RAF FEATURED SUPPORTER: CHRIS NUGENT
Chris at TacAero in Fredericksburg, Texas to fly what he calls, "the mighty XCub. It's an awesome airplane,” he added.
Chris Nugent, Arizona Pilots Association President, calls himself a “lifelong aviation geek” and has the CV to show it. He’d flown a J-3 in high school, then laid aside his flight aspirations for family and his demanding career. His aviation experience spans from simple stick and rudder, to building parts for Mars Rovers, military aircraft, and the Space Shuttle during a 40-year career in aerospace engineering, including two decades for the Navy at a number of locations, including the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland. He retired after serving as chief engineer for Pacific Scientific in Phoenix, designing and manufacturing explosive devices for ejection seats and launch vehicles.
His wife then encouraged his own aviation journey with a gift of five flight training hours. When Chris entered the flight school, he spotted a Carbon Cub and said to his instructor, “Let’s fly that instead of the Cherokee!” That preference led him to embrace everything the RAF does to preserve places a Cub might fly. Chris’s wife supported his decision to buy a Carbon Cub, and he never looked back with longing for anything else. “Experimental is the way to go,” he says, adding, “It gives you a lot of flexibility in maintaining your airplane.” He is also pursuing a glider add-on rating, since Arizona is the ideal place for training. His grandson is also pursuing that rating, “A good foundation for tailwheel flying,” Chris added.
Engaging with the Arizona Pilots Association (APA) and the RAF deepens his aviation interests, and he pitches in on the collaborative work parties. “We just had a maintenance weekend at Grapevine. It was really productive,” he said. Thanks to RAF Arizona Liaison Mark Spencer, Tommy Thomason and APA volunteers like Mike Andresen who built a great working relationship with the US Forest Service, the District Ranger approves these volunteers to maintain the strips, saying, “Let us know if you need anything.” Chris was pleased with the RAF's and APA’s teamwork to organize a necessary architectural study for the bunkhouse at Double Circle Ranch, another USFS strip. Following the study, work will be planned to preserve the structure for pilots’ overnight use.
Chris finds joy in more than flying and working together. He is serving as APA President and is especially proud that since its founding in 1978, the membership has funded significant scholarships for dozens of young people interested in flight and aviation maintenance. Just this year, members contributed enough for ten $3,000 awards. APA also has a dedicated backcountry committee that works hard statewide to preserve its recreational strips. “We are grateful for our relationship with the RAF, which is awesome,” he says. In October, Chris attended the RAF educational conference in Silver City, New Mexico, and said, “I was impressed with the RAF's leadership and their commitment to the mission. It’s a good model to follow.”
“I’d rather spend more time on scholarships and backcountry stuff,” he says, but he is also working hard to push back on proposed landing fees at Falcon Field, where he keeps his Carbon Cub and his J-3. He also joined the committee leading the MOSAIC initiative to broaden Sport Pilot privileges and expand Light Sport Aircraft size, weight, and speed specs.
If you see Chris at one of his many aviation engagements, be sure to thank him for his devotion and advocacy to furthering both the RAF and APA missions.
Submitted December 9, 2025.
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