Despite challenging weather conditions, seasoned bush pilots navigated through deep, snow-covered canyons and low ceilings to arrive at Valdez-Pioneer Field (PAVD) for the launch of competition May 10. Many found their routes impassable, which limited the number of competitors. 

The Heavy Touring Class of competitors were led by two Helio Couriers that dominated the remaining fleet of Cessnas who were over 100 feet behind winner Lukas Stutzer. Caleb Lofstrom took second place, followed by Shawn Holly in his 1974 Cessna 180.

The Light Touring Class competition was won by Steve Spence in a fat-tired 1957 Cessna 172  with a combined takeoff and landing distance of 192 feet. Mark Hasner took second place in his Cessna 170B, and  Levi Althens was third in another 170B.

In the Bush Class, Cache Carr went unchallenged in his 1977 Piper PA-18 Super Cub. He then joined the Experimental Bush Class, where he was able to showcase his skills.

That class was won by newcomer Lukasz Czepiela in the same Red Bull/Cubcrafters Carbon Cub UL that he landed on the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel helipad in Dubai. It was also the same plane he flew to perform daily aerobatic airshows at Valdez. Lukasz was followed by second-place Carr and third-place Nathan Rehak in his 1922 CAW-12 Cub.

• READ MORE: Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to the Extreme With Helipad Landing

The Light Sport Experimental Class is always a crowd favorite because records are often set. Unfortunately there was no wind during their taxi out. While staging, Dan Reynolds (shortest landing record holder at Valdez) experienced a brake pedal malfunction in his 1983 Chinook Valdez Special and had to withdraw, leaving Frank Knapp (combined takeoff and landing record holder at Valdez) unable to compete against his good friend and rival and capture the victory. Jon Kotwicki with FLY8MA.com took second in his Rans S-20.

Despite temperamental weather with rain and light snow flurries throughout the weekend, aviation and STOL enthusiasts were undeterred. The packed crowd was rewarded with impressive aerobatic performances by Scott Sexton of Barnstormer Aviation, Czepiela, and Reynolds. 

The post Valdez Fly-In STOL Competition Celebrates 20th Anniversary appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The event, which drew an estimated crowd of 1,000, featured performances by seasoned pilots and enthusiastic newcomers, with YouTube personalities Ryan Dembroski of Super Aero and Brian Turner from Just Plane Silly, along with other notable figures, serving as announcers.

Touring Class: Brandon Corn Soars to Victory

In the Touring Class, Brandon Corn, the current class standings leader on the 2023 National STOL Series tour, achieved a remarkable personal best with a takeoff distance of 138 feet in his No. 30 1965 Cessna 205 Black Betty. Corn’s performance in the aircraft with a gross weight of 3,300 pounds secured his victory in the class with a combined distance of 323 feet. 

Newcomer John McCardle took second place in his 1978 Maule M5-235C, while Jeff Abrams finished third in No. 65 Piperzilla, a 1965 Piper Cherokee 180C.

“Music City STOL was a great event—awesome crowd. The wind was in my favor, and everything just went right,” Corn said. “After that solid run, I knew we had them whooped. We will get her home and tuned up for the next event.”

Rookie Class: New Competitors Shine

The Rookie Class featured four new competitors. Justin Burkholder, an experienced pilot with 1,200 hours of flight time, shared his excitement about joining the competition. “I’ve got around 100 hours in the airplane,” Burkholder said.

Chase Bentley, flying a 1952 Cessna 170, emerged as the class winner with a takeoff distance of 468 feet. Daniel Donahue’s 1947 Stinson 108-1 secured second at 515 feet, and James Abbot was third in his 1958 Cessna 182B

Backcountry Class: Intense Competition Takes Center Stage

The Backcountry Class was the most competitive of the event, featuring a heated rivalry between the top competitors in the season standings. No. 99 Micah Lindstrom and No. 00 Jeff Pohl in the The Dirty Bird (the 2021 and 2022 National STOL Series Class Champion) battled it out against newcomer No. 52 Shawn Johnson in STOL Trooper—all piloting 1955 Cessna 170Bs.  Lindstrom led after the first round, but Johnson’s performance in the second propelled him into the lead. 

Despite a strong effort by Lindstrom, Johnson secured the victory with a second-round score of 244 feet. Wind gusts and shifts played a significant role in the outcome. Pohl expressed his frustration with his near miss: “I scratched by like 6 inches,” he said. “Otherwise, I think I might have had it.”

