Ron learned to fly through an Air Force aero club, and in 1984 at the age of 27, he earned his private certificate. He has been involved with the New Mexico Airstrip Network (NMAN) since its beginning. He belongs to RAF, NMPA, USPA, IAA, AOPA, and EAA. He retired from his FAA career in electronics and has served as the Aviation Safety and Education Administrator for New Mexico Aviation Division.
WORTH THE READ: RON KELLER 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 Ron Keller, the RAF’s New Mexico Liaison.
My interest in aviation started as a child on our small farm in Ohio. When I saw an airplane fly overhead, I always wondered what the world looked like from up there. My first introduction to aviation was during my enlistment in the US Air Force, as an aircraft instrument systems specialist, maintaining fixed and rotary-wing aircraft at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque. After my enlistment, I continued the profession at Kirtland, then designed, constructed and maintained electrical systems on Cockpit Procedure Trainers for the same group.
But I missed working on real aircraft, so I obtained a full-time position with the NM Air National Guard and maintained electrical and avionics systems on several aircraft, including F-16s. As really good luck would have it, the FAA needed experienced electronics technicians, and I was hired as a radar technician at Albuquerque ATCT. After 9/11, I was promoted to maintenance coordinator for radar, ILS, VOR, and communications. I retired from federal civil service in 2011. For the next three years I served as aviation safety and education administrator for the NM Aviation Division, until my wife retired.
My father-in-law was a CFII, so I started flying lessons through the Air Force Aero Club in Albuquerque and earned my private pilot certificate in 1984. He helped me select my first airplane, a 1955 Cessna 170B, and he checked me out for my tailwheel endorsement.
Soon, I started landing at a backcountry airstrip next to property my in-laws owned. When the New Mexico Pilots Association formed a backcountry group in 2010, I volunteered to help former RAF NM Liaison Larry Filener, and met the RAF. We teamed up with many dedicated volunteers to begin improving Negrito, a USFS airstrip. The District Ranger was pro-aviation and allowed us to get to work. Because we were able to prove our worth as a volunteer team with a strong RAF-NMPA partnership, we were allowed to continue making improvements and having fly-ins. In 2014 we formed the New Mexico Airstrip Network, 13 partners who support recreational aviation opportunities. The RAF is a highly valued partner.
In 2016 I was asked to become an RAF Liaison. I was relieved that most of the duties were tasks I’d already been doing for several years. My wife Mary Ann was so impressed with the RAF way of doing things, she supported me becoming a Liaison as a great way for me to “give back” to aviation.
As Liaison, I work with private landowners, the State of New Mexico, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and local governments. There are challenges common to each agency. The turnover rate among key personnel is substantial. This makes it necessary to make new introductions and establish good working relationships.
Airstrip maintenance is a “dirty job,” so I bought a tractor, mower, disc, and seeder. A great pilot friend donated a box blade. A custom drag was also added to the list. Mowing, dragging, and replacing windsocks was accomplished, and many rewarding projects followed, such as installing an accessible vault toilet at Negrito. In 2020 we received permission from the USFS to rehabilitate Rainy Mesa, an airstrip that had been dormant for over 40 years. Small trees had to be cleared, and we really worked the tractor, blade and drag. Several work parties later, and with a dedicated core of volunteers, Rainy Mesa was registered and reopened.
In 2022, after the RAF/Gila NF Challenge Cost Share agreement was signed, we rehabilitated Sacaton airstrip after four decades of dormancy. A good pilot friend and I put our tractors and blades to work, along with another great crew. It was registered and charted and is a gem of a location just outside a wilderness boundary. Before the delivery of the new vault toilet, I drove the route and measured 11 cattle guards to ensure the semi-truck and trailer could fit through them all.
Being an RAF Liaison is challenging sometimes, but always rewarding. I particularly enjoy overseeing a project from start to finish like the rehabilitation and reopening of airstrips. I also cherish the solitude available when I am mowing all six USFS-managed airstrips on the Gila National Forest. No matter how big an airstrip project may be, it is the satisfaction of knowing it will make a difference for generations to come.
