WORTH THE READ: SARAH BROWN 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 Sarah Brown, pilot and RAF Oregon Ambassador.

“Ain’t nobody got time for that!” and “I am not nearly qualified enough…” were the first things I thought when I was invited to apply for an Oregon RAF Ambassador position. As is clear to everyone familiar with the RAF, the RAF does incredible work. The RAF has movers and shakers with Energizer Bunny reservoirs of get ‘er done. The RAF is widely successful, and all I could think was “I’m not sure I have what it takes to be a title-holding part of this organization.”

It’s not that I haven’t been able to do hard things, or time-consuming things. I raced bicycles for 5 years. I went from student pilot to CFII/MEI in a little over a year at a school that wasn’t an accelerated program. I remodeled a house with my boyfriend, then taught him to fly, and we still ended up getting married! But unknown challenges in unfamiliar areas feel like a fresh and insurmountable wall to those of us who are afflicted by perfectionism.

It turns out, a reason I love being a RAF Ambassador is that the volunteer description overlaps what I was doing anyway – telling friends, coworkers, and acquaintances about flying my Cessna to one recreational activity or another.

One summer a girlfriend and I went island hopping with our road bikes in the Washington San Juans, pedaling the islands and camping each night between flights. Most summer weekends, my husband and I fly out to airplane camp with our elderly dog, or without the pup, the plane is packed full of backpacking and fly-fishing gear. It’s just what we do! Each destination airport is a place we appreciate and cherish, and finding large or small ways to help take care of it is second nature. Telling folks I meet about the RAF mission is a natural extension of talking about my everyday life. Volunteering doesn’t have to be hard. And it doesn’t have to be a full-time job.

I have a full-time job. I am a Boeing 737 captain at a major airline, but I hold only minor seniority in that seat. This equates to schedules I have little control over, and a scarcity of time at home.

In past experiences, such as trying to build an airplane, I’ve felt it’s an endeavor so huge it’s hopeless until retirement. Sometimes volunteering feels similar. What good am I with so little time to give? Maybe I should just wait until I retire.

It’s natural to compare myself to my Oregon co-Ambassador, Kevin Johnson, who is a prime-time, rockstar RAF volunteer. That man gets stuff DONE! He has skills, makes time, and turns himself inside out to serve the pilot community through the RAF. Dang, are we lucky to have him. And boy howdy, has it taken a minute to come to peace with not having the same resume to offer this organization. Yet a significant learning moment for me has been accepting and appreciating that. Even when you feel you’re only contributing a little, it still matters.

At work, I fly alongside a wonderful cadre of passionate aviators. The handful who participate in General Aviation often express interest in using an airplane to recreate. Some are already RAF supporters, but most times it’s my honor to introduce them to the RAF. Have I failed to carry those iconic orange RAF stickers on all my work trips? Of course! Can I drop an RAF sticker and an invite to a work party in a coworker’s file a week after flying with that person? Sure can. I have realized over the past 22 months of volunteering as an RAF Ambassador that reaching out to a diverse group of pilots is important to the future success of the RAF.

I’ve even discovered that through the commitment of my employer to community service, I can log the time I volunteer for the RAF, submit it to our work Giving account, and my employer makes a donation back to the RAF. How awesome and efficient is that?

For those of you who are still working full time and wondering if volunteering is right for you, I’d like to be your cheerleader. Volunteering is not just for retirees. Those of us with full-time jobs associate with a vast demographic of people who are valuable to our volunteer organization, and we are the conduit between those groups. When you find a volunteer position that easily coexists with your hobbies and pastimes, it’s not only fun, it’s easy! As I well know, though your time might feel scarce, contributing even a little is still helpful. And finally, if you’re going to volunteer for a group as cool as the RAF, always carry stickers!

Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Sarah began flight training at age seventeen and moved into flying corporate jets at age twenty. Eleven years later she joined the airline pilot ranks, and was reintroduced to general aviation through her coworkers. An avid outdoorsperson since her 20’s, combining flying and outdoor recreation was an exciting prospect, and she has enjoyed recreating with her husband and their airplanes ever since.

Submitted September 26, 2025

Posted in Guest Editorial, News

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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.