Paul and Angela Welke own Island Airways at Welke Airport (6Y8) on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan, 27 nm from Charlevoix (KCVX), where the business also has a base. RAF Michigan Liaison General Grant says, “Paul is always offering his services and has been incredible about answering calls for help from North Fox Island, 18 nm from Welke’s airport.”
FEATURED RAF SUPPORTER: PAUL WELKE
The RAF helped to reopen North Fox Island in 2015, reclaiming the airfield and adding camping amenities when Brad Frederick was RAF Michigan Liaison. Since then, it has become a very popular recreational location. Brad says, “Paul has helped us out often on North Fox, flying the first mower and other equipment over to the island. He’s also done some flyovers to check on people, if their loved one was worried. He’d check and confirm that yes, there was a tent there.”
Beaver Islanders who live year round – as well as the thousands of tourists who visit this 56 square mile place – also appreciate Welke’s Part 135 operation. Their comfortable, capable Britten Norman Islanders fly 28,000 to 30,000 passengers per year. The 15-minute flight saves waiting to board one of two ferries, then plying the moody waters of Lake Michigan over two hours each way from Charlevoix. Paul says winds can gust 35 or more knots in the region. Lake Michigan is infamous for swallowing ships. In fact, within swimming distance of one of Beaver island’s beaches, there is a 1689 shipwreck considered the “holy grail” of shipwreck hunters.
The ferries cease operating from mid-December to mid-April due to ice, but that doesn’t stop Islanders from needing transportation. “A huge part of our business is freight, US mail, Fed Ex, and UPS,” Paul said. In a medical emergency, Island Air serves as an air ambulance, and within 15 minutes can prepare an Islander aircraft for a stretcher with a patient plus a paramedic and EMT. “We typically do 30-35 medical evacuations a year, getting people off the island. Some evacuations are so urgent we get folks to the hospital within the golden hour,” Paul said.
Submitted July 14, 2025
Posted in Guest Editorial, News
Recent Posts
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
“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.
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
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.
