Joyce Woods was introduced to flying by her husband Art. Flying since 1993, she is multi-engine and instrument rated and owns a Cessna Hawk XP. A retired engineer, she actively volunteers with NMPA, RAF, EAA, and facilitates the NM Airstrip Network.
WORTH THE READ: JOYCE WOODS 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 Joyce Woods, an RAF friend and volunteer who also facilitates the NM Airstrip Network.
“Value is Created with Partners” was my new manufacturing boss’s mantra in the 90’s. Inspired to reform our leadership culture, he demanded teamwork from his department heads vs. the typical management style of the time, driven by egos. Previously, I was coached that the way to get things done was to pound your fist on the table. It never seemed right to me.
When I first heard rumblings of forming a backcountry group in New Mexico, there was great interest in a closed state-owned airstrip adjacent to a state park. Meetings were arranged to pursue reopening the field that had been X’d out on the charts for many years. Meeting resistance, the bulldog approach was invoked by eager but well-meaning pilots, triggering a Mayor Daley style response by the agency. The field was slashed and removed from the charts. We still dream about access to this and another airfield on land this agency since purchased. If we only knew then, the lessons RAF has taught us.
Enthusiastic members of the New Mexico Pilots Association (NMPA) formed a Backcountry Committee in 2009 which immediately benefitted from RAF resources and leadership counsel. The NM Recreational Use Statute was amended. We used the Land Managers Guide and gained support for volunteer efforts at public and private airfields.
New Mexico success with USFS airstrips is the result of partnerships established at multiple levels. Relationships developed by John McKenna and Mark Spencer (AZ Liaison) with top Region 3 leadership enabled initial green lights. At the forest level, the friendship developed by Larry Filener and Ron Keller (past and current NM Liaisons) with now retired John Pierson, previously Reserve District Ranger in the Gila National Forest. John, who joined Negrito Airstrip work parties sleeping under the stars with only a bedroll, immediately recognized the value of our team. He bragged on hardworking, resourceful pilots with easy access to remote areas, establishing a sustained partnership.
In 2016, the New Mexico Airstrip Network was formalized with an MOU signing and roundtable sharing of each leader’s perspective of mutual benefits. Our 13-member partnership endures despite numerous leadership personnel changes. Besides RAF and NMPA, network partners are BLM, USFS, state agencies (Aviation, Economic Development, Tourism, and State Land Office), AOPA, EAA, USPA, NM Airport Managers, and the NM Council of Outfitters and Guides.
Volunteers at annual NMPA/RAF work parties rehabilitated and reopened two USFS abandoned airfields, rebuilt fences and nearby campgrounds, and helped fund and install camping amenities near airstrips including two vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, and a shade structure. These and Ron Keller’s leadership for continued NMPA/RAF airfield maintenance support have not gone unnoticed. A recent USFS news release highlighted the value of this partnership.
Working together with the BLM resulted in getting Cuba Landing Strip (NM2) back on the charts. Three new private airfields were charted and another rehabilitated. Working with NM Aviation and Tourism is bringing visibility to the economic value of recreational aviation through fly-ins to rural airports, often paired with a nearby backcountry weekend event. A refueling stop with free lunch for pilots; what’s not to like?
Cultivating personal relationships and partnering for mutual benefit is key. We value each airstrip access permission and work party support obtained, and never take a partner relationship for granted. Per John McKenna’s sage advice, we strive to “be polite but persistent”. Demonstrating patience and our commitment to preserve public lands and wildlife, perhaps someday we’ll add new partners and earn access to those currently off-limits airfields. Meanwhile, we enjoy flying the Gila region, a Southwestern New Mexico gem, especially this June as we celebrate 100 years of the Gila Wilderness, the first in the nation.
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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.
