RAF Director and New Mexico RAF Liaison Rol Murrow noted, “Ron has worked this issue for the last two years, entirely as a volunteer. This was his first time dealing with the legislative process, and he was concerned that he did not know enough about it. Ron stands as an example of what can happen when a dedicated volunteer decides something needs to be done – and does it.”
AIRCRAFT USE NOW INCLUDED IN NEW MEXICO RECREATIONAL USE STATUTE
Thanks to the hard work of RAF Member Ron Krohn, and support from many others, the Governor of New Mexico signed into law House Bill 12 on April 6th. This law adds “operation of aircraft” to the state’s existing Recreational Use Statute. “This is a great step for the recreational pilots, the backcountry, and of course, the state of New Mexico” said New Mexico Pilot Association (NMPA) President Joyce Woods.
NMPA and RAF member Dave Hamann provided essential legislative contacts to this process.
In announcing the news, Ron said, “I am very pleased to report that Governor Susana Martinez has signed the bill into law! I would like to especially thank Rep. Jim Trujillo (D) and Rep. Jim White (R) who supported this legislation throughout the process. These efforts, combined with the support and assistance of the RAF, and the individual NMPA members who reached out to their respective legislators, was instrumental in moving this project to a successful completion.”
The new law is likely to lead to the opening of a large number of small airstrips located in beautiful areas of the mountains and deserts of New Mexico. The volunteers of the NMPA Recreational Airstrip Committee have begun mapping airstrips in the state and will be adding them to the NMPA website at www.nmpilots.org as the information is verified.
RAF President John McKenna stated “What a great day for New Mexico and all of aviation. Surely this will lead to the opening of new airstrips in New Mexico as well as showing others across the country that this can be done. The RAF is pleased to be a part of opening new airstrips, as opposed to watching closures.”
Submitted on April 7, 2011.
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At about this time, every year, we have this conversation at the RAF about what our year end letter (code for asking for your financial support) should say to you, and about the RAF and the accomplishments of the past year.
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 Stef Goza, a pilot and an RAF Alaska liaison.
Bill credits aviation for much of his success in business and the ability to serve his companies and family. What began in a Champ, and a Tri-Pacer owned by five people, turned into what Bill calls, “a key business tool” in which he accumulated 9,000 hours – in a Cheyenne, a Pilatus, and a TBM, where ninety-five percent of his flying was for business. “My retirement enabled me to recall ‘Why I Learned to Fly’, a slogan from an old RAF video.” Bill’s son, Patrick, purchased the C185 they now share. “While attending a business function, some associates arrived in corporate jets. As they joined up on the tarmac, the jet pilots gathered around Patrick’s 185, and one of the passengers asked, ‘What’s special about this?’ No explanation needed for this RAF audience,” Bill says. “My involvement in the RAF is, in a partial way, repaying the rewards aviation has endowed me with. Having been involved in many worthwhile nonprofits, this is one where financial support is only part of the picture. Physically participating in great projects that have a lasting effect, with good people, returns a great personal benefit,” he says. “My only regret is that I wasn’t there at the start.” Bill and his wife Jane are privileged to be able to split time between their long-time home in eastern Nebraska and Scottsdale, Arizona. While still serving on several boards, he enjoys golf “about every third shot,” biking, cars, and reading, but always looks forward to the time he can be involved in the RAF. “It’s flying with a purpose,” he adds. Bill can be reached at bdugan@theraf.org
AR Ambassador
A Christmas gift of flight lessons from his parents started Scott Anttila’s aviation journey in 1985. “I learned at Johnson Field, a small grass strip tucked into the woods in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and that early exposure to simple backcountry flying stuck with me,” Scott says. Growing up in the U.P., he spent a lot of time outdoors and found that flying was another way to get to the places he liked to explore—especially the ones most people never saw. As he earned more ratings and eventually moved to the Detroit area for work, Scott realized he needed a way to stay connected to northern Michigan. He bought an airplane and used it to get back to the smaller airstrips and lake country he enjoyed. Along the way, he also flew gliders out of Frankfort, soaring along the Sleeping Bear Dunes and towing sailplanes over the Great Lakes. “Those flights gave me a different appreciation for the landscape and made me even more interested in the small, out-of-the-way airports scattered around the state,” he says. Visiting those kinds of places, Scott first came across the Recreational Aviation Foundation. He started using RAF-supported airstrips both inside and outside Michigan. “I noticed how well-kept they were and how much access they opened up,” he says, adding, ”Over the years, I’ve watched a number of grass strips close, which made the RAF’s mission feel especially important to me. Maintaining these airstrips keeps aviation connected to the outdoors and makes it possible for more people to reach the quiet, remote areas that inspired me to fly in the first place.” Scott joins the other two RAF Michigan Liaisons, General Grant and Tanmoy Ganguly. He can be reached at santtila@theraf.org . Submitted December 11, 2025.
