WORTH THE READ: JOHN PRISCU 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 John Priscu, an RAF supporter and a Regents Professor Emeritus at Montana State University, Bozeman.

Like many in General Aviation, I got the aviation bug in my youth, then spent years raising a family before returning to flight. Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, I attended every airshow at Nellis Air Force Base with my father and uncle. My largest thrill was sitting in a USAF Thunderbird F-100. My uncle, a retired WW2 carrier-based aircraft mechanic, remained active in aviation after leaving the Navy and was the live-in manager at the old Boulder City Airport, allowing him to use hangar space to restore aircraft. My first flight was at the age of four roped to my father in the back of his open cockpit PT-19. At the ripe age of 15 my uncle taught me to fly in his Howard DGA-15P during our many visits to dirt strips in the Southwest, including Chicken Strip in the Saline Valley. 

After leaving Vegas, I eventually ended up in Bozeman, MT, where in 1984 I began a 40-year career at Montana State University. My neighbor taught flying lessons for the Three Forks, MT Flying Club, and at age 50, I got my ticket and eventually bought a Maule, which suited my flying profile to support conservation flying, and fly the backcountry with RAF colleagues.

While flying backcountry in Montana and Idaho I met John and Tricia McKenna. We bonded because we liked to camp, mountain bike, and fly, among other things. I became an enduring RAF supporter. My wife, Barbara, and I were looking for a warmer place to live during winter and John and Tricia helped us locate a home in the St. George, UT area, a decision we do not regret. There I met RAF Publicity Liaison Carmine Mowbray; Wayne Loeber (then RAF Utah Liaison); and Gordon Rock (RAF supporter extraordinaire and all-around great guy); we all eventually owned hangars at Hurricane Airport (1L8) and participated in area RAF activities. 

During one of our mountain biking adventures, John told me about the great biking and flying in Bentonville, Arkansas—I was sold. During the spring of 2024 I planned a flight to Bentonville with a stop in New Mexico. One phone call to John McKenna mentioning my intentions was all it took to get the RAF connections moving. Within days I received emails from RAF NM Liaison Ron Keller and RAF AR Liaison Dave Powell, providing background and support. My plan was to fly to Gallup, NM to visit RAF supporters Perry and Sandra Null, then head to the New Mexico backcountry the next day. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and Ron informed me that due to rains, the backcountry strips would not be a good place to land and camp. I let Perry know and he offered me hangar space and a place to stay. Perry and Sandra were superb hosts showing me their Perry Null Trading Post (highly recommended). The next morning, I was off to Bentonville where I was met by a welcoming crew organized by Dave Powell. Dave put me up in his hangar and the next day we flew “The OZ” with Dave in my right seat, Chip Gibbons in the lead, and RAF Texas/Montana Ambassador Steve Maus bringing up the rear. Having Dave in the right seat was invaluable because everything was so green that I couldn’t tell a grass strip from a mowed agricultural field. The next day Dave arranged to have a mountain bike delivered to the hangar and he took me on a fantastic ride followed by dinner with his wife Julie, and Steve.

After sitting out three days of IFR at Bentonville, I got an MVFR window and departed. After dodging weather through Oklahoma, Texas, and eastern New Mexico, I ended up in Santa Fe, NM for the night. The next morning, I flew direct to 1L8, ending my journey.

After returning home, I reflected on the great folks who helped me along the way and the huge role that my RAF connections played. RAF really is a huge family that includes individuals who drop what they are doing in a minute to help a fellow RAF’er. 

I am honored to be part of the RAF, and am forever indebted to all of the RAF folks for making this flight happen, in addition to all the other RAF efforts preserving great places to land and recreate.

John Priscu is a Regents Professor Emeritus at Montana State University, Bozeman. He spent 40 field seasons conducting research in Antarctica and icy environments in Alaska, Greenland and the Himalaya. As a native of Las Vegas, NV, he became involved in flying at an early age in his uncle’s PT-19 and Howard DGA-15P. Following a 30-year hiatus from flying to raise a family, he received his SEL ticket 24 years ago and now flies a Maule to support conservation flying and fly the backcountry with RAF colleagues.

Submitted January 28, 2025

Posted in Guest Editorial, News

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RAF OUTFITTER JULY FEATURED COLLECTION

July 5, 2026
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. 

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: DRIGGS-REED MEMORIAL, ID

By Carmine Mowbray • July 1, 2026
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

VOLUNTEERS COMPLETE SEASONAL TASKS AT RYAN FIELD

June 30, 2026
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

MAGEE, ID FLOOD MITIGATION ASSESSMENT BEGINS

June 26, 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

TEAMWORK GETS THINGS DONE AT HISTORIC MEDICINE BOW, WYOMING

June 26, 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.