RICK MCCRAW

National RUS Liaison

The high, lonesome sound of a passing plane is one of Rick’s earliest memories. He became a practitioner of the aviation arts on earning his private license in 1977, followed soon after by various other tickets. Instrument flying and soaring have been highlights. He’s owned his Bonanza since 1993.

Professionally, Rick has spent “far too many hours not flying,” he says. His first career was in software and database development. The second time around, Rick was a middle-school teacher and, later, an administrator. The latter work included much data analysis and administration of federal and state grants.

“Another formative experience was backpacking,” Rick says, “as some of my best memories were formed in the roadless backcountry of the mountain West.” He hasn’t yet combined aviation with love of the high country but is moving in that direction with his recent tailwheel endorsement and planning for that next airplane, one that might be more backcountry-ready than his Bonanza.

Lately, Rick’s time has been focused on environmental concerns. He conducts wildlife surveys for the state of Vermont and the Audubon Society. He also flies photo surveys for land trusts through Lighthawk.org. This work takes Rick into the world of aerial imagery analysis and GIS systems. He currently serves as a commissioner for the regional solid waste district.

Rick believes in the RAF mission and goals. He began volunteering in 2018, and since then, he’s gotten involved with PowerPoint support and analytics for the RAF Outfitter. He’s also handled reservations for the Ryan Field cabins for the past several seasons. He looks forward to other challenges to come.