RAF Supporter Ed Kronfuss took on the logistics challenge and procured the posts and rails in Lincoln, Montana. Since no power tools are permitted in the Wilderness, Kronfuss had the posts and rails trucked to the Missoula airport where volunteers pre-drilled them for easier assembly. Daher-Kodiak provided the Kodiak 100 to haul the prepared posts to Moose Creek; and the USFS Shorts Sherpa carried the fence rails.
VOLUNTEER AIRLIFT SUPPORTS MOOSE CREEK RANGER STATION
The following is a press release announced by the U.S. Forest Service Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest Public Affairs Officer.
Recreational Aviation Foundation President Bill McGlynn “considers getting to fly into Moose Creek a real privilege” as do many of his fellow aviation enthusiasts. So, when he learned that there was a volunteer opportunity that he and his fellow pilots were uniquely suited to help with, he jumped at the opportunity. At a regional level review of backcountry Forest Service airstrips, Bill told Forest Service employees that the Sand Point branch of the Daher Company—a French aviation conglomerate–“had offered us 50 hours of Kodiak time to help transport materials” and asked if he could be of assistance and after some discussion the Moose Creek project was identified as a good fit.
Once the project was identified, McGlynn began to mobilize. Utilizing a cost-sharing agreement with the Forest Service, he purchased posts and rails from a local Montana company and had them transported to the Missoula airport. Minuteman Aviation donated its maintenance ramp at the airport for a week so they could perform preparatory work. Because Moose Creek is in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, where only hand tools can be used, his team needed to drill and perform other powered mechanical work before the airlift began. With the help of six eager volunteers, they were ready to start hauling the new fence to Moose Creek only a day later.
Unfortunately, their team hit another snag: the Kodiak was too small a plane for the 10 and 1/2 foot fence rails. Luckily, the USFS Region 1 aviation team led by Shane Bak was able to step in and help with the Shorts Sherpa and load crew that accommodated their materials. The longer rails were all transported, and the work began on time October 13, 2023. The first of 20 volunteers, which included people from Indiana, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and the Pacific Northwest, all flew to Moose Creek to start removing the old fence and assembling new jack-leg fence.
“It wasn’t hard at all for me to recruit people to come help out here when they found out this place needs work and they want to give back,” McGlynn explained. In fact, he intentionally limited recruitment: “We didn’t go broadly asking for people to sign up because we thought we’d get too many volunteers.” The process of putting up the fence “felt like an orchestra with everyone doing what they felt most comfortable doing and were best at.” “The fence went up so fast that we had to slow down because materials weren’t coming fast enough to keep up with us.”
In just four and a half days, McGlynn’s team installed 1260 feet of replacement fence and got all the old, deteriorated fence out and organized in piles to be burnt later. Only 1000 feet of replacement fence remains to be installed. The Historic Moose Creek Ranger Station is the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness hub supporting youth development in resource stewardship, back country recreation, outfitter and guide operations, scientific research, wildland fire management and wilderness values. “RAF’s commitment to Moose Creek Ranger Station goes well beyond solely benefitting recreational aviation. Their work supports the wide variety of work we do, and we are fortunate to have them as partners,” said Moose Creek istrict Ranger Ron Tipton.
Submitted November 30, 2023
Posted in News
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“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
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.
Call To Action Volunteer
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 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.
