Jeanne has been a supporter of RAF since it’s inception. Her aviation work experience includes flying freight, Bureau Chief and Chief Pilot for Montana Aeronautics Division, copilot for the Montana Governor’s Office, and owning a flight school teaching basic aerobatics and mountain flying. She and her husband love flying into backcountry airstrips and are grateful to RAF for working so hard to maintain these aviation treasures.
WORTH THE READ – JEANNE MACPHERSON GUEST EDITORIAL
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 Jeanne MacPherson, a longtime RAF supporter. Here is her philosophy on life, and how it relates to flying . . .
Can we ever become accomplished enough to stop practicing our craft?
Pablo Casals was one of the most renowned musicians of the 20th Century. Though he was a brilliant cellist, even in his eighties Casals continued to practice daily. When asked why he kept practicing when he was the best in the world, he replied: “I feel like I am making progress.”
This lifetime practice resonates with me in so many things that I love to do. Flying our two airplanes takes constant practice. Sometimes it is one of life’s upsets that forces you into learning and practicing yet again. I recently broke my hip ice skating on Canyon Ferry Reservoir’s wild ice. Daily physical therapy and exercise are now my routine. After a two month break from flying, I am once again practicing landings over and over…looking for that “daily progress.” I have never been comfortable with the saying: “any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.” I believe in striving for excellence.
Challenges that I have taken on to improve my ability to land accurately in a stabilized approach at a pre-specified spot are wheel landings in a tailwheel airplane, glassy water landings in a seaplane, short/soft field arrival at a planned spot, touching down on one wheel, and crosswind landings. It is always an ongoing practice.
Enhancing aviation skills can be done in many ways and yet made to be fun. One of my favorite approaches to flight reviews is to engage in add-on ratings or specialized flight training. AOPA’s Air Safety Institute offers “focused flight reviews” using tailored lesson plans for mountain flying, positive aircraft control, IFR proficiency, and others. I encourage you to check them out.
My husband, Bill, and I like to take on new challenges for our flight reviews. Several years ago, we traveled to the world’s best and friendliest airport in Santa Paula, California, to take Rich Stowell’s Emergency Maneuver Training Course at CP Aviation. This course not only challenged us and made as safer pilots but took us down a path toward ownership of a beautiful Super Decathlon and participation in the International Aerobatic Club. This also prompted me to start a flight school for emergency training, aerobatics, and Montana Mountain flying.
I am now retired from my work at Montana Aeronautics Division as Bureau Chief for Safety and Education and from my flight school, Mountain Airdance, but recently our Granddaughter, Graci, has expressed a passion for flying. Now, with a renewed sense of purpose, I am practicing landings from the back seat of our Super Decathlon with Bill in the front. I am making daily progress, getting the sight picture and perception from the rear seat so that I once again can be on top of my game as a flight instructor for our granddaughter Graci.
The philosopher Seneca said: “As long as you live, keep learning how to live.” I believe that if we follow this advice, we – like Pablo Casals the cellist – can keep making progress as pilots.
Submitted April 23, 2024.
Posted in Guest Editorial, News
Recent Posts
“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.
