Charlie Gregoire is co-founder of Redbird Flight Simulations and currently serves as its President and Chief Operating Officer. As an avid aviator, Charlie has been flying airplanes (land and sea) for nearly 25 years, and has recently attained his CFI certificate. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife, Jamie, and their three daughters, with whom he shares his passion for flight.
WORTH THE READ: CHARLIE GREGOIRE GUEST EDITORIAL
WORTH THE READ: CHARLIE GREGOIRE GUEST EDITORIAL
November 25, 2024
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 month’s guest editorial is by Charlie Gregoire, the President/COO of Redbird Flight Simulations and an RAF Volunteer.
A few months ago, Clay Simmons wrote a Guest Editorial that I thought hit the nail on the head. If you missed it, I highly recommend that you read it now. Clay’s passion for aviation and his desire to provide others with the opportunity to join in this unique experience comes across very clearly. For me, reading it was a powerful reminder to not get so blinded by the “what” that you lose sight of the “why.” Simon Sinek would be proud.
So why do we do the things we do? That’s a broad and contemplative question that has kept behavioral psychologists, theologians and parents of toddlers scratching their heads since the dawn of time. I’m a naturally inquisitive person but this particular existential enigma is not one that I am qualified to opine on, so perhaps I should be more specific. Why do we, as proud supporters and volunteers of the RAF, do the things that we do in the name of the organization? While everyone’s personal motivations are unique, I feel confident in broadly asserting that for most, if not all of us, it comes down to one word. Community.
The RAF’s official mission statement says that it “…preserves, improves, and creates airstrips for recreational access.” That’s a very concise summation of the “what” but it doesn’t address the “why.” It’s easy to conflate those two things but they’re not the same. When British mountaineer George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Mt. Everest, he famously responded “because it’s there.” Mallory’s response illustrates a uniquely human desire to face a seemingly insurmountable challenge head on for no other purpose than to say that we could. Can the same be said about the work we do? Do we clear trees and mow grass just because it’s there to be cleared and mowed? Do we lobby bureaucrats because they are there to be lobbied? Of course not.
The RAF doesn’t preserve, improve and create airstrips just because they are there. We preserve them, we improve them, we create them in the earnest hopes that they will serve as gathering points, community hubs around which we can create shared experiences with those we love, and those we have yet to meet. Whether you’re a part of a group of pilots looking for a challenging and unique aviation experience, or you’re a loner in search of the most remote area of the world to contemplate the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, we hope these special places that we toil over will provide for you.
It’s easy to think of the RAF as a steward of airstrips and while that’s true, it’s not the whole truth. Maintaining strips would be pointless if no one used them. So to be more complete we must also think of the RAF as a steward of the community it has inherited and participates in. Gathering, strengthening, encouraging a community of aviators is now and always has been at the heart of why we do what we do. It’s why I have and will continue to proudly support this fantastic foundation.
Recreational aviation didn’t start with us and as long as we continue to behave as true stewards, it won’t end with us. We must continue to carry on with our mission, to preserve, improve, and create airstrips and aviators. It’s our responsibility to ensure that these experiences we enjoy so completely are available and accessible to the pilots who come after us. In addition to ensuring access to strips, this means we must arm those pilots with the necessary tools, resources and training so that they may find and enjoy them safely.
Of course all this is just my opinion, but that’s what you get when you read a guest editorial. Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments below. I welcome open and honest conversation. That is, after all, the best way to build community.
P.S. If you are the aforementioned loner, the answer of course is 42. For the question…I’ll leave that to Douglas Adams to explain.
Submitted November 27, 2024.
Posted in Guest Editorial, 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.
