RAF ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS A SUCCESS; MORE FUN TO COME!

The RAF would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who has helped us celebrate our 20th Anniversary so far this year. People gathered to celebrate in Massachusetts, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Montana, Idaho, and Utah throughout June. Supporters enjoyed RAF cookies, RAF temporary tattoos, RAF “Backcountry Bears,” and some quality time around the campfire. Everyone who attended signed our 20th Anniversary banners and had a chance at winning a prize.



Katama, MA attendees enjoyed underwing camping at the airfield for the first time in years. Folks at Winifred, MT enjoyed group dinners each night and daytime flying to explore the six airstrips in the vast Missouri River Breaks that the RAF helped preserve. In Cornucopia, WI, RAF supporters hiked to a waterfall and delighted in a classic Wisconsin fish fry. At Ryan Field, MT, RAF volunteers gathered for a special dedication of one of the newest camper cabins, donated by WY supporter Joe Feiler.


We hope you enjoy the photos below of our celebrations across the country. Keep reading to earn where you can join the upcoming celebrations!


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If you weren’t able to make it to a June celebration, it’s not too late to join in on the fun! See the celebrations yet to come, and mark your calendar to attend them:

July 29:
Freeman Swank Farms, OH – Enjoy celebrating the RAF’s anniversary on Saturday, July 29 at Swank Farms. [This event was rescheduled from an earlier date due to weather.] Check out the bike trail, or try your hand at some fishing! Bring your own lunch/dinner, and a camp chair. Contact Christine Mortine: cmortine@theraf.org or Freeman Swank: fswank@theraf.org

July 25:
EAA AirVenture, WI – The RAF will celebrate at Oshkosh with donuts, coffee, and camaraderie on the Hartzell rooftop, 9 am-11 am.

Sept. 1-3:
Reserve (Gila) Fly-In, NM – Check out three USFS airstrips that form at triangle around the Gila Wilderness. An RAF Outfitter giveaway is planned for this event! Email Ron Keller for more information: rkeller@theraf.org

Submitted on July 12, 2023.


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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.