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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FEATURING: RAF PULASKI GLASSES Raise a glass to the work that keeps backcountry aviation alive! These RAF Pulaski Glasses are a perfect addition to your bar or a thoughtful gift for any aviation or backcountry enthusiast. Each glass features the RAF’s signature Pulaski tool, a tribute to the hardworking volunteers who preserve, improve, and protect airstrips across the country. Just like the tool itself, these glasses celebrate grit, utility, and a commitment to getting the job done. The Pulaski is a versatile, heavy-duty tool used for trail building, chopping wood, and clearing brush, making it an essential part of backcountry work for RAF volunteers. Made in the USA from high-quality glass, they’re built to last. Get yours today.
You’d have a hard time finding a more beautiful place to fly than Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport (KDIJ). The Grand Teton, Big Hole, and Snake River mountain ranges surround this eastern Idaho valley. Driggs has become a world-class destination for the pilot community. National Geographic magazine listed Driggs as “one of the ten best outdoor recreation destinations in the U.S.” Just a 45-minute drive over Teton Pass is Jackson, Wyoming, a famous Western destination. The airport, at an elevation of 6,257, accommodates aircraft on both its 7,300-ft paved runway and 3,000-ft turf landing area, marked with cones. Note: The SW 3,451 feet of the paved runway is closed until August for reconstruction. Check NOTAMS before landing. Fly-in visitors are welcome to camp underwing at its grassy tie-down area. It’s an ideal gateway to the Idaho backcountry. Enjoy views of the nearby Teton Range from the 12' x 16' cedar pilot shelter. There is potable water, a toilet, power, a gas barbecue, and a charging station nearby. Within walking distance of the campground is the Forage restaurant. A bike shed and loaner bikes, provided by the Idaho Aviation Association Borrow-A-Bike program, are available to ride into town. If you desire a more urban experience or wish to explore further, the airport has rental cars. “It’s a great destination for the pilot community, with access to hiking, biking, fishing, floating, golf and a small town with numerous shops and restaurants,” RAF Director and Driggs resident Tim Riley says. He and a local RAF supporter recently completed a spring cleanup to ready it for the season. The amenities were provided cooperatively through the RAF, the Idaho Aviation Association (IAA), the City of Driggs, and its Airport Board, with financial contributions from each. For more information on Driggs, see the Airfield Guide . Submitted July 1, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
It’s bear grass season around West Glacier, Montana, and nearly a score of volunteers from three different states drove in to Ryan Field June 12-13 to complete seasonal maintenance, and enjoyed spotting the showy blooms throughout the woods. Bear scat was also seen in several places – a reminder that a clean camp protects both campers and wildlife. The airfield remains closed until the new runway grass has stabilized for landing, so watch the Airfield Guide for an announcement that the field has re-opened. As a result, there was no annual Ryan Fly-in this year. Volunteers removed downed trees, cleared and marked hiking trails, mowed around the buildings and part of the runway, cleaned bear boxes, the pilot shelter, cabins, and barn. “We welcomed new volunteers and continue to work hard maintaining the field. We are as eager as everyone for the grass to take good hold so the runway can open again,” Administrative Director Tricia McKenna said. Submitted June 30, 2026
RAF President Bill McGlynn met in mid-June with the US Forest Service, Idaho Dept of Aeronautics, and Idaho Aviation Association to evaluate steps to improve Magee (S77) airstrip, 23 nm east of Coeur d’Alene. On the way, Bill picked up Joe Sober, one of two airport engineers from Oklahoma City who have volunteered their professional services and have been instrumental in creating maintenance and remediation plans on Idaho backcountry airstrips. “The Forest Service engineering teams have too much on their plate just addressing roads, so having this resource to make airstrip engineering assessments and plans is instrumental to resolving challenges on USFS airstrips like Magee,” McGlynn said. The improvement project at Magee has been organized through a Cost Share Agreement that the RAF has with the USFS. McGlynn, Sober, Willy Acton of the Idaho Airstrip Network, along with USFS District Ranger Holly Hampton, Don Macintosh of IAA, Dan Conner of Idaho Aeronautics, and RAF Idaho Ambassador George Weaver investigated the sources of flooding that plague Magee airstrip every spring and analyzed means of redirecting the problematic water. Magee airstrip was created in the 1940s by the Corps of Engineers as a hidden fighter base in case of a Japanese attack on the western US coast. A dike that was built to channel water away from the runway has eroded over the past eighty years. Sober took numerous measurements and will develop a plan to submit to the USFS for approval. Work could begin over the next year or two to recover about 700 feet of runway. “We truly could not do this work without our volunteer engineers and are very fortunate to have their expertise,” McGlynn said. Weaver said, “The airstrip is a real gem, and the restoration work will make it a great backcountry destination.” Submitted June 28, 2026
“It was really nice to spend some time with Wyoming folks cleaning up a little piece of history,” RAF WY/UT Ambassador Karen Larson said of the May 30 work party at Medicine Bow airport, on the historic US airmail route. RAF Wyoming Liaison Joe Feiler organized the work and reports that about 15 people with a wide range of backgrounds arrived at 9 am to help. Attendees included RAF supporters, EAA Chapter 420 members, local residents, as well as Lee Cook, Medicine Bow airport board member and town council member.
