One photograph always comes out when people ask about the aircraft I flew. It is a shot taken by a colleague as I flew in my Husky next to Dave Hirschman in the AOPA Sweepstakes Husky south to the Florida Keys. Truth is, we were headed from Frederick, Maryland to Lakeland, Florida; but we were ahead of schedule, and so we linked up with Tim Clifford for a time and kept flying in beautiful Florida weather all the way to Key West.
WORTH THE READ: CRAIG FULLER 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 Craig Fuller, a dedicated RAF supporter and the former President of AOPA.
RAF – Just Doesn’t Get Any Better:
Only a few weeks had passed from the start of my tenure as president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in 2009 when a call came in from a pleasant fellow in Montana. John McKenna proposed we have coffee in Washington, D.C. during his upcoming visit. After telling me just a little about the Recreational Aviation Foundation, run out of his kitchen, I suggested we have lunch.
Within a few days, we were together at a fine dining restaurant sitting at the foot of the United States Capitol. The conversation was engaging and enlightening and would persuade any aviator to jump into a two-seat fabric covered backcountry aircraft and just have fun slipping the surly bonds of earth. I knew then, and time proved it to be more true than I could have imagined, time spent with John, Trish and the backcountry band of pilots making up the RAF would be among the best times I would have at AOPA.
We stood to leave the table when I asked what John was planning for the afternoon. “Simple,” he replied, “I’m going to go see Max. I take care of his dogs and fly him around from time to time.”
My reply, “If you mean the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, let’s sit back down.”
Thus began an extraordinary friendship that spanned two different worlds from the most beautiful backcountry landing strips with the best people in aviation to the halls of Congress and government offices. When I think of the journey I enjoyed with the RAF, there are two things about which I am certain: 1) the aviation community is better and stronger today because the RAF does what it does; 2) I became a better and more passionate aviator.
During my time at AOPA, I logged a few thousand hours of flying in all types of aircraft. The hours in the air I most clearly remember are ones flying my Husky around the country to the places these aircraft go, like Ryan Field. The planes, the places and the people just do not get any better.
Just the other day, one of my favorite photographs from the past popped onto my screen. It brought a smile as I recalled two of the finest people I met through the RAF: Ben and Butchie Ryan. I’d spotted a photo in Ben’s home as he gave me a tour of his memorabilia as a WWII fighter pilot. One picture caught my eye. Ben and Butchie embraced under his aircraft. Turned out, they enjoyed each other just as much as we stood together at the home Ben built for he and Butchie before he cleared the land for an airstrip on the edge of Glacier National Park.
When it comes to the people, the places and the planes, it really does not get better than the RAF.
Thanks for great times!
Craig Fuller
Easton, Maryland
Craig Fuller took his first private aircraft flight in a float plane with his father at age 14 during a vacation in Bend, Oregon. That’s when he committed to becoming a pilot. Training in Northern California while in high school, he flew aircraft for the next 50 years. There was a bit of time off during his White House years (1981-1989) when most of the time aloft was provided by Air Force One or Two. Combining a passion for flying and politics, he was selected to lead AOPA in 2008. It was during his tenure that he joined the RAF and varied his flying from Husky to a Citation jet, along with several aircraft in between. He remains a supporter of RAF and champions the cause at every opportunity.
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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.