Johnson was left in disbelief upon learning he won the class. “No way! You’re joking. I didn’t expect that,” he said “I really thought I was the underdog coming into this event.” He had recently found his engine had three cracked cylinders and said the new powerplant contributed to the win. 

Adventure Class: The American Legend Cubs Shined 

In the Adventure Class, Keith Lange flew 47 hours in his No. 50 1956 Piper Cub Pepper from Wasilla, Alaska, to compete. The American Legend Cub MOACs battled it out, piloted by Brain Shirley (No 81) and Legend Cub Factory Luke Spoor (No. 71). Spoor dominated early as Shirley scratched in his first and fourth rounds. 

The rising density altitude posed challenges, but Spoor emerged as the class winner with a combined distance of 183 feet, followed closely by Shirley and Lange.

Sport Class: Competition, Short Takeoffs

Rich Boardman, a seasoned STOL competitor, was present in his No. 94 CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS and created some exciting competition with Joel Milloway, who piloted his Rans S-7 Tiger Shark. Nick Ardillo, also flying a CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS, endured a challenging start, scratching in his first, second, and fourth rounds. Ardillo secured his only score for the event in the third round with a distance of 234 feet, which earned him third place.

Boardman and Milloway engaged in a neck-and-neck race, with Milloway securing the first two round victories. However, in a nail-biting fourth round, Boardman edged out Milloway to win the class by 2 feet with a combined take off and landing distance of 177 feet—the shortest of the event—and earning him the title of the Music City STOL grand champion.

Unlimited Class: McInteer Seizes the Opportunity

With the absence of the usual top-ranked Unlimited Class competitors, both Charles Lilly and Patrick McInteer were feeling encouraged to showcase their abilities. McInteer narrowly edged out Lilly for the victory.

“I couldn’t be happier with our first year hosting National STOL for the Music City STOL Competition,” said Chad Hall, Music City STOL host, president of EAA Chapter 1343, and co-founder of BOLDAviation. “Having them come to Gallatin is truly next level for us and hopefully the first of many events like this we hope to see at our field. I’m truly grateful to Tom Wolf, Eric Farwell, Karen Flanary, and the whole National STOL team for coming to Gallatin and for our amazing volunteers, local pilots, city and county officials, and everyone else who helped make this happen.”

The National STOL Series continues to see growth, with an increasing number of new faces competing in events across the country. 

Visit the National STOL Series website to view the current season standings and the Music City STOL official scores.

The post Inaugural Music City STOL Competition Takes Off in Tennessee appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The event, sanctioned by the National STOL Series, experienced remarkable growth this year, with the number of spectators doubling and pilot participation tripling. It featured a full field of competitors across the various classes, including not only local participants but also those from Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Minnesota, and even Alaska. Angela Douglas, co-owner/founder of Rocky Mountain STOL, said “of the 850 people who attended, 268 visitors from 30 different states were in attendance, according to our gate survey.”

National STOL owning partner Tom Wolf also expressed his enthusiasm about the event’s reception.”Our second year in Pinedale was an overwhelming success,” Wolf said. “The town of Pinedale and both John and Angela Douglas could not have been more gracious hosts. We had a great event and look forward to returning next year.”

Rocky Mountain STOL founders the Douglases along with Micah Olson, did well in their inaugural year to establish the event as a favorite among pilots. 

The festivities kicked off Thursday evening for early arrivals, who were treated to a delightful dinner at Half Moon Lake Lodge. The attendees enjoyed a steak dinner with all the fixings and dessert.

STOL practice commenced early Friday to avoid the expected afternoon winds that the area is known for. Wind is not the only weather challenge faced by the small airport as it also boasts the highest elevation among events on the National STOL Series circuit at 7,084 feet msl. Following practice sessions, pilots scattered throughout the town to immerse themselves in the local culture. They filled restaurants, enjoyed the annual park concert, and embarked on a sunset horseback riding excursion on Half Moon Lake.

On competition day, “wind” and “DA” (density altitude) became the buzzwords as the measured distances for this event were nearly doubled compared to others.

“Despite challenging high altitude conditions, we had a phenomenal experience in Pinedale,” said Eric Farewell, National STOL Series owning partner. “Our competitors brought fierce fights to the runway with exceptional performances narrowly taking their victories. As always, it was a pleasure to share our love for aviation with both the local audience and the millions who enjoy our videos around the world.”

Touring Class

Brandon Corn (No. 30), the current leader in the National STOL Series standings in the Touring Class, achieved a best combined distance of 629 feet flying his 1963 Cessna 205. Corn had recorded his previous best combined distance of 496 feet just three weeks earlier at the Sodbusters STOL competition in Hartford, Wisconsin, at an elevation of 1,037 feet msl.

