IT’S UP TO US TO PROTECT THIS ECOSYSTEM

A couple of weeks ago, fellow RAF director Joe Brown and I were discussing the idea of tipping the line person for fueling our aircraft, or the person who offers some other form of assistance. I felt good to be able to tell Joe that, yes, I do hand a few bucks to the person on the other end of the fuel hose, or the person who helps me tie my plane down, even when I’ve said, “No, I don’t need any fuel right now.”


So what does this have to do with backcountry access the RAF is working to protect? Well, pretty much everything. It’s pretty obvious that when compared to all other activities, aviation is a small player in the grand scheme of things. When you focus on those of us who like to leave the pavement and head for the grass, our numbers become a not-so-large statistic. For that reason it seems we should all work hard to do our part to not only protect the backcountry, but to also bring a positive attitude to those we come in contact with – be it out on the line, in the shop, maybe the nice gal at the FBO counter – or whoever we interact with. Put a smile on your face and express your appreciation for them being there.

While you’re at it, share the RAF story, and it won’t take long before our positive vibe will have an outsized voice across all of aviation. We are not many, so simply be polite, be professional – the same request we make of our RAF volunteers. Sure, our little airplanes don’t carry the financial weight of one business jet, but remember, if that jet weren’t there, that FBO might be struggling to keep the bills paid on what we bring to the table. We need all of us, big and small alike, to keep this ecosystem healthy. So, when I see an opportunity to engage positively, I do my best to do so.


Just the other day, at Joe Brown’s suggestion, I bought pizza for the crew at the local facility where I buy my avgas. It took six pizzas, and I was very graciously thanked, but it was me who got the most out of it. If we can all do our part to protect this ecosystem that we all depend on, that can be nothing but a good thing.


Be that person who others look forward to helping when you taxi in, maybe offering a helping hand where it is not required. We will all be better for your actions.


– John McKenna, RAF Chairman


Submitted August 14, 2025

Posted in News

Recent Posts

IF WE COULD . . .

By Kodi Myhre • December 23, 2025
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.

WORTH THE READ: STEF GOZA GUEST EDITORIAL

By Taylin Trafton • December 23, 2025
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 DUGAN IS NEW NEBRASKA LIAISON

By lellington • December 21, 2025
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

Jake Hampton

December 15, 2025
AR Ambassador

RAF ADDS MICHIGAN LIAISON SCOTT ANTTILA

By Taylin Trafton • December 11, 2025
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.