GRAVELLY VALLEY’S GRAVEL TAMED FOR SAFER USE

RAF Arkansas Liaison Harper Goodwin has been awarded an RAF grant to improve Trigger Gap airfield in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Goodwin, Arkansas Liaison Dave Powell and other volunteers recently met at the field to start thinning trees and underbrush along the 3,000 ft turf runway. While the work party was successful, it was apparent that much more needed to be done. “The RAF funds the routine mowing of the runway and camping area, but this expanded effort will remove undesirable trees out to one hundred feet of the runway and camping areas,” Goodwin said. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the airfield, and during this time, the perimeter area has been kept under control using a large batwing mower by the farmer who runs cattle nearby, but Goodwin explained that he can no longer continue maintaining the area.  Goodwin and Ambassador Jake Hampton volunteered time to define the area, mark trees, and get bids on the project that will remove and mulch encroaching trees, brush, and briars. “By removing the unwanted trees and underbrush now and allowing a few select trees to grow to maturity, this airfield and mountain top will truly present a park-like setting and unlimited views,” Goodwin said. He anticipates a three-day project with a land management company handling the bulk of the work. The brush and trees, many having vicious thorns, will be mulched by a Fecon machine. He wishes to address it soon before it becomes a larger, more costly challenge, and has committed to being on site to oversee the work. The contractor selected for the job is "very enthusiastic about the project, the airfield, and our mission,” Goodwin added. This newly cleared perimeter will need to be maintained on an annual basis, and Adam Jones, Director of FLY OZ, will be providing a large batwing mower twice a year, which will be operated by volunteers. For information on Trigger Gap, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted February 11, 2026

Recreational pilots have a very special place to visit thanks to some dedicated Michigan pilots including Don Seelye. These folks understood the recreational value of North Fox Island in Lake Michigan, just 27 nm from Charlevoix. “We used to fly out there regularly with our family and friends and do some maintenance,” Don says. “It was privately owned, and our pay was the use of the island. We were able to enjoy the Tom Sawyer thing,” he says. Don was raised near Flint, MI. His father was an automotive engineer. Don left college and the restraint of a desk, preferring the outdoors and doing his own engineering, which led to a successful career manufacturing electronic controls for environmental research. His clients included JPL and Generac. His company patented a special controller. “We were told it was the first controller to survive the Antarctic winter.” Don never visited the frozen continent, preferring to explore Lake Michigan for shipwrecks. He bought a Cessna 120 and learned to fly. He’d fly over the lake, spotting telltale indications of something salvageable beneath the surface for his partner, who made furniture from legally salvaged wood. They would take their tugboat over the site and dive to the wreck. The best find, Don explains, was a three-masted schooner that had sunk over a hundred years before. It yielded beautifully preserved white oak. For vacations, Don would fly with his wife Carol and three small kids in the two-seat Cessna. “Once we flew to Mackinac Island. I signed in as ‘C-120 with five onboard’. I kinda expected an official phone call, but it never came,” he mused. Now, Don and his wife love flying the Lake Amphibian they bought in 1971. It has taken them over a good chunk of North America, from Key West to near Hudson Bay, he says, “We like to find remote lakes and camp. We find a somewhat sandy shoreline to beach the plane; maybe catch a big walleye.” In 2009, Don saw an RAF story in a flying magazine and called John McKenna, asking to get involved. “The McKennas came to Michigan and met us that July, and we met with Michigan Aeronautics. More RAF volunteers came in and joined us for local meetings with the DNR in Lansing. We finally pushed and pushed and got North Fox open,” he says.

With the departure of Darren Pleasance from AOPA last month, it seems like a couple of questions have landed in the public debate space. One of those questions is, did AOPA just lose a talented executive who had worked hard for a full year to establish himself as the new leader? And no matter your answer to that question, you might ask, do organizations such as AOPA really matter at all? I don’t often offer much commentary on organizational structure and worth, since I’ve never been considered an expert on the matter. However, I will suggest that organizations do matter. Good ones matter because they do their best to bring the collective voice of many to bear on matters we care about. When it comes to aviation, I believe it would be difficult to imagine our environment without an effective AOPA and the people who make it good. Having had the opportunity to peek behind the curtain, I can tell you that since day one of the RAF’s existence, AOPA has been there for us. I won’t take this space to describe each and every case, but trust me when I say they have been our friend, and they do matter. Probably a more vexing question is that of the people within an organization. I feel humbled on a daily basis to be a part of leading you, the RAF family, along with my fellow board members and leadership, on this journey we are on. So, what does that have to do with AOPA? I have, thanks to this RAF thing, come to know AOPA through the helping hands their team has extended. Craig Fuller was our grade school/high school teacher and mentor, giving us the foundational help we so needed at that time. Mark Baker became our friend and champion, lending us resources we could not have gained without his help. Darren Pleasance was well on his way to being that new leader, the one we knew we could count on. We are better for them all. So now what? I feel it is our turn to stand up for AOPA and help them through what is a difficult period. I hope it will pass soon. I am hopeful AOPA leadership will take this time to reflect on the decisions they have made and come out the back end of this better off. I am confident our friend Darren will find a place within aviation to be the kind of leader he was on track to be. And equally, I am optimistic that AOPA as an organization will continue its place of value in the General Aviation space. So, let’s all roll up our sleeves and do what we can to support a good organization that our industry needs. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted February 11, 2026

Our RAF Beanie Collection is proudly made in Bozeman, MT by our friends at Sauce. Designed to keep you warm on cold days, these beanies are perfect for winter adventures like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and—of course—flying! Available in adult one-size-fits-all and kids’ sizes. Get your RAF Beanie today and stay warm wherever your adventures take you! We’re excited to feature Shayla Swanson, founder of Sauce, in our latest RIF RAF newsletter. Originally from Alberta, Canada, Shayla is a competitive Nordic ski racer who launched her beanie company in Bozeman after relocating to complete her education. Learn more about Shayla’s journey and the story behind Sauce here .  If you have questions, please email contact@theraf.org or call 406-582-1723. Your RAF Outfitter purchase is greatly appreciated and furthers the mission to preserve, improve, and create airstrips for recreational access. You can support the RAF mission all year by shopping at the RAF Outfitter online store. Products are being added regularly, and items are thoughtfully selected for durability and suitability for pilots, by pilots. We welcome photos of supporters using RAF gear! Please send your images to ewhite@theraf.org , and let us know if we have permission to post them on social media or our website. Submitted January 5, 2026.