanes at an early age and has been flying ever since. That passion grew exponentially when he landed off-airport in a tailwheel airplane for the first time and discovered the world of backcountry aviation. He first encountered the RAF while attending a “Peaks to Pavement” seminar in 2019, where he met Ohio State Liaison Christine Mortine. Since that time he has enjoyed supporting the RAF including getting his hands dirty helping with campsite improvements at Noble County Airport. He has also supported technology projects for the HQ team and RAF volunteers. As a State Liaison for Ohio he will be focused on initiating new grant projects, adding more recreational airports in Ohio to the RAF Airfield Guide, and increasing RAF engagement and collaboration. Steve is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a BA in Aviation Management and is a loyal Ohio State Buckeyes football fan. He works in Flight Operations for a large private aviation company where he has worked for the past twenty years. He resides in Pickerington, Ohio with his wife Kasey who is also an aviation enthusiast. Steve can be reached at sjones@theraf.org (614) 353-8895 

RAF VOLUNTEER STEVE JONES STEPS INTO OHIO RAF LIAISON ROLE

By lellington • June 25, 2026
Joining RAF Ohio Liaison Christine Mortine is Steve Jones, who is stepping into a Liaison role from having volunteered on RAF technology projects. Raised in Columbus, Ohio just an hour from the birthplace of aviation, Steve fell in love with airplanes at an early age. That passion grew exponentially when he discovered the world of backcountry aviation. He first encountered the RAF while attending a “Peaks to Pavement” seminar in 2019, where he met Christine. Since then, he has enjoyed supporting the RAF by helping on campsite improvements at Noble County Airport. As a new Ohio Liaison, he will focus on initiating new grant projects, adding more recreational airports in Ohio to the RAF Airfield Guide, and increasing RAF engagement and collaboration. Steve is a graduate of Ohio State University with a BA in Aviation Management and is a loyal Ohio State Buckeyes football fan. For the last twenty years, he has worked in Flight Operations for a large private aviation company. He resides in Pickerington, Ohio with his wife Kasey who is also an aviation enthusiast. Steve can be reached at sjones@theraf.org

WORTH THE READ: NEIL MORTINE GUEST EDITORIAL

June 25, 2026
Our many RAF supporters have such vast and varied experience, and we’re capturing some of their words of wisdom to share with you. This guest editorial is by Neil Mortine, a marketing and relations executive, RAF Supporter, and husband of RAF Ohio Liaison Christine Mortine.