Touring Class Winners:

1. Brandon Corn (No. 30), Team Corn Collision, 1965 Cessna 205, shortest combined distance: 629 feet

2. Matt Schantz (No. R52), 1958 Cessna 180B, shortest combined distance: 639 feet

3. Kurt Leaders (No. R58), 1965 Cessna 185, shortest combined distance: 661 feet

Backcountry Class

The Backcountry Class was undoubtedly the most anticipated to watch, given the hometown rivalry between Micah Lindstrom and Jeff Pohl as they have battled throughout the season for the first place in the points standings. Pohl currently sits second and both he and Austin Clemens (third) have established a longstanding friendly rivalry. Both Clemens and Lindstrom made surprise last-minute arrivals to the event.

Backcountry Class Winners:

1. Micah Lindstrom (No. 99), 1955 Cessna 170B, shortest combined distance: 364 feet

2. Jeff Pohl (No. 00), The Dirty Bird, a 1955 Cessna 170B, shortest combined distance: 382 feet

3. Austin Clemens (No. 62), Team Clemens Aviation, The Dog, a 2011 Aviat Husky A-1C, shortest combined distance: 474 feet

The score differential between Clemens and Lindstrom/Pohl was because of the way the class was stacked, leading to its division into two heats for safety. Unfortunately, Clemens was allocated to the first heat, which was subject to a slight tailwind. In the second heat, Lindstrom and Pohl gained the advantage of a headwind.

“Always respect your airplane, of course, but especially in this density altitude—the airplane just does not feel like it flies the same,” Clemens  said.

Adventure Class

The Adventure Class featured an exciting array of new faces and airplanes, reflecting the rapid growth of STOL competitions and purpose-built aircraft. Brian Shirley, a familiar figure in STOL events often seen setting up or judging the field, made his competitive debut with his brand new 2023 American Legend Cub MOAC with a 95-foot takeoff.

Well-known Alaskan bush pilot Keith Lange added to the excitement by making the journey from Wasilla in his Piper Cub to join the fun.

Adventure Class Winners:

1. Brian Shirley (No. 81), 2023 American Legend Cub MOAC, shortest combined distance: 226 feet

2. Jody Card (No. W92), 2011 Kitfox 7, shortest combined distance: 252 feet

3. Keith Lange (No. W12), 1953 Piper PA18-125, shortest combined distance: 262 feet’

Sport Class

Along with Collin “Evel” Caneva and Rick Boardman, well-known veterans of traditional STOL and STOL Drag events, the Sport Class also saw new faces joining the competition. Boardman faced a challenging start, scratching during his first round but managed to secure the class win with an impressive combined distance of just 139 feet, outpacing second-place Joel Milloway by 29 feet.

Despite finishing third, Caneva received the new “Fan Favorite” award as spectators were invited to vote for their favorite pilot. Caneva earned the honor with 19 percent of the vote, per the National STOL website.

“The people of Pinedale, Wyoming, really made the event even more special than it already was,” said Caneva. “Coupled with everyone that watched online and [is] connected to me through social media, I was nominated for the viewers choice award. How cool is that!? I am so grateful for the event, the event organizers, and everyone that cheers us pilots on.”

Sport Class Winners:

1. Rick Boardman (No. 94), 2015 CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS, shortest combined distance: 139 feet

2. Joel Milloway (No. R22), 1996 Rans S-7S, shortest combined distance: 168 feet

3. Collin Caneva (No. 43), Doc” a 2011 CubCrafters Carbon Cub SS, shortest combined distance: 172 feet

The Rookie Class

John Douglas decided to compete in the Rookie Class alongside three other newcomers to the STOL scene and clinched third place at his own event.

Rookie Class Winners:

1. William Mechan (No. R49), 2022 Rans S-7S, shortest combined distance: 614 feet

2. Jamie Burgess (No. R99), 1969 Cessna 182, shortest combined distance: 985 feet

3. John Douglas (No. 307), 1964 Cessna 182, shortest combined distance: 1,132 feet

The Unlimited Class

The Unlimited Class, always a fan favorite, had only two registered pilots: Steve Henry and Hal Stockman. This class was the final one to compete, and the temperature and density altitude were at their peak, measuring over 9,500 feet. 

However, both STOL legends managed to overcome the challenging conditions and achieve impressive takeoff-and-landing distances. Henry achieved a best takeoff distance of just 12 feet in his famous Wild West Aircraft–Just Aircraft Highlander XL Yeehaw 8,” securing victory with a combined score of only 76 feet. Stockman, piloting his renowned Lawnmower III, a Rans S-7S, achieved a best takeoff distance of 43 feet.

