Kevin Johnson

A breakfast when Kevin Johnson was in high school determined his future as a pilot. “My dad had served in the US Air Force Reserve as load master on the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, then got his private pilot license when I was five, so we were around flying. But when he flew me to that breakfast, I decided I wanted to learn to fly,” he says. 

Kevin began flying in the Portland, Oregon area when he could rent a “wet” Cessna 150 for about three bucks an hour. In spite of the area’s legendary rains, he attained his private, instrument, and commercial licenses, and eventually flew commercially for a corporate entity in Houston, where he met Melinda. They’ve been married for 37 years and have two grown sons. The elder is an associate professor of pharmacy in Little Rock, AR with two young children; and their younger son is in the construction business.

Now living in Gladstone Oregon a dozen miles south of Portland, Kevin helps his son in the family construction business, and manages their commercial and residential rental properties. Melinda is enjoying retirement.


“In 1976 my dad and I bought a 1969 Cessna 172. We still own it. My son now owns my dad’s half,” he says. Kevin’s younger son earned his license while he was still in college, then got married. His wife earned her license a couple of years later. They have a child, so, “There might be a fourth generation of pilots in our family,” Kevin muses. The tot’s name is Jett, and Kevin’s “grand dog” is named Piper. “We like aviation stuff,” Kevin adds.

In addition to membership in AOPA and the Oregon Pilots Association, Kevin supports EAA and in 2016 he attended an RAF mountain flying seminar at AirVenture, and was motivated to become an RAF supporter. But that didn’t just mean signing up and sending a check. Kevin has volunteered at Oregon’s McKenzie Bridge work parties where he met RAF Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes. He has twice flown his C172, and twice driven to Ryan Field to work on the barn and cabins.

Kevin’s skills are in demand, and he has contributed a lot of gratis construction work locally, as well. He helped build a press box and storage building for Gladstone high school, where he and both his sons attended. Referring to his time on RAF projects, he says, “I’ve done a lot of volunteer work, but this has been the most fun, and the best people.”

He has watched the RAF gain attention and involve more people from all over the country, and their many hours of volunteer effort. “I’ve only worked a few weekends,” he says, adding, “People can see the stuff I do, but everything that people do that’s not visible is more important.” 

Submitted on November 11, 2022.

Recent Posts

FINDING PURPOSE IN THE EFFORT

April 9, 2026
“The only people who can change something are the ones who really want to. And not everybody does.” When I read this, it took me back to the early days of the RAF. We saw a troubling trend taking place — the loss of airstrips across the country with no real organized voices to help put the brakes on the decline. And we really wanted to change that. Change demanded new ideas from us. Ideas that we assumed would initially be resisted. This defined our purpose. Good ideas come with the burden of effort and purpose. That separates those with a strong purpose from those without. We wanted to create an organization that would counteract the attrition of backcountry airstrips we saw taking place. We rolled up our sleeves and didn’t look back. Easy to say now that the RAF was lucky, but it was purpose that drove the organization in the early years; that really formed who we are today. A group of people with a purpose who knew we needed more people who thought like we did, and cared; people who took this idea called the RAF and added to it, keeping it unique but effective. We felt that most of the existing business models in the nonprofit space were not what we needed to be, and we pushed forward persistently with our thinking – thinking that required putting our own personal desires aside and pursuing ones that were for a greater good. You joined in. You, too, found purpose in the RAF and now look where we are. Nearly 15,000 of us are making the necessary sacrifices to make our voices heard, to create a better environment for the future of recreational aviation. We have more opportunities today because of you. Each one of us is important to continue the momentum we have gained. To determine what the RAF can do to further our mission to preserve, improve, and create airstrips for recreational access. To prioritize the many opportunities coming our way. It is about us, and what we are going to do with the time we have left on this earth. This organization will hopefully give you purpose now and in the future. Most importantly, I really hope it will give you as much sense of accomplishment as it has me. Thank you for what you continue to do. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted April 15, 2026

RAF OUTFITTER APRIL FEATURED COLLECTION

April 5, 2026
FEATURING: THE RAF DOG COLLECTION MODELED BY JOSIE & MUD Outfit your four-legged co-pilot for every adventure! From airplane rides to backcountry trails, this collection has everything they need to travel in comfort and style. Featuring two new additions—a stainless steel Orvis dog bowl and DawgMuffs—alongside RAF favorites like the collar, leash, and bandana. This collection includes items designed and created by RAF supporters. Shop the Dog Collection 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 April 5, 2026.

KELLI GANT

April 3, 2026
Call To Action Volunteer

TIME TO REVIEW AIRSTRIP SAFETY BRIEFINGS

March 30, 2026
As you're planning your 2026 flying adventures, remember to review safety briefings for the airstrips you plan to visit. The RAF strongly recommends you review safety briefings and print a copy to have in your airplane - it's even required to fly into some airfields, like Ryan Field (2MT1). For those airfields, pilots flying in are required to review the briefing on an annual basis, and now is the perfect time to catch up on any changes to the runway/area that happened throughout the winter. You can find safety briefings on the RAF Airfield Guide . If an airfield in the Airfield Guide has a required briefing, the airfield listing will clearly indicate it and have a tab to view the briefing. Submitted March 30, 2026 Photo By Jim Stevenson

RAF VOLUNTEERS BEGIN TO RESTORE HISTORIC RANGER AIRFIELD HANGAR

March 30, 2026
RAF Texas volunteers and Ranger Airfield Foundation volunteers helped begin restoration of the historic 1928 Ranger Airfield hangar on March 28. “A Wright biplane landed here at the field in 1911, and people have been using it ever since,” Ranger Airfield Foundation Founder Jared Calvert said. He noted that Amelia Earhart landed there in a Pitcairn Auto Gyro. Richard Bach, Pancho Barnes, and General Patton also landed at the field. It’s the oldest continuously used turf field in Texas.