TIM RILEY

Vice President

Tim Riley has devoted many volunteer hours organizing and assisting on airstrip improvements in Idaho and Montana. He has also worked closely with the US Forest Service to foster cooperation and support RAF goals on public lands across the country.

Riley is a native of upstate New York. His introduction to aviation was as a youngster in a Beaver on floats on the lakes in the Adirondacks. He has lived and traveled around the world during a career in the data networking and security industry.


Starting with hang gliders and paragliders, Tim has flown foot-launched gliders thousands of miles across California, Nevada, and the Western US. “You never knew where the day was going to end, but it was guaranteed to be an adventure. You might even share a few thermals with a condor or hawk along the way,” he says.

As his kids grew, Tim switched to airplanes to share the joy of flying with his family, accumulating over 30 years of recreational flying experience. “From Baja to the Florida Everglades, from Mount Rushmore to Niagara Falls, recreational aviation is an incredible way to see the country,” he says. Tim’s additional aviation pursuits included owning a flight school and maintenance shop, providing flight instruction, and selling new and used aircraft. Tim has served on the Driggs Airport Board and currently volunteers to fly animal rescue flights.

Tim and his wife Janette – also a rated pilot – are based in Driggs, Idaho. The couple enjoys hiking, kayaking, skiing, and especially backcountry flying and camping.

“By far, over the years, the best thing about flying has been the incredible number of kind and generous people we’ve met,” Tim says, adding, “the RAF is the epitome of this flying and family spirit. It is a privilege to work with such a group on preserving access for everyone to enjoy.”

Posted in Director

    Recent Posts

RAF AND USFS COLLABORATE ON LOST CREEK, MI IMPROVEMENTS

August 28, 2026
RAF Michigan Liaisons Tanmoy Ganguly and Scott Anttila met with district U.S. Forest Service staff prior to starting work at Lost Creek airstrip, now MI45, (formerly 5Y4) in the Huron-Manistee National Forest in north-central Michigan. “We had a very constructive discussion about what the RAF does, and what we envision for future amenities at Lost Creek airstrip,” Ganguly said. The mid-August work weekend attracted 16 aircraft and 20 volunteers, including new MI Ambassador Ryan Minnick, MI Ambassador Ehsan Hamtaei, and IN Liaison Bill Steinmetz, many of whom enjoyed camping overnight in the forested setting. The crew was joined by nearby residents who donated their time, tools, and machinery to help and provided snacks.

RAF LOUISIANA LIAISON CAPTAIN MARCEL LEBLANC (RET)

August 27, 2026
Submitted August 27, 2025

PUBLIC COMMENTS REQUESTED TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO 10 OF UTAH'S BACKCOUNTRY AIRSTRIPS

August 25, 2026
CALL TO ACTION: Public Comments Requested to Support Access to 10 of Utah's Sensational Backcountry Airstrips The BLM has issued an Environmental Assessment (EA) regarding the following ten Moab-Monticello backcountry airstrips. Pilot comments will help to open access to the airstrips. Your Comments are Needed by Thursday, September 3. Please use the link below to state in your own words why you support access to these backcountry airstrips: Nokai Dome Piute Canyon Potato Ridge Playa Big Flat Red Canyon Spring Canyon Castle Creek Steer Ridge West Wee Hope Mine

WORTH THE READ: BILL MCGLYNN EDITORIAL

August 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 Bill McGlynn, President of the RAF.

VOLUNTEERS CLEAR GLACIER CREEK WITH HAND TOOLS

August 25, 2026
Nestled in among awe-inspiring mountains, Glacier Creek (KGZ) airstrip is 15 nm east of McCarthy in Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. On July 11, a work party drawing 25 volunteers was held there, led by RAF Alaska Liaison Stef Goza, her husband Randy, and Alaska Ambassador Bri Norby. They were joined by a group of National Park Service maintenance crew members who’d been flown in the night before and cleared the trail from the airstrip to the cabin before volunteers arrived.