Unlimited Class Winners:

1. Steve Henry (No. 44), Yeehaw 8, a 2022 Wild West Aircraft-Just Aircraft Highlander XL, shortest combined distance: 76 feet

2. Hal Stockman (No. 3), Lawnmower III, a 2018 Rans S-7S, shortest combined distance: 134 feet

Watch the Wild West Aircraft event recap

Detailed Rocky Mountain STOL scoring may be found here. Nationals STOL season standings may be accessed here.

The post Rocky Mountain STOL Reflects Growth appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Frank Knapp, an Alaskan STOL pilot and current holder of the Valdez STOL record distance, and his wife, Kris, have been coordinating the STOL demonstration at AirVenture since its inception in 2014. Along with the Knapps, the elite of the STOL community were present to help put on a spectacular show.

Among the notables on the field were Russ Keith, founder of the ever-growing nonprofit organization  Airplanes & Coffee, and national STOL series founder Doug Jackson. 

STOL trailblazer Joe “Pops” Dory and STOL ”Queen” Anitra Goddard could be seen at the spot landing line, signaling to the fans if the landings were good or a scratch. 

The recognizable voices of Cory Robin and SuperAero Live YouTube host Ryan Dembroski, who announced for the series this season, could be heard over the loudspeakers engaging the crowd and narrating the piloting skills shown in each takeoff and landing.

The impressive lineup of demo pilots that the crowd was there to see flew in from everywhere to showcase their skills and aircraft. A majority of them jump between the growing STOL events that include STOL Drag, National STOL and ArkanSTOL. Eight of the 12 competitors flew in formation to Oshkosh from the national Sodbusters STOL competition that took place a short flight away in Hartford, Wisconsin, just days before the start of AirVenture.

The demo roster included some STOL greats (with airplane number in parentheses where applicable): (You can view the full details of the STOL demo pilots and their aircraft here.)

• Amir Bayani, STOL Bandits—(100) Carbon Cub EX-2
• Austin Clemens—(62) “The Dog” Aviat Husky A-1C
• Brian Steck—(221) “Scooter” American Legend Cub MOAC 
• Harold “Hal” Stockman—(3) “The Lawnmower III” RANS S-7S
• Jason Busat—(12) “Full Send” 2023 RANS S-20
• Jeff Pohl—(00) “The Dirty Bird” Cessna 170B
• Joe Dory—(53) “Wicked Pacer” Experimental Pacer
• John Young—(127) “Stickers” Aviat Husky A-1B
• Kyle Bushman—Backcountry Super Cub Rev 3
• Richard Ness and Nick Smith—Experimental PA18 L21 Yooper Super Cub
• Steve Henry—(44) “Yeehaw 8” Wild West Aircraft, Just Aircraft Highlander XL
• Tony Terrell—1954 Piper L-21B

The crowd cheered and celebrated as pilots hit the line and shared in the disappointment if there was a scratch. Unlike previous years, this year’s demonstration was a purist’s delight as no measurements were taken, giving the event the feel of a spot landing contest where the pilots had freedom to have little fun with it.  

Austin Clemens could be seen showing off his reversible pitch prop capabilities as he  “accidentally” pulled too far over the start/finish line. Steve Henry ran on his big tires most of the week, eventually switching to his now popular knobby tire setup, as requested by fans who visited his vendor booth throughout the week in Oshkosh. Jason Busat flew in from Alberta, Canada, and was excited to debut his new 2023 Rans S-20 in the demonstration. 

View highlights here at the National STOL Series YouTube Channel and here at the Wild West Aircraft YouTube Channel

“The most exciting part of co-announcing the STOL Demo at Osh this year was seeing all of the passion the audience had and being able to tell the story of safety and proficiency that permeates the STOL community,” said Dembroski. “Cory [Robin] and I had lots of amazing interactions with kids of all ages at the fence line, and if we inspired even one young boy or girl to pursue flight or STOL, we’ve done our jobs.”

The weather usually makes headlines during AirVenture, and this year was no different as the event experienced record-setting, sweltering hot days and powerful evening thunderstorms that turned the grounds into what has affectionately been dubbed “Sloshkosh.” The storms brought strong wind gusts that took out some tents, vendor booths, and a few ultralights.

The STOL demonstrations were originally scheduled to take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but because of the adverse weather conditions, the Friday event had to be canceled. The STOL pilots didn’t disappoint the unwavering crowd and made up for it with an engaging Q&A session moderated by Robin and Dembroski, where they passed out stickers and autographed posters.

