Christen Otto

Please welcome Christen Otto, who has been helping out with social media for several months!

Christen’s interest in aviation sparked early—first during a small airplane ride on a family vacation in middle school and later solidified when a high school friend flew her to Philadelphia just to grab a “Philly in Philly” (cheesesteaks). That sense of adventure led her to leave home at age 20, landing in Daytona Beach, Florida, where she took a job at a busy FBO.

While working there, she met her now husband, Trever, a licensed pilot working through his ratings at a local flight school. At the time, Trever owned a Grumman Yankee (AA-1A), and together they spent years flying throughout Florida and along the East Coast. After Trever was hired by Air Wisconsin Airlines, they moved to Virginia, where Christen worked in accounting and office management at a law firm for over a decade. During that time, they launched and ran a successful aircraft repossession business—an adventurous chapter in their journey. After the birth of their first child, they relocated to Trever’s home state of Wisconsin, where they now raise their two children,Tanner and Aislyn.

Over the years, Christen and Trever have owned and sold 14 different aircraft. Today, they’ve settled on two favorites: a Maule M5 and a classic 1940 Piper J-3 Cub. For the past seven years, Christen has owned and operated an aviation business specializing in logbook digitization and auditing, combining her professional background with her aviation passion. Her husband is a First Officer with Southwest Airlines. On warm summer evenings, she enjoys flying low and slow in the Cub with Trever—door open, soaking in the beauty of Wisconsin from their private grass strip. She also rides motorcycles and gravitates toward anything adventurous.

As a family, they love traveling in their Maule, often camping under the wing—from quick weekend getaways to cross-country adventures. One of their most memorable trips was a bucket-list flight from Wisconsin toIdaho’s Johnson Creek, with stops at several national parks along the way. Though not a licensed pilot, Christen enjoys taking the controls—and continues adding to her aviation story. She grew up in Maryland, surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay, where a love of water and boating first took root.

Christen can be reached at cotto@theraf.org.

Posted in Support Team

    Recent Posts

MARCEL LEBLANC

By lellington • September 15, 2026

DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR

By John McKenna • September 14, 2026
Sometimes one needs to look no further than one's incoming correspondence to find inspiration. Just this past week, folks passionate about the RAF mission reached out to me with suggestions that would bring resources to the RAF. Whether they be one-off items that we might offer, or events like large fundraisers, these folks are offering some thoughts on how we might continue to pay the bills. Additionally, we’re receiving word from folks with new destinations on their mind, and some pretty cool ones at that. Along the way, my inbox – as well as my calendar – is filled with updates on our Expanding the Map effort, with an emphasis on Fly Rocky Top. The Fly Rocky Top initiative in Tennessee is generating strong interest, and for good reason. It feels great. Folks are showing up to pitch in, with significant work projects planned. Trish and I, along with other board members, will be there to lend a hand to this exciting project. We are coming up on our annual year-end letter, which you will be seeing not long from now. In addition to showcasing a few more of our successful projects, we will be seeking your support. Stand by. I’ll wrap this up by letting you know that we could not be more pleased with how you all are doing your part. Thank you. It is so healthy to have an organization that uses passion as a primary energy source. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted September 14, 2026

GARRISON DAM RECREATIONAL AIRPARK IMPROVEMENTS CONTINUE

September 11, 2026
“We had a busy day at Garrison Dam Recreational Airpark, as we continue to work on the underwing camping area,” RAF North Dakota Liaison Brian Rau reported. Rau was awarded an RAF grant in spring of 2026 to convert an adjacent day-use park into an airport camping area, and had organized volunteers who began the project in May. The airport, 37N, is closed while the runway and taxiway are being upgraded by a contractor for the ND Aeronautics Commission.

PACK A TRASH BAG

By Stef Goza • September 9, 2026
You know the feeling. You set the airplane down somewhere spectacular, shut off the engine, and enjoy the pristine landscape in front of you. This is why you fly. Keeping airstrips pristine is everyone's responsibility. But one item that doesn’t always make it into the airplane is a good trash bag. Not for the trash you planned to make. For the trash you didn’t. Cans left in a fire ring, fishing line along the river, or food wrappers working their way through the brush. None of it came in your airplane, but you have the ability to get it out. That’s reason enough to tuck a couple of heavy-duty contractor bags in with your tie-down gear. They earn their space in other ways, too. A contractor bag can keep wet or muddy gear out of the baggage compartment, cover equipment in a downpour, collect rainwater, or become an emergency poncho or windbreak. It weighs almost nothing and takes up very little room. Throw a few in the airplane and leave them there. You may not need one for your own trash, but there is a good chance you’ll find another use for it—or find something worth carrying out. Submitted September 9, 2026 By Stef Goza, Etiquette Chair, Safety, Education, and Etiquette Committee

VOLUNTEERS CLEAR WILLOWS, TREES FROM MARBLE AIRFIELD

September 8, 2026
RAF Colorado Liaison Ken Long, Ambassador Mike Langersmith, and other RAF volunteers participated in an August work event at Marble, Colorado, a mountain airfield about 20 nm up the Crystal River drainage south of Carbondale. Airfield Manager Susan Blue put together the task list and oversaw the event that brought 21 volunteers in ten aircraft and four dogs.