WORTH THE READ: CARMINE MOWBRAY GUEST EDITORIAL

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 month’s guest editorial is by Carmine Mowbray, a pilot and the RAF’s Publicity Liaison.

When the owner of the local FBO ordered fancy printing from our little Montana print shop and couldn’t pay his bill, he agreed to teach my husband and me how to get an airplane in the sky and back on the ground safely. We decided to buy an airplane and the CFI located a 1957 150-hp TriPacer. I was so ignorant, I was expecting a tri-motor. When 6928-Delta puttered in off the runway, I fell in love with our simple fabric, tricycle gear four-seat single.

It was paper chart, watch, and E6B days. You planned cross-county flights by penciling in your waypoints. Being surrounded by mountains, our CFI was a stickler about slow flight and preached, “Every landing is a short-field landing!” Training I appreciate today.

Near Montana’s Continental Divide, winters are cold but pretty clear. We could fly nearly all year. Avgas was 57¢ a gallon, and our banker let us park in his old hangar for free. As some do, we coveted that ever-faster, sleeker aircraft, and eventually owned and flew retractables, then a 300-hp Turbo T-Tail Lance for 16 years. It was great for business and long cross-countries with the four kids. But I felt the best way to see the West was around a hundred knots, a few hundred feet over the high ground. Where you see spray off a waterfall; mountain goats trekking the ledges; a small herd of elk grazing, or the circular ripples surrounding a moose in a pond. My heart was always back at places like Meadow Creek beneath the massive limestone terraces, where we had spent a soggy three-day Memorial Day weekend in a pup tent waiting for the rain to stop. “If this is so miserable, why am I enjoying it so much?” I’d asked myself.

RAF co-founder Chuck Jarecki stopped often at my Polson home for coffee and to share flying stories. He flew me to a few Montana work parties where I joined upbeat volunteers. Whether it was chopping sagebrush, clearing encroaching trees, throwing rocks, digging postholes or privy holes, we had fun. We were making something better.

Chuck asked me to edit some early letters and informational materials even before the quaint RAF logo showed up. Way back when John McKenna had a mustache. I sent a few dollars in to HQ. An orange shirt arrived in my mailbox with a handwritten thank you. The custom of writing handwritten notes, by the way, has continued throughout the RAF’s 22 years. More work parties, an organizational workshop, a few lengthy public lands meetings, and passionate folks started showing up in their orange shirts, all giving their time to support the preservation of backcountry aviation, and I found inspiration.

Now with the ideal aircraft for my purposes, an old 182 with the Sportsman STOL, pursuing that inspiration is up to me, my skills, and sound PIC judgment. And thanks to the RAF and its partners, there are plenty of beautiful places to go. There are disappointments when the weather or summer wildfire smoke shuts out a destination, but a constant is always the fine folks who share the mission.

The RAF has added purpose to my flying. I’ve made lifetime friends, and seen places I’d have missed if not for the RAF and its successes. It feels good to leave a place better than you found it, and know that these special places will endure for others to enjoy.

Often folks refer to the RAF mission as a cross-country flight, a journey from Point A to B. But I see it more as an orbit, since it should have no end. I see a long and productive future for the RAF. The RAF is constantly in motion, but remains close enough to Earth to recognize its beauty and preserve our special way to access it.

Carmine married and moved to Montana at age 19. The couple built a high-speed printing plant and published award-winning community newspapers. They raised four kids who have settled from Wyoming to the West Coast. Carmine served a term as a state senator after retiring from the publishing business. Carmine has written two well-received works of historical fiction.

“Like flying, it’s important to stay current as a writer. So to retain my editorial proficiency, I love my role as Publicity Liaison for the RAF,” she says, adding, “The subject matter is awesome!”

Submitted September 16, 2024.

12 Comments

  1. Glenn Brasch on September 28, 2024 at 3:42 pm

    I feel so lucky to have met you Carmine, and spent some time with you at Ryan Field.

    • Carmine Mowbray on October 1, 2024 at 10:36 am

      Glenn, the feeling is mutual. Thank you so much.

  2. Bill Montgomery on October 1, 2024 at 8:54 am

    thanks for sharing and being such an important part of our aviation community. The RAF has been such an impact on our “backcountry community ” . I too ended up with an older 182J recently, Horton STOL etc, back to just “enjoying flying “, share it with a couple of friends along with my PA12 on floats.
    Thanks for your help.

    • Carmine Mowbray on October 1, 2024 at 10:37 am

      Thank you, Bill.
      It is totally my pleasure to have the opportunity to stay involved with this remakable organization.

  3. Perry Brown on October 1, 2024 at 9:53 am

    Very well written and thought out Carmine. Thank you for sharing and thank you for all your years of hard work and dedication. It is an honor to have you as a GOOD friend. Fly safe and continue having fun.
    Perry Brown

    • Carmine Mowbray on October 1, 2024 at 10:39 am

      Thanks Perry,
      You and Devie are to be thanked as well for your time and dedication to aviation in our beloved Big Sky Country. Hope to see you both in the backcountry!

  4. Rol Murrow on October 1, 2024 at 1:13 pm

    Hi Carmine!

    From the earliest days of the RAF you have been so wonderful by making sure our articles and publications are so professional, pertinent, and inspiring!

    It is an ongoing pleasure to know you, and to look forward to each newsletter and communication from the RAF.

    I hope to see you wing your way into NM99 some day –

    Three Cheers!

    Rol

    Director Emeritus RAF

  5. Amy on October 1, 2024 at 9:40 pm

    Carmine is an absolute treasure for the RAF and we are fortunate to have her!

  6. Don Goodman on October 1, 2024 at 9:49 pm

    Carmine – You have shared a quintessential RAF experience! For all you do for the RAF, MPA, etc, etc , THANK YOU!!

  7. Sparky Parker on October 2, 2024 at 1:35 pm

    Great articled Carmine! Stirred some memories. My second airplane was a Tripacer. RAF is lucky to have your talents and energy!

  8. Kirk Hiner on October 2, 2024 at 3:11 pm

    Thanks for everything you do Carmine! Always a pleasure to visit with you at the RAF events.

  9. Christine on October 4, 2024 at 1:50 pm

    I learned so much more about you Carmine, after reading this – Thank You for sharing a part of your diverse, ‘grounded’, self motivated life story. I knew we were lucky to have you – and Boy Are We Lucky!!

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