The post STOL Enthusiasts Flock to EAA AirVenture’s Twilight Flight Fest appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Also performing at the event June 16 through 18 was the U.S. Air Force’s F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the Navy’s Blue Angels, their first appearance in the Ohio capital in 28 years. 

The three-day event featuring aerobatics, racing, and military aircraft displays drew more than 50,000 spectators to the airport, which had not hosted an air show in 16 years.

It also was the first time STOL Drag was executed on concrete. The amount of braking became evident to the crowd as tires smoked across the aggregate while pilots attempted to stop their aircraft for the fastest times.

STOL Drag Records

Pilot Steve Henry set a new STOL Drag record with a 51.09-second lap over a full 2,000-foot track.

Michael Goulian returned to STOL Drag and became the first to participate both as a racing competitor and a main show aerobatics pilot. Goulian raced back and forth from bush airplane to aerobatic aircraft, which his team had waiting for him. 

With the ever-evolving format of STOL Drag, it appears the motor sport has finally solidified itself as a main attraction among fans new to it. The crowd was completely enthralled by the excitement and quickly learned the pilots’ names and profiles and began rooting their favorite airplanes just like NASCAR auto racing fans. 

STOL Drag racing took place during all three days of the event, with pilots battling each other and the clock to move up through the higher payout placements. 

In the end, it was Steve Henry, piloting “Yee Haw 8,” who took home the first Columbus with pride after his record-setting runs.

Using beta prop mode, Austin Clemens finished second in his Aviat Husky just in front of third-place Hal Stockman in his Rans S7S.

The post Air Shows Return to Columbus with STOL Drag Racing Event appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As the sun approached the horizon, the crowds began gathering while the crews and pilots of the STOL Demonstration quickly took the field setting up cones, flags, chalk, and tape measures in a well-orchestrated nexus of skilled individuals volunteering their time to facilitate this impressive show. While technically not a competition, some of the best in the world traveled great distances to demonstrate their aircraft and skill and were not to be outdone.

The STOL Contenders

With the legendary STOL pilot Frank Knapp and his wife Kris—alongside Anitra “STOL Queen” Goddard—at the helm of this year’s event, it went off without a hitch. Moved back two hours from previous years, the new start time put the setting sun directly in the windscreen of pilots on day one. However, this would be the last instance of this set up, as winds shifted in favor of the sun behind the pilots for the following two days. 

Although the event was spread over three days with Steve Henry in his Wild West Highlander winning days one and three, day two proved to be the only day that mattered as winds were most favorable on this day allowing Dan Reynolds to take full advantage of this steady wind in his custom-built, nitrous-oxide-assisted two-stroke fat ultralight he calls the “Valdez Special” Chinook. 

Reynolds was able to stick the most amazing landing—at an approach angle reminiscent of that of a lawn dart—driving his tires into the sand of the beaten grass strip stopping his forward momentum. It was as though he had dropped a tail hook and caught an arresting wire on an aircraft carrier for the landing that left his tail still remaining over the line for the win in the lights class. Jay Stanford flew his nitrous-powered Exp Super Cub extremely well to fill the third spot against these much lighter aircraft.

In the heavies it was Ross Harwell taking the number 1 spot in his husky followed by hometown favorite Warren Grobbelaar in his Cessna 180.

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The locals were undeterred, arriving in their muck boots. The runway was high ground and competition continued as scheduled. Braking was challenging. 

The SwampSTOL event opened with a new look, logo, rules, and a completely new format of classes created by statistics from the previous year. For the first time, the different types of aircraft are being placed together based on performance data in the hands of capable pilots in competition, not relying on speculative POH information, published performances, and gross weights alone. 

• READ MORE: Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to The Extreme With Helipad Landing

The two newest noteworthy classes are the Rookie Class, designed to encourage newcomers to join and fly with pilots of similar experience in STOL, and the Unlimited Class, which demonstrates the best-performing STOL aircraft with pilots competing for prize purses.

SwampSTOL 2023 Results

Touring Class

Brandon Corn, in his custom-painted Cessna 205, won with an impressive 333-foot combined takeoff and landing, followed by Clayton Stansell at 489 feet in a Cessna 180 and 

Don Mickey (with two people in the cockpit) pulled off 507 feet for his 2023 return.

Bush Class

Jeff Pohl took first place with 145 feet in front of newcomer Shawn Johnson at 156 feet, followed by Micah Lindstrom at 172 feet.