In closing, I obviously enjoy flying in the backcountry. Also, very rewarding are the opportunities to make a difference in “preserving, improving, and creating airstrips for recreational access.”
Submitted April 29, 2025
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Join the excitement as the RAF continues its momentum Expanding The Map, making these the most exciting years in our history! We encourage you to explore the growing number of destinations where you can share the joys of recreational aviation with family and friends. This time, we’re announcing the reopening of Keg Knoll Airstrip in central Utah, closed years ago by the designation of the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness Area. Thanks to RAF efforts to gather widespread support from pilots and RAF allies, the BLM has allowed this airstrip to be reopened for public access. RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig has led the effort over the past three years in advocating for the reopening of Keg Knoll airstrip. Various meetings were organized with the BLM to explore whether the airstrip could be reopened as allowed by the Wilderness Act. After the BLM prepared an environmental assessment of the airstrip, they issued a final decision to approve Keg Knoll airstrip for reopening, subject to a set of reasonable conditions that protect the wilderness area. Keg Knoll Airstrip has outstanding recreational value and offers pilots ready access to a true wilderness experience. Visitors can experience dispersed primitive camping next to their airplanes, hiking around Horseshoe Canyon, and stargazing under the dark skies at night. “One thing that makes Keg Knoll airstrip unique is the accessibility of the relatively easy two-mile hike to Colonnade Arch, also known as Five-Hole Arch,” RAF Utah Liaison Wendy Lessig points out. Keg Knoll is now open, with a cooperative work party to further improve the airstrip and install a windsock planned for the fall that will include volunteer pilots and the BLM. Since Keg Knoll airstrip is in a Wilderness area, no motorized or mechanized devices are allowed, so volunteers will be limited to the use of hand tools to perform maintenance. Current reports state the airstrip itself is in good shape, but pilots must be aware that the south 700 feet of the original airstrip is closed, and will be marked with rock X’s. What remains open is 2,000 feet of runway length. “We will need help from all the pilots who visit Keg Knoll airstrip to be good stewards to help protect and preserve the Wilderness environment for this special airstrip,” Lessig said. For more information about Keg Knoll, visit our dedicated web page . Submitted August 15, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
When a few New Mexico backcountry pilots observed the closure of a backcountry airstrip on public land, they understood the need for a goal-focused group to preserve these valuable recreational destinations — places in the high desert where you could land your own GA aircraft, pitch your tent with panoramic views of ponderosa, piñon pine, and Rocky Mountain juniper, and easily hike into the Gila Wilderness area. New Mexico Liaisons Ron Keller and Larry Filener started the New Mexico Backcountry effort in 2009 and the New Mexico Airstrip Network partnership formed in 2014. “With their vision and a bit of organizing, we got a lot accomplished,” New Mexico Pilots Association former President Joyce Woods says. Their work brought about a historic MOU, formalizing “the collaborative partnership of federal and state agencies, aviation groups, landowners, and other stakeholders to preserve, promote, and enhance New Mexico’s growing inventory of recreational airstrips and related airports.” This document was signed at the USFS Regional Headquarters in Albuquerque in 2016. Thanks to these visionaries, access to choice flying destinations is available to pilots, nearly 20 in number. The RAF has provided grants for improvements at several New Mexico airstrips, and has formal agreements with the Gila National Forest to maintain and improve airstrips within the Forest. Additionally, NM Liaison Ron Keller has put in many hours and weekends organizing RAF and New Mexico Pilot volunteers for work parties. Joyce credits Keller as a “real workhorse", mowing the airstrips and leading work parties. Plan your New Mexico flying adventures, and bring your camping gear and hiking shoes. Lining the trails are 1,500 different plant species like the Wright's silktassel, Apache plume, cliff fendlerbush, mountain snowberry, and manzanita. You can access sites with prehistoric rock art. Spring visitors might hear the sweet song of the warbler during its migratory stop in the Gila. Night brings the darkest skies you’ve ever seen, sparkling with the Milky Way. Enjoy the warmth of a campfire as the desert night cools, and thank those wise and determined pilots who worked to preserve these New Mexico gems among the New Mexico Airstrip Network. Find more about these airstrips using these valuable resources: RAF Airfield Guide New Mexico Pilots Association Submitted August 15, 2026 By Carmine Mowbray
