The RAF sponsored a volunteer work party at McKenzie Bridge State Airport (00S) June 2 and 3. Approximately 40 volunteers turned out, contributing more than 360 work hours. Most of the volunteers came from Oregon. “We also attracted two RAF members on their way from Florida to Alaska, and an RAF member who flew from Boise, Idaho specifically for the event,” RAF Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes said. Most enjoyed camping on the airfield.
OREGON’S MCKENZIE BRIDGE AIRPORT IMPROVED
Many volunteers drove to the site, bringing three tractors, brush clearing equipment and hand tools. They filled and smoothed rodent holes and mowed the airfield and tie-down areas and cleared brush from around the windsock, tie-downs, gates, outhouse and runway edges. The end markers, airport sign and warning signs were cleared of brush and painted; and the segmented circle repaired and painted. They repaired the broken split rail boundary fence and repaired, cleaned and painted the outhouse inside and out.
“I would estimate the in-kind value of the donated materials and equipment time at approximately five thousand dollars,” Richard said “I was humbled at the positive response we received from the pilot community to this call for action. Everyone who took time from his or her busy lives to make a contribution to this effort has my sincere appreciation. We absolutely left the airfield in better condition than it has been in many years. I invite pilots to fly in and check it out. If you like what you see, please contact the Oregon Department of Aviation to share your thoughts on the work completed, and thank them for allowing the RAF to hold this work party,” he added.
After the work was done, folks went hiking, and mountain biking on the nearby McKenzie River trail. Others napped in the shade by the McKenzie River, or shared stories with new friends. The showing of a Godzilla movie followed a wonderful potluck barbecue dinner.
The RAF thanks every volunteer who made time to travel and pitch in. We also thank Taylor NW Construction of Bend, for donating and transporting the fill material, and Infinity Air of Albany for helping with the barbecue.
“The volunteers all worked very hard, but we also enjoyed the companionship of our fellow pilots who believe we have a responsibility to help preserve airfields like McKenzie Bridge. It would be a pleasure to continue this effort in collaboration with the ODA,” Richard wrote in his report to the Oregon Department of Aviation.
Submitted on June 11, 2018
Posted in News
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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.
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 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
AR Ambassador
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.