Adventure Class

It was all American Legend Cubs, beginning with Brian Steck at 110 feet, while Collin Canev—with only a few hours at the stick of this new airplane—laws down a 134-foot run for second, with Luke Spoor finishing on his tail at 138 feet. 

Rookie Class

Kelly Qualls placed first with 229 feet in his CubCrafters Carbon Cub, which—according to the rules of the class—bumped him out of this class in the future. Chris Jamison flew his Zenith 701 to a second-place finish at 233 feet, followed by Nick Ardillo in his Carbon Cub at 253 feet.

Sport Class

Rick Boardman took first place at 114 feet in his Carbon Cub, with the belly pod attached, in front of Kris Griewahn in his Just Aircraft SuperStol at 208 feet, with newcomer Justin Tisdale flying his Zenith 701 to a 462 feet third place finish.

Unlimited Class

Steve Henry was on fire with his brand new Yee Haw 8 Wild West Highlander, taking first with an unbelievable 35-foot combined score, followed by Dan Reynolds, who caught a gust at the line, forcing him to add throttle to prevent scratching on his third lap, finishing second with 77 feet.

The City of Jennings, Louisiana and Jeff Davis Tourism Parish partnered to serve several hundred pounds of crawfish, cooked on the spot, and served to all the pilots and crews in attendance. It was a gesture that continues to entice competitors to make the journey to this unique event.

The sunrise of the 2023 National STOL season came with the sunset of STOL Queen Anitra Goddard, who was given an emotional ceremony and send-off. All the pilots, crews, and staff thanked Anitra for all her hard work and wished her the best in her future endeavors. 

More information on future National STOL competitions may be found here.

The post National STOL Series Opens With SwampSTOL 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

What would have been the first day of practice morphed into a group of pilots and crew watching raindrops overflow catch barrels placed outside the open hangar door as the rain plummeted and the wind bellowed. The camaraderie among these birds of a feather was evident as their attention turned to talking about the pilots that had arrived and the complications the weather presented. By morning, the rain had let up to an occasional mist, and the wind had died down, allowing for the arrival of many more competitors from all directions. 

Some pilots had been in their airplanes for many hours and had to immediately begin practice upon arrival, not ideal for sure. But this is the STOL National Championships and comfort needed to take a back seat. As the day went on, the crowds moved in and the competition started, with officials wasting no time in case the weather didn’t hold out. Fortunately, everything went well and all of the classes were able to get their three runs in. 

Lone Star STOL hosts the finals of the Husky National STOL series, which means competitors who aren’t in the points standings can still compete and win the competition, just not the championship. 

In the Light Touring class, Micah Lindstrom was not present to continue the rivalry with the No. 00 Dirty Bird flown by Jeff Pohl, who took both first in competition and first in the national series, flying her exquisitely. Right behind him was Col. Matthew Peterson, who did not qualify for the national standings, as he spent his time helping rather than flying and was given an honorable mention due to all of his amazing support to the sport. Taking third in the competition and second in the national series was Jeff Abrams, whose aviation accomplishments deserve their own article.

In the Heavy Touring class, the bright and shiny No. 46 Cessna 180 flown by Warren Grobbelaar took both first place in the finals and the National Championship. Second place was Don Mickey, who had impressive practice runs but lost the connection to the MFD in his panel and had to play it safe by flying faster than normal for landings. Mickey also took second in the National championship. Rounding out this class for Lone Star was Brandon Corn, who flew the only Cessna 205 in the competition. 

Veteran Steve Pierce, flying in the Bush class, narrowly beat out 19-year-old Austin Clemens, who was flying a borrowed airplane. Clemens still took home the national title for the class. Kevin Johnson was third at Lone Star but did not qualify for the national standings. Second in the Bush class for the National Championship was Shawn Francis. Aviat Huskies clearly dominated the Bush class this year. Third place was left vacant, as none of the other competitors met the minimum requirements to qualify for the national points race.

Legend Cubs took the top two spots in the Experimental Bush category with Brian Steck on top and Luke Spoor second, just in front of Robbie Staton, with all three lining up in the same order for the national titles.

Kale Burks flew unchallenged in the Light Sport category at Lone Star, which is for aircraft with engines less than 95 hp and without flaps. This category is designed to give the classic J-3 style Cubs a class of their own.

In the Light Experimental class, we saw Steve Henry’s two-year winning streak come to an end when Dan Reynolds put together two perfect performances with his custom Chinook airplane. Caneva rounded out the top three at Lone Star. For the national titles in this class, Henry took his second National Championship in STOL in his Wild West Highlander, with Caneva taking second in his Carbon Cub SS. Third place was left vacant.

