Joe is Chairman of Hartzell Propeller and involved in the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. He is a member of EAA, RAF, and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
WORTH THE READ: JOE BROWN 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 from Joe Brown, the Chairman of Hartzell Propeller.
An RAF Flatlander Reflects on Good Fortune:
Eight years ago I was standing in a stranger’s crowded living room in Bozeman, Montana.
Members of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association were gathered with a large group of RAF members who were hosting us for a weekend in the backcountry. About half the folks in the room were meeting for the first time.
One of the RAF members greeted us and said something I haven’t forgotten: “We are a campfire sort of group. At the end of our time together, we hope you will leave us with your friendship.”
He meant it. That gathering led to some of my closest friendships.
But that night, this was all new to me. I was charged with a nervous energy about what was ahead. I had spent my life in the very flat part of Ohio. I had recently finished a factory-assisted build of a Glasair Sportsman and was fresh into a tail dragger endorsement.
In other words, I was a menace.
Looking out to the Bridger Mountains that evening, I thought to myself “don’t let anyone think you know anything and listen to those that do.”
That’s how I came to know the RAF. I’ve been in that living room many times since and in lots of others too. At first I thought it was about grass strips and airplanes, but that’s just a point of entry.
Generous friendship is the bond that makes the RAF work and is the source of its rewards. The only credential you need to be a good member is neighborliness. And you have to like orange.
Is there another organization that gathers in homes all across the country? I’ve been welcomed into a dozen RAF member homes in the North West, the Mid West and the North East in the span of a few years.
Is there another organization whose members welcome you as if you were the oldest of friends as they help push your airplane into their hangar or hand you the keys to their car?
Is there another organization that takes you to the people and places that come to fill your photo files and memories?
It’s easy to be sentimental about the RAF community. I’m sitting at a desk in Piqua, Ohio but my walls are covered with photos from places farther away. I see people in jeans and orange that have told me about their families, their favorite camping site, and where to get the best burger in Manhattan. Kansas, that is. I’ve gotten hours of training and advice from those with more skill.
It was only later that I really got thinking about who these folks are outside of the RAF. They may have been camouflaged by RAF swag, but you probably passed the bread to an astronaut, or a mom who flies G650s, a combat pilot with a DFC, an airline CEO, a tech titan, a history teacher, a large-scale Pizza franchise operator and a guy that commanded the Thunderbirds. I’m sure you know what I mean about the talent in the RAF hiding its light under a bushel.
I suspect all of us have had a similar experience coming into this membership. We have plenty to celebrate in our members and the energy they have for life. One of our younger members has racked time in more airplane models than anyone I know and earned his ASEL, AMEL and ASES by a week or so into his 17th year. The chat room with updates and videos of his epic journey had about forty people cheering him on like he was our godchild.
As you get older, you tend to think about the people and activities that give meaning to your life. You think about the good fortune of family, friends and experiences with them. It’s humbling to be content.
Thank you, RAF friends, for your company and wisdom. Thank you for your helping hands in all that we do as an organization. May we always leave the backcountry and our friends glad for our visits.
Submitted on March 28, 2023.
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.