As a career pilot, Thread and Error Management (TEM) has been ingrained in how I fly. I’ve become convinced that Threat and Error Management matters more in backcountry flying than just about anywhere else. Not because the principles are different but because the timeline for decisions is. In “normal flying,” a poor decision often gives you time to recognize it, correct it, and move on. In the backcountry, the chain gets compressed. Threats are closer, mistakes can compound quickly, and options disappear in a hurry. By the time you realize you're behind the airplane, there may not be enough runway, climb performance, or room to recover. That's why TEM isn't about avoiding mistakes. It's about breaking the chain before the situation starts making decisions for you. Most of the threats are familiar. Density altitude. Winds that don't behave as forecast. Narrow strips, rising terrain, soft surfaces, visual illusions, and airplanes that perform a little differently than they did last time. Add a little fatigue, a little confidence from yesterday's success, or an eager passenger, and the margins start shrinking. The interesting part is that accidents rarely begin with one big mistake. They usually begin with a series of small decisions that seem reasonable at the time. "The tailwind isn't that bad." "We'll climb out fine." "The approach will come together." In the aftermath of a near accident or a survived accident, we’ve heard all of these testimonials…sometimes from the voice in our own headset. The best backcountry pilots I've flown with all seem to have one thing in common. They're willing to change the plan early. They don't wait for proof that something is wrong. If the approach isn't shaping up, they leave. If the takeoff isn't developing as expected, they abort. If the conditions don't match what they planned for, they wait or go somewhere else. That's TEM in its simplest form: anticipate the threats, recognize when reality no longer matches the plan, and act while you still have options. One thought has stayed with me over the years: backcountry accidents rarely begin with bold decisions…they begin with delayed decisions. The RAF Safety, Education, and Etiquette team is looking at practical ways to apply TEM in the backcountry, including personal decision gates, arrival and departure briefs, and recognizing the traps that catch even experienced pilots. Let us know by sharing your own tips and ideas in “Comments” below. Until then, ask yourself one question before every approach and every takeoff: If this doesn't work exactly as planned, what's my next move? If you have a good answer, you're probably ahead of the airplane. Submitted August 8, 2026 By Robert Miller, RAF West Virginia Liaison & Safety, Education, and Etiquette Committee member
Irene was born and raised in Los Angeles but eventually found her way to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where she quickly fell in love with the slower pace of life, the endless outdoor adventures, and the welcoming community. After spending a few years between Mississippi and Los Angeles, she knew Marquette was where she wanted to be and returned to make it home. Travel has always been one of Irene's greatest passions. Her mother once joked that she needed to find a career that could support her expensive travel habit—and she did. As a full-time flight attendant, Irene has had the opportunity to experience incredible places and cultures around the world. About five years into her airline career, a pilot casually suggested, "You should be a pilot!" Just one week later, Irene took her first flight lesson and discovered a passion for flying she never knew she had, and hasn’t looked back since. In addition to working as a full-time flight attendant, Irene is a Certified Flight Instructor (CFII/MEI) who is passionate about helping aspiring pilots achieve their aviation goals while developing the skills and confidence to become safe aviators. She is also preparing to begin her second year as a part-time high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) aviation teacher, where she enjoys introducing students to the various opportunities aviation has to offer. When she is not in the air, Irene enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering on motocross/supercross races, and now volunteering with the RAF. Irene looks forward to contributing to the mission of supporting recreational aviation for future generations and cannot wait to meet the members, volunteers, and aviation enthusiasts who make this community so special. Submitted on August 11, 2026