Henry also took the Overall National Championship award as well as the Most Consistent for the Year, stretching his lead as perhaps the most decorated competition STOL pilot in the U.S. (an unofficial title for which he is too humble to claim).

Now that the last STOL event of the year has come to an end, pilots are sure to hit the drawing boards over the winter and return with new tweaks and mods to fly even better next year. There are many projects underway for just this purpose. The future looks bright for innovation in the sport of STOL.

The post Lone Star STOL Leads to Husky National Championship for Top Pilot appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots from all branches of our armed forces, military contractors, airlines, wealthy ones and those struggling all came together in the middle of the desert to share a common love of backcountry aviation.

Is it dirty? Yes. But this is not a group of people who complain or let a little dust get in the way of a great time. On their next annual, they’re sure to find reminders of the great time they had at the HSF as remainder of the “playa”—the dry lake bed resembles a beach—still line the interiors of their aircraft. It may be the only time that dirt falling out during an inspection can bring a smile. Veterans of the event know this, and newcomers will soon learn.

On the Playa

Under a microscope, the playa is an accumulation of fine-grained sediment and salt deposits. With the naked eye, you can observe a cracked-mud appearance as the materials separate under evaporation of water. Zoom out yet again, and the playa reveals a confluence of backcountry aviation enthusiasts from every corner of the world at this rendezvous point. 

The affectionately named Dead Cow Dry Lake Bed is home to the largest backcountry gathering in the world, the High Sierra Fly-in, now in its 12th year. The sport of STOL Drag was born here under the watchful eye of its creator, Kevin Quinn. The relaxed atmosphere at this event is always welcoming, because the schedule is accurate to the minute—and not to the second as is the case with the schedule at the Stihl National Championship Air Races at Reno, just a little more than 50 miles to the south. The HSF is as much about the gathering of friends as it is racing.

A Special Place

Many unique activities take place at this event that aren’t observed at any other airshow, fly-in, or race throughout the year. From the bonfire gathering—a great place to meet up with old friends as well as make new ones—to the one-wheel parade, there’s something for all. The one-wheel parade is an informal one, in which Trent Palmer gathers everyone who has an alternative mode of transportation and encourages them to turn a lap or two through the mile of airplanes and campers lining the playa in a motorcade of colossal smiles and laughs. Bicycles, ATVs, UTVs, one wheels and a couple of motorized ice chests were all represented.

Also on the agenda: fly-outs to famous landing spots discovered by the flying cowboys of the area, which are a real attraction to visiting pilots.

The 2022 Gathering

This year, the HSF took place from October 13 to 17, and it saw some of the best weather conditions that the event has had in years. This unique normalization of deviance took place—as competitors slip just feet off the ground slowing to the finish line—under an FAA waiver this year, which all involved worked hard to obtain. The waiver is needed to “waive” certain FARs involving airspeed, altitude, and others for the event.

Saturday was the event that everyone was waiting for….the STOL Drag competition. With Juan Browne and myself on the mic, opening ceremonies began with formation fly-bys of a Yak-52 and a Nanchang CJ-6A, followed by skydivers and the singing of the national anthem.

A half-dozen new racers completed their training and certification for STOL Drag at HSF, and among them was famous Whelen Aviation Technologies’ airshow pilot and Red Bull Air Racer Michael Goulian. With a very different style of flying from what Michael is used to, there was a learning curve to be sure. Goulian began at another disadvantage too, as he flew a borrowed airplane in which he only had about 30 takeoffs and landings. However, he was able to win his first-ever race, and he will certainly be back for more next year.

Kurt Leaders had an amazing run in his Cessna 185 with a miraculous ability to beat out airplanes nearly half his weight, placing him in the Gold class. He would later be bested by Hal Stockman with the new Beta ability of his Duc prop, which he finally dialed in.

Trent Palmer returned to STOL Drag after a long hiatus, lining up with Steve Henry for the first time in years as the crowd buzzed with excitement seeing two of the largest aviation YouTube stars go head to head. Palmer flew fantastically all week and qualified in the Gold class but barely missed the semifinals by 0.56 seconds as Bo Ellis clawed his way past both Trent and Hal Stockman to line up with Steve Henry in the semi-finals.

