RAF FEATURED SUPPORTER: PAT HARTNESS

Pat Hartness laid aside his logbook at age 75 after a remarkable life in aviation.“It was the perfect opportunity to start driving a tractor and still stay actively involved in aviation,” he says. It opened a new chapter of his passion to inspire others. After 8,000 VFR hours in everything from PiperCubs, an AirCam, Stearman, to a P-51, and a lot of grease under his fingernails, he gets just as much pleasure sharing the joy of flight from the right seat, or terra firma.


Both his parents had flown for the Civil Air Patrol, which ignited Pat’s early interest in aviation. Now he finds joy in his family partnership – that includes friend and pilot Pat Derrick – managing Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina. Along with his wife, Mary Lou, Pat gave the land to Triple Tree Aerodrome, the 501c3, that now includes an aircraft museum and seven thousand feet of groomed turf in the middle of their 400 acres of beautiful South Carolina. During scheduled events, they invite everyone to land, camp under their wing, stroll through their remarkable collection of aircraft, or enjoy their four-star Hotel Hartness just a few minutes from the field. Who wouldn’t be excited to stay in the resort that Travel and Leisure rated “First in the State” – and Number Three in the nation?


Pat explains that, “Our partnership set up the charity in order to continue maintaining it all as ‘Everybody’s Airport’. We’re boutique,” he added. “We’re not interested in commercial development, or hosting vendors, just interested in people.” He pointed out that they’ll host 80,000 visitors a year. They state that the place is “two-and-a-half times the size of Disneyland,” and his wife Mary Lou and their entire family all take part in the aerodrome business, and managing the hotel. 


A large part of Pat’s joy comes from mentoring young people. “We’re passing the torch to these young people,” he said proudly. Pat encouraged one youth to fly Triple Tree’s Piper Cub to each state in the Lower 48. “He had to wait for thermals to make it over Homestake Pass,” Pat said, “but he said the scenery was awful pretty on the way down. We challenge young people like that. We believe in them, they are competent,” he added. A man of his word, in July, he sent that young man and three other young pilots off in the museum’s 87-year-old 450-hp Spartan Executive to AirVenture, to negotiate the hubbub of mixed aircraft, all arriving at OSH at different airspeeds. “Their combined ages were less than the age of the airplane,” he exclaimed.

Another way Pat inspires others is by hosting a huge group of radio-controlled aircraft enthusiasts. He trains and mentors them, and says that probably 70 to 80 percent go on to fly powered flight, many commercially. “You can learn an awful lot flying a radio-controlled aircraft safely. It teaches the principles of flight, and an RC aircraft requires every input, accurately,” he said. Annually, RC enthusiasts comprise about half of Triple Tree’s total attendance.


Pat met the RAF at Lakeland, FL around 2006, about the same time Triple Tree started their full scale fly-ins, and he immediately became a supporter. “We have similar missions – people who are putting airports together. It’s what we are all about,” he said. Like the RAF, Triple Tree welcomes volunteers who often use their vacations to pitch in maintaining the place in pristine condition, and it’s obvious they come and work for something more than Pat and Mary Lou’s free lunch. 


To ensure that passion for aviation continues, Pat points out that profits from aerodrome activities go into flight scholarships, amounting to $25,000 each year. Pat is working toward expanding their on-site education center for folks of all ages to embark on aviation’s learning path. The aerodrome hosts summer camps for both GA and RC students, an entire portfolio of learning opportunities in its Aviation Centered Education, or ACE programs. Pat supported the development of AviCom – the first ever simulated flying competition for high school teens.



In closing, Pat invites everyone to Triple Tree’s annual week-long fly-in September 23-29. “It’s like no other airport. Bring your fishing pole, hiking shoes, and plan on making some friends,” he said.


See ww.tta.aero for details, and scheduled events.

Submitted September 17, 2024
By Carmine Mowbray

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.