RAF FEATURED SUPPORTER: DR. CHRIS ERKMANN

RAF Supporter Chris Erkmann lives in Chesterfield, Missouri – about 20 miles west of St. Louis, midway between the airfields at Trigger Gap, AR and Henderson, IL. He has flown his 1962 Cessna 182 into both places to volunteer at work parties alongside other RAF supporters. 

But these hour-long flights don’t begin to tell Chris’s story. He’s a retired pediatric anesthesiologist, (and after serving a full career in St. Louis, he dedicated himself to further service with) but now serves as a volunteer medical missionary with Operation Smile as part of a team performing reconstructive cleft surgery on children all over the world. 

 

“When someone asks where all I have been for these missions, it’s easier to list the places I have not been,” he says. His most recent assignment took him to Morocco. Many of his missions have been to far-flung locations like Rwanda, Nicaragua, and Amman, Jordan. 

RAF Supporter Chris Erkmann lives in Chesterfield, Missouri – about 20 miles west of St. Louis, midway between the airfields at Trigger Gap, AR and Henderson, IL. He has flown his 1962 Cessna 182 into both places to volunteer at work parties alongside other RAF supporters. 

Here in the US he enjoys flying off the beaten path into turf airfields for camping and bicycling. He removed the back seat of his Skylane to fit the bike and camping gear. 

 

After high school, his father surprised him with the offer to pay for flying lessons. Chris set aside his model airplanes, and began learning at busy St. Louis Lambert International Airport, which still allowed private flight training in the early 70s. “I spent a lot of time holding short waiting for heavy iron taking off,” he said.

 

He worked his way through medical school and anesthesia residency, finishing in 1984, then joined a soaring club in St Louis where he enjoyed flying sailplanes for several years. “It wasn’t really a family activity,” he said, so he looked into powered aircraft ownership. He heard a few people say they “wished they had their 182 back,” and in 1990 decided to find one. It’s what he still flies today. He’s flown it from Fairbanks to Key West, Tucson, and numerous places in between. 

 

Chris’s first response is to volunteer, and when he learned of the Trigger Gap pavilion building project several years back, he removed the wheel pants, and flew in to help. “I met great people, made wooden chairs for the venue, and admired the skills of the workers building the beautiful pavilion.” He’s always willing to pick up a tool and help out and has joined RAF Ambassador Dave Warner in Illinois restoring the turf airfield and camping amenities at Henderson, saying he enjoyed working with that great group of people there. 

 

“I get a lot of satisfaction working with a team of volunteers with a shared interest, then kicking back around the campfire together,” he said.


Follow along with Dr. Erkmann on his medical missions at chriserkmann.wordpress.com


Submitted July 14, 2026

By Carmine Mowbray

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FEATURED AIRSTRIP: KEG KNOLL, UT

By Carmine Mowbray • August 28, 2026
Some outdoor enthusiasts experience Utah’s Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness from the flat and peaceful water of the Green River as it goosenecks between Navajo Sandstone canyon walls, spires, and side arches. From a vantage high above, this region of stunning geologic and cultural wonders is equally as stunning. Thanks to the diligence of the RAF’s Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig, pilots may now land on a mesa overlooking the vast San Rafael Desert at Keg Knoll airstrip. This public airstrip is truly a gateway to some of Utah's most remarkable canyon country near Horseshoe Canyon and Canyonlands National Parks, offering a quiet alternative to the busy national park trails. Lessig led an effort over the past three years to advocate for the reopening of Keg Knoll airstrip. Various meetings were organized with the BLM to explore whether the airstrip could be reopened as allowed by the Wilderness Act, leading to the BLM's decision to authorize public access earlier this year. Lessig is planning a work party at Keg Knoll this fall with BLM and Utah Back Country Pilots to further improve the airstrip. Keg Knoll Airstrip has outstanding recreational value and offers pilots ready access to a true wilderness experience. Trails take visitors past ancient stories etched in desert varnish and painted on stone. Or to Colonnade Arch – just two miles from the airstrip – much-photographed for its five time-honed windows in the sandstone. Pilots are reminded that this airstrip lies within a Wilderness Area and all wilderness rules apply, including leaving all motorized and mechanized devices at home; no bicycles, drones, power tools, etc. The southwest 700 feet of the original airstrip is closed to aircraft due to sensitive vegetation. Those seeking a remote, dark sky experience should put Keg Knoll on their travel plan. Bring your self-reliance, and leave nothing behind. The RAF is thrilled that this airstrip has opened this year as part of its nationwide Expanding the Map initiative. Find out more about Keg Knoll airstrip in the Airfield Guide and on our dedicated web page . Submitted August 28, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray

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