Matt Rhoades

Matt Rhoades
October 20, 2024
A man wearing headphones and a hat is smiling in a car.

Matt Rhoades caught the flying passion from his employer at Setpoint Systems Inc. who flew a Cirrus out of Centennial, Colorado. One day he picked up Matt and a colleague from their Scottsdale meeting and flew them to Las Vegas for dinner. “That planted the seed,” Matt says. “It’s one thing to land at McCarran in a 737 looking out the little window. It’s another thing to be in a Cirrus with a 360º view!”

In 2013, Matt transitioned to Meta (Facebook) in Prineville, OR. From his floor-to-ceiling office window he can watch operations at the airport, including the Forest Service initial-attack rappelling training from Sikorsky helicopters. After an introductory flight over Maui, that first entry in his new logbook inspired him to finish his PPL then fly the backcountry. Matt credits instructor Lee Smith for excellent training, as they experienced strips throughout Idaho’s backcountry including 1,500-ft Krassel USFS airstrip. “The pursuit is unique for everybody,” Matt says, “and when he signed me off, it was a big milestone for me.”



Having grown up in Colorado, Matt says learning to fly in the Oregon-Idaho region was equally beneficial. “We have a hyper diversity of environments. We have rocks, rivers, and terrain out here.” He says in his C182 he can be at the Oregon coast or Eastern Oregon in under an hour; Seattle or Reno in two hours. “Its a great place to live, a 200-mile radius is unbelievable.” He folds his bike and fits it perfectly in his 182. 


He dreams of flying commercially in Alaska, or maneuvering a turbine floatplane in the busy waters of metropolitan Seattle. “If all my dreams came true, I would be a DPE, doing check rides to pay the bills,” he adds.


When Matt learned of the aviation organization that helped a landowner open his private airstrip for public access, he was impressed. He learned of the Ryan Field fly-in where he met, “such a quality of people,” and offered to help by providing Facebook ad credits. He joined a work party at McKenzie Bridge organized by Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes. “This might be the best organization on earth for my interests,” he realized. He recognizes the impact of RAF efforts on national policy. “Thanks to every supporter who’s picked up a shovel, a pencil, or a dollar bill. This mission means everything to me.”

Another area where Matt contributes is on Pilots and Paws missions, organized by RAF Director Emeritus Jerry Cain. “He does a great job of pilot-minded planning,” Matt says. 


“I’m a big cyclist and outdoor enthusiast,” Matt says modestly, for a fellow who routinely logs 3,000-6,000 miles a year. “I am a firm believer that the best thing you can add to your airplane is a bicycle.”

Matt’s father was a commercially-rated pilot who’d ceased flying decades ago. Upon seeing Matt go through pilot training, it rekindled his passion. The elder Rhoades got re-current training and joined a flying club. They flew his club plane to Santa Fe for an AOPA fly-in, flew to the High Sierra, and attended AirVenture together. On reflection, Matt admits that before he started flying, he and his father didn’t realize they had much in common. “After 33 years of not having much to bond over, we’ve done some terrific things together,” Matt says. 

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.