WORTH THE READ: MATHIEU LABS 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 guest editorial is by Mathieu Labs, a pilot, and RAF Vice President of Appreciation.

A Life in Flight – From My First Ride to Giving Back:

My aviation story really started before I can even remember. When I was just a year old, my grandpa, Bob Ross, put me in his Cessna 150, N11630, for my very first ride. That might have been the only time I ever needed a seat cushion to see over the dash, being tall has its perks. Before he passed, we shared countless flights across Wisconsin and even made it to Oshkosh together more than once. I remember him waking up at sunrise for the show, dragging me out onto the grass in my sleeping bag, and when he returned from his shower, I was still half-asleep. Years later, when I earned my Private Pilot License, I finally got to return the favor. I took him up in a Cessna 172. He didn’t touch the controls that time, but the smile on his face told me everything I needed to know.

Since then, aviation has been a constant part of my daily life. I’ve been lucky enough to experience things I never would have dreamed of, like flying hammerheads over Monterey Bay in an Extra 300 with Sean D. Tucker, or proposing to my wife in a Cessna 172 over a snow-covered landscape. None of those moments would have happened without my grandpa giving me that first ride.

I’ve found myself deeply involved in the aviation community through a handful of organizations that I love for different reasons. With EAA Chapter 1710, I serve as President and Young Eagles Coordinator. Through the Civil Air Patrol, I fly as an Orientation, VFR, and Transport Mission Pilot. With the Recreational Aviation Foundation, I help out as one of VPs of Appreciation, personally writing thank you notes to our donors. And with the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, I get to write and share stories that inspire others. Across all of these, the most rewarding part has been giving back, flying over 400 Young Eagles and 40 CAP cadets, and watching their faces light up when they take the controls for the very first time.

One of the things I look forward to most lately is spending PTO time at Gillette’s Lakewood Lodge (14WS) for the RAF’s spring and fall work parties. People always say nonprofits feel like family, but with the RAF, it’s absolutely true. At my first spring work party, I was welcomed like I’d been part of the group forever. We worked hard, but between the meals, the laughter, and the stories, I think I left with just as much weight as I lost sweating out in the field. I even wrote an article about that experience, which ended up getting some great traction.

This fall’s work party was just as special. Over 40 volunteers showed up, and I told the organizer we’d finish before Sunday, which he didn’t believe. By early Saturday afternoon, everything was done. That’s the kind of energy and teamwork you find at these events. Beyond the work, it’s about the friendships you make, the people you meet at fly-ins, through mutual friends, or sometimes folks who aren’t even pilots at all but come to support Bob and Judy’s incredible work at the lodge.

At the end of the day, aviation has given me so much more than just flying. It’s given me community, purpose, and memories that will stay with me forever. I always encourage others to give back however they can. Whether it’s flying Young Eagles, joining a local chapter, or picking up a shovel at a work party, every effort makes a difference. Aviation may be a small world, but the impact we leave on others can be huge.

Mathieu’s love of aviation started at the age of 1 when his grandpa gave him a ride in his Cessna 150. Since then, he has been to OSH every year since 1990. Mathieu attended the University of Dubuque for aviation management and marketing, received his MBA, and serves as a Senior Logistics Coordinator, providing support to Fortune 500 companies. Mathieu likes flying around Wisconsin with his wife Lauren in a Cessna 172 or Citabria. When Mathieu isn’t flying, he enjoys doing any outdoor activity and traveling with his two 4-legged kids Moose & Zanna, competing at dock diving events.

Submitted October 22, 2025

Posted in Guest Editorial, News

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VOLUNTEERS IMPROVE CAMPING AT NEW HAMPSHIRE AIRPARK

June 23, 2026
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

WORTH THE READ: NEIL MORTINE GUEST EDITORIAL

June 18, 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.

UBCP HELPS RAF REOPEN TAYLOR FLAT AND "EXPAND THE MAP"

June 17, 2026
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. “

WE'RE ALL PART OF SEE'ING

June 16, 2026
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

TWO STRIKES AND WALK AWAY

June 15, 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