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

    Recent Posts

RAF OUTFITTER AUGUST FEATURED COLLECTION

August 5, 2026
FEATURING: TOOL ROLLS Whether you’re heading to the hangar, the backcountry, or your next work party, staying organized matters. The RAF Tool Roll keeps your essential tools secure, accessible, and ready when you need them most. Designed to fit conveniently in your airplane or vehicle, it features multiple zippered pouches, labeled compartments, and a durable roll-up design with built-in handles for easy transport. No more digging through a loose toolbox or searching for that one tool you need. Keep your gear organized to spend less time looking and more time flying!

FEATURED AIRSTRIP: TAYLOR FLAT, UT

By Carmine Mowbray • July 31, 2026
Landing and camping at Taylor Flat airstrip puts your tent only a stone’s throw from the wild and scenic Green River, as it carves through spectacular Utah canyons. You can tie down and camp under your wing along the north side of the airstrip, or walk to the river and camp. Just 34 nm northeast of Vernal, you can now land at this high, remote BLM airstrip and enjoy its world-class fly fishing, but be sure to get your license before you arrive. If you packed your kayak or inflatable, there’s a boat ramp just west of the public campground. An easy 1.8-mile walk from the airstrip takes you to the historic 1880 John Jarvie Ranch, an open-air museum with hands-on exhibits showing pioneer ranch life in this remote northeast corner of Utah. This airstrip had lain dormant for thirty years, and is now open for public non-commercial use, thanks to pilots who recognized its special recreational value. The RAF worked through the steps to see that the BLM reopened it. One restoration work weekend brought twenty-five volunteers from both Utah Back Country Pilots (UBCP) and the RAF who hand-picked rocks from the airstrip, painted them, and used them to mark the runway corners and thresholds. UBCP provided a new windsock pole for the new RAF windsock. RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig said, “It was another demonstration of working together toward the same goal.” There are no other amenities, so be prepared with what you need, and as always, please pack everything out. Those using the airstrip are asked to be mindful of the sensitive environmental area, marked with 16-ft X’s, creating a displaced threshold on the east end of the dirt runway. The useable runway length is 2,500 feet, and the field elevation is 5,630. The area east of the runway is hazardous to aircraft operations. In addition to being a sensitive environmental area, it. is cross-crossed with ditches, and is not safe for aircraft use. Taylor Flat is another special recreational destination for pilots to visit as RAF works across the country on Expanding The Map! Find more on Taylor Flat in the Airfield Guide . You may also find user reports here on the UBCP website . Submitted July 31, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray

RAF GRANT ADDS CAMPGROUND AMENITIES AT ESTCOURT STATION

July 30, 2026
RAF Maine Liaison Andy Rowe and former Maine Liaison/now Ambassador Steve Mason have long been advocating for and organizing improvements at several airfields in North Maine, in cooperation with North Maine Woods (NMW). Rowe was awarded an RAF grant for materials to add a shelter, picnic table, and outhouse at Estcourt Airfield (19ME) and organized RAF and NMW volunteers to provide labor.

RAF EXPANDS THE MAP WITH "FLY ROCKY TOP" AIRSTRIP NETWORK

July 29, 2026
The new Fly Rocky Top airstrip network, developed by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), is now open to backcountry aviation enthusiasts. Located in East Tennessee, Fly Rocky Top is a "basecamp and outpost" concept for regional aviation exploration, adding the Southeast to a growing collection of well-recognized recreational airstrip networks across the country, including Fly Oz in Arkansas and others in the West and Southwest. Fly Rocky Top is the most significant achievement to date of the RAF's Expanding the Map initiative, a nationwide effort focused on opening, improving, and restoring access to airstrips, helping connect aviators to more of the places they love to explore. Named and inspired by local culture, each Fly Rocky Top airstrip has unique features, amenities, and recreational options that embody the mission and spirit of the RAF. The new network is in the heart of a region nationally recognized for its unique topography that includes the Obed Wild and Scenic River, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Cumberland Plateau, and Great Smoky Mountains… altogether a landscape uniquely suited to backcountry aviation. Rockwood Municipal Airport, RKW, anchors the network with its 2,400-ft manicured turf landing area and is designed with backcountry flyers in mind. Rockwood Aviation, which operates RKW, offers products and services for pilots to engage in tailwheel, backcountry, and recreational flying, including training, service, and support. City of Rockwood Mayor Jason Jolly highlighted the significance of Rockwood Airport to the community and East Tennessee. Mayor Jolly said, "We are a national recreation destination and the progress at Rockwood Airport and the surrounding network of airstrips is just the latest step in our region's growth and development for adventurers and enthusiasts." The Fly Rocky Top network is unique in that the initial collection of airstrips – with more planned – are a combination of both public lands and privately owned property with the common desire to welcome the flying public. Specific new airstrips in the Fly Rocky Top network include Smuggler's Landing, a grass landing area at RKW (with tent camping and a welcoming pavilion planned), McGraw's Backyard (5TN4), Robbin's Farm, and Tellico Plains (85TN). An additional outpost, Sawbriar, will be ready in August 2026. More airstrips are in the process of being added and will appear on the Fly Rocky Top webpage . Plans continue to add amenities to each RAF Fly Rocky Top airstrip, including accessible flush toilets and timber-framed shelters where camping is available. Other attractions include access to world-class upland bird hunting, hiking, some of the nation’s best trout fishing, kayaking/canoeing on the Clinch and Tennessee Rivers, and a 44-mile Water Trail on Beaver Creek. Select airstrips have access to meals and accommodations. RAF Co-founder and Chairman John McKenna highlighted what makes this opening so important. “Fly Rocky Top is not just a new airstrip network; it’s also a group of pilots who are passionate about aviation, stewardship, and the great outdoors,” he said. “Fly Rocky Top will connect Southeast pilots, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts alike with the shared mission to preserve access to the region's wild beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities.”

VOLUNTEERS FLY IN FOR ANNUAL WORK AT SCHAFER MEADOWS

July 29, 2026
RAF Montana Liaison Scott Newpower organizes the annual Montana Pilots Association and RAF cooperative work party at Schafer Meadows USFS airstrip, and on Saturday, July 18, nearly two dozen volunteers flew in to help. The airstrip lies in the Great Bear Wilderness, so work is limited to hand tools. A special thanks to Montana Aeronautics Aviation Support Officer Stephen Torske and the team at MT Aeronautics for their support.