RAFE OCTOBER 2026 NEWSLETTER
October is starting with a lot of momentum, which feels pretty fitting after the month RAFE just had!
We are heading into fall with a growing fleet, some very exciting aircraft news, new education and workforce relationships taking shape, a stronger volunteer system, and a packed event calendar that includes the AIM Career Fair, Builders Freedom Expo, and Wings Over Houston. There is a lot happening behind the scenes too, and while we cannot share every detail just yet, the direction is clear: RAFE is growing, getting more visible, and creating more ways for people to get involved.
ROUGH RIVER 2026
The canard community is the heart of so much of
what RAFE does, and the Rough River Canard Fly In gave us the chance to show up in a much bigger way, support that community, reconnect with longtime friends, meet new people, and put more of the RAFE fleet where it belongs: out in front of the people who know and love these airplanes.
One of the biggest highlights was seeing the Solitaire fly at Rough River for the first time, a very special moment for us! The VariViggen, Lady Vi, flew in too, adding another very different piece of Rutan history to the weekend.
Rough River is one of the few places where the canard world really gathers in one spot, and supporting that community matters to us. These are the builders, pilots and enthusiasts who have kept these aircraft alive for decades. We came home with new connections, new ideas, and a much clearer picture of how we want our RAFE support for the Canard community to continue.
BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF AVIATION
Education and building stronger relationships throughout the aviation community have become a major focus for RAFE.
We have been working with the University of Houston Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering departments to explore ways small groups of students could get involved with real aircraft-focused projects.
We've also developed a relationship the Aviation Institute of Maintenance. A&P students volunteer at our Ellington hangar to
gain hands on experience working on composites, systems, inspections, and maintenance all under the mentorship of our members with building and maintaining EZ experience. Builders of plans built experimental airplanes like ours have a huge amount of aviation knowledge sitting inside the heads and we want to be an organization where that knowledge gets passed down instead of disappearing.
GET CONNECTED: HELP KEEP THE FLEET FLYING
Our new Get Connected platform is quickly becoming the central hub for RAFE volunteer opportunities, and we're looking for more people to get involved!
With more students and new volunteers joining RAFE, we're especially looking for experienced A&Ps, IAs, aircraft builders, pilots, CFIs, formation pilots, engineers, composite specialists, aircraft systems experts, project leaders, and aviation mentors willing to share their knowledge.
Our Houston volunteer hours are:
Mondays & Wednesdays: 6 PM–9 PM
Saturdays: 9 AM–6 PM
Through Get Connected, volunteers can browse opportunities, sign up, and track their hours across Administration, Condition Inspections, Education & Training, Flight Operations, Maintenance, and Events.
Already volunteering? Don't forget to log your hours!
If you've been looking for a way to get involved with RAFE, now is a great time to jump in. There's plenty to do, plenty to learn, and no shortage of interesting airplanes to work around!
Sign up using the QR code above or visit: https://rutanafe.galaxydigital.com/
WAIT...RAFE SELLS AIRCRAFT PARTS?
Apparently, this is news to a lot of people, so we are fixing that.
RAFE has an eBay store, and we sell aircraft parts and components.
As we work through parts, inventory, and components that RAFE does not need for the fleet, we list items so they can go back into circulation and hopefully land with a builder, owner, mechanic, or restoration project that can actually use them.
The inventory changes regularly, so if you work on aircraft, build aircraft, own aircraft, or simply enjoy hunting for hard-to-find parts, it is worth saving the store.
RAFE eBay Store: https://www.ebay.com/usr/rutanafe
YOU CAN OFFICIALLY CALL RAFE HQ
RAFE has a new number, and this one is pretty hard to forget: 1-844-RUTANHQ
Whether you have a question, want to visit, volunteer, talk aircraft, maintenance, training, membership, sponsorships, partnerships, or just have something Rutan-related we need to know about, this is the number to call. 1-844-RUTANHQ
WINGS OVER HOUSTON — WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
RAFE will be displaying our awesome airplanes at the 2026 Wings Over Houston Airshow at Ellington Airport, October 30 through November 1.
This puts us in front of a huge aviation audience, which makes it one of our best opportunities of the year to introduce people to the aircraft, recruit volunteers, grow membership, and explain what RAFE is all about
We need volunteers throughout the event to help with the aircraft display, talk with visitors, answer questions, help with membership and volunteer recruiting, handle merchandise, assist with donations, and cover setup, teardown, and general event support.
You absolutely do not have to be a pilot or mechanic to help. If you enjoy people, and do not mind talking about airplanes all day, we can put you to work. Volunteer shifts will be posted through Get Connected, so please watch for those and sign up. This is one of those weekends where having a strong volunteer turnout really matters.
LOOKING AHEAD
October is already shaping up to be another busy month!
We kicked things off with a very successful AIM Career Fair, and we're keeping that momentum going with our education and workforce partnerships, new volunteer opportunities, aircraft maintenance, fundraising, and sponsorship efforts.
Speed Canard transition training is currently underway in Houston! It's exciting to have this specialized training taking place right here in our backyard, helping canard pilots build their skills and confidence. Learn more about the training opportunities through RAFE's Canard Flight Academy: https://www.rutanaircraftflyingexperience.org/canard-flight-academy
Thank you Allen Pierce Photography for the cool photo!
Next up, RAFE will be exhibiting at the Builders Freedom Expo on October 22, followed by Wings Over Houston, October 30 through November 1, where we'll have our static display and plenty of volunteer shifts to fill!
There are a few other exciting things developing behind the scenes that we're not quite ready to announce yet, but there's certainly no shortage of activity around here.
September made one thing very clear: RAFE is growing quickly, and we're just getting started!
Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience
Preserving the aircraft. Sharing the knowledge.
Keeping them flying.
Thank you for your support!!
Sandy Rusk,
Vice President, Aviation Development
Rutan Aircraft Flying Experience
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