ryanfieldmontana 2Recreational Aviation Foundation

Ryan Field Montana Fly-In

by Glenn Brasch

I decided to escape the Arizona heat for a while this summer and head north to Montana, specifically the Glacier National Park area. Easy to do once you are retired, and even easier with the wife's permission. The bad part is no airplane, just a 4x4 Chevy truck and a camper, but at least I have my own bathroom. Anyway, I heard about this backcountry fly-in going on nearby at 2MT1, Ryan Field (not to be confused with KRYN of course), and decided to drive over. Sponsored by the Recreational Aviation Foundation, it was a little spot of heaven. The weather had been bad, and I really didn't expect to see much, but as I drove down the muddy 2 mile drive off of highway 2, I spotted a little Cub taking off behind the trees. Upon arrival, there were about a dozen planes parked facing a beautiful grass runway. The facility was beautiful, and I was met by the friendliest people I had seen in a while (not to mean all these great people in Montana are not friendly). I was given a tour and history lesson by Jo. She is a highly praised volunteer of the organization, and met Paul who lives on the property. I have to say that when I told people I was from Arizona, the first words out of their mouths were, "Do you know Mark and Stefanie Spencer?" They were expected, but got hung up by bad weather (at least when I was there) and were sorely missed. If you’re ever in the area of West Glacier, Montana, drop into this wonderful place! They even have a courtesy car you can use to check out the area, but make sure you get the mandatory safety briefing first from the RAF website.

Glenn Brasch KRYN (the "other" Ryan)

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April’s APA Happy Hour at Harold’s!

by Mary James & Susan Wearly

Our Spring Social at Harold’s Corral in Cave Creek on Thursday, April 28th was loaded with fun, food, and lots of stories! We hosted sixty-eight pilots, spouses, aviation enthusiasts, and honored military people. Guests came from all over the Valley and even from Tucson. It was wonderful to see old friends chatting and new friendships forming. Tables were set with red, white, and blue flowers, toy and wind-up airplanes, flags, and more. APA President, Tommy Thomason, welcomed everyone and helped announce the winners of the Question Board Raffle. Two questions were posed and Question #1 had 6 correct answers. Tommy drew from these 6 and congratulations went out to Tim Greer for correctly answering the question of who founded the Arizona Air National Guard – Barry Goldwater. Tim and his wife Lynell took home a liter and a half of Maker’s Mark Bourbon as their prize. Question #2 had 3 correct answers and kudos to Robin Gerblick for her winning answer to the question of who owns the Gray Ghost – Tommy Thomason. Robin and her husband Jim walked away with a fifth of Glenfiddich Scotch. Way to go, Tim and Robin! The party went on well past our 7 pm ending time! It was a great way to welcome in the Double Circle Ranch Fly-In scheduled for April 29-30.

Organizers Susan Wearly and Mary James wish to thank Tommy and all of the APA staff for allowing them to run with their party planning and for helping. $140 was raised toward our Scholarship Program. We had a great showing of just how impressive the APA is as a volunteer organization.

Watch for news of a Fall social later this summer – this could be habit forming!!

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