Plane + Pilot Podcast: Bill McGlynn

RAF president discusses importance of preserving remote airstrips effect on GA community.

Plane & Pilot

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 12:05 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: Travis Tingle

[Credit: Cayla McLeod]

Key Takeaways:

The podcast features Bill McGlynn, president of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), discussing the allure and challenges of backcountry flying.
The RAF is dedicated to preserving and maintaining remote airstrips, with thousands of supporters and volunteers undertaking various projects from cleanups to major infrastructure work.
McGlynn describes the appeal of backcountry flying as a "primal" experience involving a unique sense of vulnerability in remote wilderness.
He emphasizes the critical importance for backcountry pilots to know their aircraft intimately beyond the handbook, including metrics like "best sink speed" for precise landings in challenging terrain.

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In this episode of the Plane + Pilot Podcast, editor-in-chief Cayla McLeod sits down with Bill McGlynn, president of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), to discuss the draw of the backcountry and the vital work being done to keep open remote airstrips.

McGlynn has been an aviator since 1995, but his true passion for flight was cemented when he first landed on a grass strip in the Idaho mountains.

The RAF represents approximately 14,000 supporters and over 5,000 active volunteers who maintain airstrips through work parties. These projects range from simple spring cleanups to massive undertakings, such as replacing three-quarters of a mile of fencing for the U.S. Forest Service.

McGlynn talks about the allure of flying the backcountry and dedicating so much time and effort to preserving remote strips across the country.

“And there’s that old quote which is, ‘For those that understand, no explanation is necessary. For those that don’t understand, no explanation is possible,’” McGlynn said during the episode. “But there’s something primal about going to a really remote place in the wilderness, where there’s a vulnerability or something that goes with it.”

Additionally, McGlynn emphasises the importance of truly knowing your airplane beyond the handbook.

While many pilots can recite their flap speeds, he challenges backcountry flyers to identify their best sink speed, which he describes as the specific speed where the sight image of the runway drops rapidly, but the stall horn is not yet screaming. According to him, when flying in potentially unfamiliar, rugged territory, knowing these technical details about your aircraft is vital to precise landings in tight situations.

From backcountry stories to dealing with Washington, D.C., bureaucracy, this episode gives listeners an inside look at the efforts involved in leading one of the nation’s top aviation advocacy groups.

Catch the full conversation with McGlynn on the Plane + Pilot Podcast, available every Wednesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite streaming platform.