Lynn has her private pilot rating with ASEL, ASES, instrument rating, high performance, complex, and tailwheel endorsements. She enjoys flying her Super Cub “54-Pop” equipped with 31” Bushwheels around the backcountry of Montana during the summer/fall, and switches to smaller tires and hydraulic wheel skis during the winter and spring months in Montana. She currently serves as an RAF Ambassador and the leader of the RAF’s Backcountry Etiquette Team.
WORTH THE READ: LYNN MARETH 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 Lynn Mareth, an RAF Ambassador and leader of the Backcountry Etiquette Team.
Spring is in the air here in northwest Montana. The swallows have returned to our place and are making lazy figure eights through the air as they swoop over the river in search of a tasty meal. I just finished a lovely flight in my Super Cub along the jagged snow-capped peaks that border our now lush green valley. As I descended over the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near Hungry Horse, I marveled at the roiling waters of the spring runoff and how they elegantly joined a long thread of emerald green waters at its confluence with the South Fork. It’s a sure sign that spring is here and that summer is on its way.
With the summer flying season right around the corner, our RAF Backcountry Etiquette Team has been quietly working in the background on initiatives that promote responsible aviation in the backcountry. Our goal is to help educate and mentor newer pilots and remind seasoned pilots to respect and protect our special places to ensure these airstrips will remain accessible for future generations to enjoy.
When I first envisioned promoting backcountry etiquette within the RAF in the fall of 2023, I wasn’t sure where it would lead, or if it really aligned with the RAF’s mission. The McKennas suggested that we share the idea with supporters during the next regional educational conferences. The consensus was that the RAF should pursue the initiative as it does align with the RAF’s mission to preserve airstrips. Next, we assembled a diverse team of pilots who are passionate about what we are trying to accomplish. The team has been collaborating on a lot of great ideas that we have started to implement, and I am hopeful that our message is well received.
I’m always in awe of the caliber of people we have supporting the RAF. Many of these volunteers willingly provide all three T’s of philanthropy: their Time, Talent and Treasure. It is very rare to have so many volunteers like this in an organization as they continue to work tirelessly in support of the RAF’s mission throughout the year. Sometimes I feel insignificant with what I do in support of the RAF, but I know that even my small contributions are an essential cog in the wheel that keeps us moving forward like the annual cycle of the changing seasons.
Aristotle once said, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” which makes me believe that it is the combined interaction of our RAF family that makes this organization so special, and one that I’m truly grateful to be a part of.
Submitted May 23, 2025
Posted in Guest Editorial
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RAF New Hampshire Liaison John Meade coordinated a work party over the June 13-14 weekend at Hawthorne-Feather Airpark, 8B1. The paved 3,260-ft runway lies in a forested valley three miles south of Hillsborough, New Hampshire. Additionally, there is a 2,000 foot adjoining turf landing area to the East of the paved runway. The airpark is privately owned, but is open to the public, and camping is allowed. A group of 11 volunteers showed up to help, including RAF Director Bill Brine. The group helped open up five campsites on the southern end of the airfield, installed a commemorative flagpole, and weed-whacked along drainage ditches and a walking trail. “With volunteers from six different states and great weather, this was a special day, with plenty accomplished,” Meade said. Submitted June 23, 2026
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 guest editorial is by Neil Mortine, a marketing and relations executive, RAF Supporter, and husband of RAF Ohio Liaison Christine Mortine.
Taylor Flat Airstrip, just a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River as it carves through spectacular Utah canyons, is officially reopened. Thanks to a cooperative effort between the RAF and Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP), Taylor Flat Airstrip, TF9, is one more recreational destination pilots can once again enjoy as the RAF works on Expanding The Map ! In 2023, dialog was initiated with the BLM to reopen the airstrip. Daggett County got involved, and RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig navigated the required NEPA process. Lessig was instrumental in preparing a right of way (ROW) lease agreement application, coordinating between Daggett County, the BLM, and other stakeholders, and gathering information to assist the BLM throughout the required Environmental Assessment. “Thanks to Wendy taking action as the RAF Liaison, and her professional persistence following through the lengthy public review process, Taylor Flat Airstrip will reopen as another unique backcountry destination," RAF President Bill McGlynn said. The RAF and UBCP teamed up May 9 to revitalize the airstrip, which had lain dormant for thirty years. “The work party was a resounding success,” Lessig reports. ”We are grateful for the twenty-five volunteers who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, and used them to mark the runway corners and threshold. “
Starting this month, we’re sharing messages from our RAF Safety, Education and Etiquette “SEE” committee. We hope you like the way we present these stories, and most importantly, we hope you’re one of those folks willing to sit around the campfire and help your friends become better at this thing we call backcountry aviation. We all see things that might not end well. We don’t intend to call anyone out for what might already be a bad day in someone’s flying life. In the interest of safety, we’re inviting you to be part of the culture starting with, “see something, say something.” The hard part might be how to politely deliver that message, and even more important, how to react if we are on the receiving end of someone’s comment. It takes maturity to accept input, especially at one of those moments when maybe we realize things could have just gotten much worse for us. I know I’ve been in “that place” when some thoughtful input about my flying or behavior has been offered. Part of flying is to always strive to be better; and when we aren’t at our best, try to own our shortcomings, learn from them, and move forward. I think about this often. I worry that if we don’t work at getting this part right, at best we risk losing access due to bad practices or behavior; and at worst we risk people getting hurt or worse. It’s that last piece that keeps me up at night. Of all the joys that doing this work brings us at the RAF, the risk of people getting hurt is what I think about the most. Safety, education, and etiquette are tied. Getting these right means the best outcome. So, get out there this summer. Get some grass stains on your wheels, get some bugs on your windscreen, get better at your craft of flying the airplane, meet some new people, and for sure start to create those special friendships that begin around a campfire under a starlit night. - John McKenna, RAF Chairman Submitted June 16, 2026
By RAF Director Bill Brine and the RAF's Safety, Education, and Etiquette Committee. Too many backcountry accidents happen on the third approach. After two unsuccessful attempts at landing, the pilot is tired, anxious, behind the airplane, and making decisions with a brain that has been running down since the first go-around. The airstrip hasn’t gotten easier. Third time’s NOT a charm. What’s driving this is cultural. Baseball is “three strikes, you’re out.” Could this thinking have joined us in the cockpit? We aren’t playing baseball out here. The backcountry does not give you that third strike. It gives you consequences. Our RAF Code of Conduct calls on each of us to establish personal minimums based on sound aeronautical decision-making — before we need them. Decide your limits at the kitchen table. Write it down. Brief your passengers. Commit to it before you start the engine. That’s when the rule does its job and leads to that hoped-for experience you set out on. Here is one worth considering: two attempts, fly away, head somewhere else . Not because your mission failed, but because you made a sound decision. Flying away is not defeat. Head to your alternate. Land, shut down, and let everyone decompress. Unload gear, leave passengers, go back solo, or call it a day. Those are good outcomes. Submitted June 15, 2026 Photo Credit: Scott Newpower
