WORTH THE READ: MATHIEU LABS 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 guest editorial is by Mathieu Labs, a pilot, and RAF Vice President of Appreciation.

A Life in Flight – From My First Ride to Giving Back:

My aviation story really started before I can even remember. When I was just a year old, my grandpa, Bob Ross, put me in his Cessna 150, N11630, for my very first ride. That might have been the only time I ever needed a seat cushion to see over the dash, being tall has its perks. Before he passed, we shared countless flights across Wisconsin and even made it to Oshkosh together more than once. I remember him waking up at sunrise for the show, dragging me out onto the grass in my sleeping bag, and when he returned from his shower, I was still half-asleep. Years later, when I earned my Private Pilot License, I finally got to return the favor. I took him up in a Cessna 172. He didn’t touch the controls that time, but the smile on his face told me everything I needed to know.

Since then, aviation has been a constant part of my daily life. I’ve been lucky enough to experience things I never would have dreamed of, like flying hammerheads over Monterey Bay in an Extra 300 with Sean D. Tucker, or proposing to my wife in a Cessna 172 over a snow-covered landscape. None of those moments would have happened without my grandpa giving me that first ride.

I’ve found myself deeply involved in the aviation community through a handful of organizations that I love for different reasons. With EAA Chapter 1710, I serve as President and Young Eagles Coordinator. Through the Civil Air Patrol, I fly as an Orientation, VFR, and Transport Mission Pilot. With the Recreational Aviation Foundation, I help out as one of VPs of Appreciation, personally writing thank you notes to our donors. And with the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, I get to write and share stories that inspire others. Across all of these, the most rewarding part has been giving back, flying over 400 Young Eagles and 40 CAP cadets, and watching their faces light up when they take the controls for the very first time.

One of the things I look forward to most lately is spending PTO time at Gillette’s Lakewood Lodge (14WS) for the RAF’s spring and fall work parties. People always say nonprofits feel like family, but with the RAF, it’s absolutely true. At my first spring work party, I was welcomed like I’d been part of the group forever. We worked hard, but between the meals, the laughter, and the stories, I think I left with just as much weight as I lost sweating out in the field. I even wrote an article about that experience, which ended up getting some great traction.

This fall’s work party was just as special. Over 40 volunteers showed up, and I told the organizer we’d finish before Sunday, which he didn’t believe. By early Saturday afternoon, everything was done. That’s the kind of energy and teamwork you find at these events. Beyond the work, it’s about the friendships you make, the people you meet at fly-ins, through mutual friends, or sometimes folks who aren’t even pilots at all but come to support Bob and Judy’s incredible work at the lodge.

At the end of the day, aviation has given me so much more than just flying. It’s given me community, purpose, and memories that will stay with me forever. I always encourage others to give back however they can. Whether it’s flying Young Eagles, joining a local chapter, or picking up a shovel at a work party, every effort makes a difference. Aviation may be a small world, but the impact we leave on others can be huge.

Mathieu’s love of aviation started at the age of 1 when his grandpa gave him a ride in his Cessna 150. Since then, he has been to OSH every year since 1990. Mathieu attended the University of Dubuque for aviation management and marketing, received his MBA, and serves as a Senior Logistics Coordinator, providing support to Fortune 500 companies. Mathieu likes flying around Wisconsin with his wife Lauren in a Cessna 172 or Citabria. When Mathieu isn’t flying, he enjoys doing any outdoor activity and traveling with his two 4-legged kids Moose & Zanna, competing at dock diving events.

Submitted October 22, 2025

Posted in Guest Editorial, News

TIME TO REVIEW AIRSTRIP SAFETY BRIEFINGS

March 30, 2026

As you're planning your 2026 flying adventures, remember to review safety briefings for the airstrips you plan to visit. The RAF strongly recommends you review safety briefings and print a copy to have in your airplane - it's even required to fly into some airfields, like Ryan Field (2MT1). For those airfields, pilots flying in are required to review the briefing on an annual basis, and now is the perfect time to catch up on any changes to the runway/area that happened throughout the winter. You can find safety briefings on the RAF Airfield Guide . If an airfield in the Airfield Guide has a required briefing, the airfield listing will clearly indicate it and have a tab to view the briefing. Submitted March 30, 2026 Photo By Jim Stevenson: Ryan Field, MT (2MT1)

RAF VOLUNTEERS BEGIN TO RESTORE HISTORIC RANGER AIRFIELD HANGAR

March 30, 2026

RAF Texas volunteers and Ranger Airfield Foundation volunteers helped begin restoration of the historic 1928 Ranger Airfield hangar on March 28. “A Wright biplane landed here at the field in 1911, and people have been using it ever since,” Ranger Airfield Foundation Founder Jared Calvert said. He noted that Amelia Earhart landed there in a Pitcairn Auto Gyro. Richard Bach, Pancho Barnes, and General Patton also landed at the field. It’s the oldest continuously used turf field in Texas.

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: SACATON, NM

By Carmine Mowbray • March 30, 2026

For adventurers seeking access to the Gila Wilderness, we suggest landing at Sacaton Airstrip, NM16, near Buckhorn, New Mexico. The runway lies on a “finger mesa,” and the Rain Creek trailhead lies just northeast of the field. Thanks to RAF New Mexico Liaison Ron Keller's coordination with the USFS using a Cost Share Agreement, Keller was able to organize RAF and New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) volunteers to rehabilitate and reopen the long-abandoned airstrip in 2022. Beyond reopening the airstrip, Keller added camping amenities, including picnic tables and a new vault toilet. Most recently, Keller oversaw the installation of new shade structures, most welcoming to campers and hikers. RAF and NMPA volunteers complete ongoing maintenance at Sacaton and other airfields in the Gila National Forest. You’ll see white-painted rocks along Sacaton’s 3,989-ft dirt runway, and surrounding the segmented circle near the RAF windsock. The airstrip lies at 6,200-ft elevation, so pilots should be mindful of density altitude while flying over high terrain in the vicinity, even in winter temperatures. “Anglers will enjoy plying streams for the rare native copper-colored Gila trout, once a threatened species,” Keller reports. The mile-and-a-half trail to the crossing at Rain Creek is narrow and challenging and traverses a variety of terrain, but the serious hiker will be rewarded trekking through steep canyon walls lined with green alder, willow, and boxelder, hoodoos, and eagle aeries above. There are rumors of a double waterfall some distance on the west fork of Rain Creek trail. See the Sacaton page in the Airfield Guide for more details. Note that the airstrip may be unusable due to snow or after heavy rains. This runway should be considered one-way in/one-way out to avoid overflying the Wilderness boundary. There is a 4.6% upslope to the East, favoring landing Runway 08 with right traffic, remaining clear of the Wilderness east and north of the airfield. Please consider others seeking a Wilderness experience. Prior to landing at Sacaton, permission is required by calling the USFS Gila Dispatch center at 800-538-1644. Please familiarize yourself with Sacaton in the Airfield Guide and the New Mexico Pilots Association Safety Briefing . Submitted March 30, 2025 By Carmine Mowbray