Taylor Flat Airstrip, just a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River as it carves through spectacular Utah canyons, is officially reopened. Thanks to a cooperative effort between the RAF and Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP), Taylor Flat Airstrip, TF9, is one more recreational destination pilots can once again enjoy as the RAF works on Expanding The Map ! In 2023, dialog was initiated with the BLM to reopen the airstrip. Daggett County got involved, and RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig navigated the required NEPA process. Lessig was instrumental in preparing a right of way (ROW) lease agreement application, coordinating between Daggett County, the BLM, and other stakeholders, and gathering information to assist the BLM throughout the required Environmental Assessment. “Thanks to Wendy taking action as the RAF Liaison, and her professional persistence following through the lengthy public review process, Taylor Flat Airstrip will reopen as another unique backcountry destination," RAF President Bill McGlynn said. The RAF and UBCP teamed up May 9 to revitalize the airstrip, which had lain dormant for thirty years. “The work party was a resounding success,” Lessig reports. ”We are grateful for the twenty-five volunteers who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, and used them to mark the runway corners and threshold. “
Starting this month, we’re sharing messages from our RAF Safety, Education and Etiquette “SEE” committee. We hope you like the way we present these stories, and most importantly, we hope you’re one of those folks willing to sit around the campfire and help your friends become better at this thing we call backcountry aviation. We all see things that might not end well. We don’t intend to call anyone out for what might already be a bad day in someone’s flying life. In the interest of safety, we’re inviting you to be part of the culture starting with, “see something, say something.” The hard part might be how to politely deliver that message, and even more important, how to react if we are on the receiving end of someone’s comment. It takes maturity to accept input, especially at one of those moments when maybe we realize things could have just gotten much worse for us. I know I’ve been in “that place” when some thoughtful input about my flying or behavior has been offered. Part of flying is to always strive to be better; and when we aren’t at our best, try to own our shortcomings, learn from them, and move forward. I think about this often. I worry that if we don’t work at getting this part right, at best we risk losing access due to bad practices or behavior; and at worst we risk people getting hurt or worse. It’s that last piece that keeps me up at night. Of all the joys that doing this work brings us at the RAF, the risk of people getting hurt is what I think about the most. Safety, education, and etiquette are tied. Getting these right means the best outcome. So, get out there this summer. Get some grass stains on your wheels, get some bugs on your windscreen, get better at your craft of flying the airplane, meet some new people, and for sure start to create those special friendships that begin around a campfire under a starlit night. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted June 16, 2026
By RAF Director Bill Brine and the RAF's Safety, Education, and Etiquette Committee. Too many backcountry accidents happen on the third approach. After two unsuccessful attempts at landing, the pilot is tired, anxious, behind the airplane, and making decisions with a brain that has been running down since the first go-around. The airstrip hasn’t gotten easier. Third time’s NOT a charm. What’s driving this is cultural. Baseball is “three strikes, you’re out.” Could this thinking have joined us in the cockpit? We aren’t playing baseball out here. The backcountry does not give you that third strike. It gives you consequences. Our RAF Code of Conduct calls on each of us to establish personal minimums based on sound aeronautical decision-making — before we need them. Decide your limits at the kitchen table. Write it down. Brief your passengers. Commit to it before you start the engine. That’s when the rule does its job and leads to that hoped-for experience you set out on. Here is one worth considering: two attempts, fly away, head somewhere else . Not because your mission failed, but because you made a sound decision. Flying away is not defeat. Head to your alternate. Land, shut down, and let everyone decompress. Unload gear, leave passengers, go back solo, or call it a day. Those are good outcomes. Submitted June 15, 2026 Photo Credit: Scott Newpower
This month, the RAF is featuring our friend Charlie Gregoire, co-founder of innovative Redbird Simulators. Redbird's story is of a few guys who acted on their great idea to make it easier and more affordable for anyone to become a pilot. In 2006, they imagined a flight simulator that made a pilot feel like they were flying a real airplane. “We thought a decaying Cessna Cardinal RG was the perfect prototype,” Charlie said, and “Redbird” was born. “After a few more not-quite-right prototypes, we arrived at our first product, the Redbird FMX.” And driven by the idea to make initial flight training affordable, Redbird FMX is a great primary loggable training platform. Since then, Redbird has delivered over 7,000 aviation training devices to more than 60 countries. From desktop models to full-motion units, “We’re proud of the revolutionary changes our employees and customers are bringing to this industry we are all so passionate about,” Charlie says. Charlie also serves as a member of the special RAF group of volunteers we call the Vy Group. Pilots know that Vy is the “best rate of climb” speed, and these folks help steer the RAF in ways to “gain altitude” efficiently. Redbird and the RAF have partnered on the idea to prepare pilots for the unconventional demands of backcountry flying. Redbird has incorporated backcountry training scenarios, and graciously shares their wide selection of “off pavement” experiences by inviting pilots to try their hand in simulators at aviation events, like AirVenture and Sun ’n Fun. This year we invite you to Redbird’s interactive display at AirVenture, booth 301. While there, enjoy coffee and donuts with the Redbird team and us from 8:30 am to 10:30 am on Tuesday, July 21. Charlie and his team recognize the value of partnerships like ours. He says partnerships are an important part of Redbird’s past and future success. We share a common goal to make GA as safe as possible – wherever, and whatever you choose to fly – and keep it strong with passion, dedication, and commitment. See Redbird’s complete story here . Submitted June 15, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
