TRUE RAF SPIRIT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER

It’s that time of year when most of us start receiving messages about the upcoming holiday season, beginning with Thanksgiving. I don’t want to miss this chance to wish each of you a happy turkey day gathering. And gathering people together is the clear hallmark of the season. Something I might suggest is to invite someone into your circle of family and friends who might not otherwise have someplace to go. Here at the McKenna house, it has provided us with lots of satisfaction, laughter, and fun times by doing just that.

So, I suspect you have been waiting for me to make the connection to the RAF, so here goes. The RAF has been inviting people to join this family’s table for over 20 years. People who we didn’t know. The family has grown considerably, and just like the McKenna gatherings, there have been lots of memories made, laughter shared, and relationships formed.

It seems that in the true RAF spirit, inviting someone to join you should not be all that difficult. At a minimum, it could be fun and humorous, but more likely, you may just find that you have started a brand new long-term friendship. In any case, you will be better for it.

Maybe you’re not inclined to invite someone to dinner, but in the spirit of the season, let’s all take a fellow aviator – or former aviator – out to breakfast or lunch just to let them know we appreciate their commitment and contribution to aviation. And, for fun, why not snap a photo of you and your guest and tell us what you learned about one another? That way, we can all get to know a few more folks.

Send us your photos of you connecting with other pilots over lunch, coffee, or flying. Feel free to post them on social media and tag us @flyraf.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in this huge family we call the RAF.

– John McKenna, RAF Chairman

Submitted November 15, 2025