Toby Ashley in Sarge, Butch Kingston in Violet, and Tim Schelhorn in Psycho Billy did not brave the desert this year, leaving Steve Henry unopposed in his specific time bracket. In typical Steve Henry fashion—wanting to always do his best—he turned his focus to the 50-second time mark to beat. In practice it looked like he might achieve it by pulling 52-second runs. However, as the Gold class ran later in the day, the temperature warmed up and Henry ran out of the nitrous oxide he uses for reducing turbo lag on the turnaround, combined with a collapsing air filter (which he later discovered), he wouldn’t make the milestone. However, Steve still took home the 2022 World Championship Trophy, Belt, and Skull, as well as setting a new STOL Drag record time at 52 seconds.

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I took the microphone—a breather from my duties as crew chief for Steve Henry—with Juan Browne (from the @blancolirio channel on YouTube). The grandstand fans and live streamers received the play by play as the Straight and Level Television documentary film crew followed along to help tell the story of the fastest growing segment of general aviation. 

Racers Take Your Marks

Pilots lined up on the recently graded dirt track going head-to-head down the 2,000-foot course after the famous “3-2-1, See ya!” signal given by STOL Drag organizer Kevin Quinn to launch their aircraft toward the turn-around point. Several pilots quickly learned that at Reno’s altitude of 5,050 feet msl, their aircraft were not performing as well as they would have liked and this—coupled with a density altitude) of 6,500 feet—meant that much more ground distance was used up before they typically lifted their wheels from the ground. 

In some cases, the taxiway that crossed the track had to be used for a launching ramp to get into ground effect as the heavier Cessna 182s and lower-powered light aircraft were eating up much more ground than they were used to. Many pilots were making adjustments to their aircraft to try and compensate. 

The 2021 reigning champion Toby Ashley did not show this year, robbing Steve Henry (his toughest rival last year) of the chance to demonstrate his upgrades against Sarge.

Tim Schelhorn debuted his new aircraft #73 Psycho Billy—a CubCrafters Carbon Cub which was meticulously built for this style of racing—in the gold bracket. However, being so new, bugs popped up preventing him from running it to its full potential. He still performed well enough to secure the No. 2 spot in the gold bracket over #48 Eddie Sanches in Devil Girl—who worked his way through the entire field to secure the No. 3 spot in the gold bracket. 

• READ MORE: Outlaw STOL Competition Heats Up Out West

Psycho Billy will definitely be an airplane to watch at the upcoming STOL Drag World Championships during the High Sierra Fly-in at the Dead Cow Dry Lake in October.

Another new aircraft on the scene was #85 LunaC—or Luna for short—another custom CubCrafters Carbon Cub built and flown by Cathy Page. She was still learning its intimate flight characteristics, which are vastly different from the Piper Clipper she flew last year. 

A Section 3 Spectators favorite was #66 Big Tuna, the Zenith 701 STOL flown by Jon Hakala at Reno, for various reasons. The  #221 of Brian Steck, a beautifully painted and meticulously polished Legend Cub, got a taste of the desert when a fist-sized rock was kicked up by his tires and sent through his horizontal stab, which was quickly (albeit temporarily) repaired.  

A great time was had by all as the STOL Drag racers were the first class to qualify and race in the mornings throughout the week. This was fantastic, allowing for the tailwheel aircraft not to have to fly with a tailwind in either direction for their runs. However, the sun in the morning shone directly in the eyes of the pilots on the first half of the run, making it difficult to judge the line they had to land across, causing more scratches than at any previous event. But, that’s racing! 

In the end, Steve Henry’s turbocharged Yamaha engine on the Wild West/Just Aircraft Highlander—#44, Yee-Haw—was the airplane to beat, with its screaming 10,000-plus rpm echoing throughout the stands and hangars at the far end of the field. The noise drew people to watch this most unusual-sounding aircraft. 

The slogan of “under a minute to win it” proved true, as 59 seconds was the time to beat at this altitude. Steve broke the minute time solidifying him as the 2022 National STOL Drag Gold Champion at Reno. Congratulations to all.

Results:

1. Steve Henry #44, Highlander

2. Tim Schelhorn #73, Carbon Cub

3. Eddie Sanches #48, Highlander

4. Bo Ellis #80, custom Legend Cub

5. Harry Beaupre #27, Kitfox 

6. Hal Stockman #3, Rans

7. Ty Ferkin #22, Kitfox 

8. Brian Steck #221, Legend Cub

9. Kevin Palmer #21, Kitfox

10. Cathy Page #85, Carbon Cub

11. Collin Caneva #43, Carbon Cub

12. Jon Hakala, Zenith

13. Brent Womack, Rans

14. Dave Kerley, Highlander

15. Tony Sanches, Superstol 

16. Joe Dory, Custom Pacer

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