AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2016 - 70

indicating the pilot was cleared for an
immediate takeoff.
As soon as each contestant landed and
came to a halt, a ground crew member
wearing a reflective orange vest marked
the exact stopping point. A laser rangefinder at the start line measured the total
distance and then the stopped airplane
made a hard turn to clear the runway.
From the moment a landing airplane
stopped until its distance was recorded
and the pilot cleared the runway usually took five seconds or less. Each pilot's
shortest takeoff and landing was used to
calculate the final result.
CubCrafters Carbon Cubs were the
most numerous in the Light Sport category,
and Piper Super Cubs and Aviat Huskys
were mainstays in the Bush category.

Don't try this at home

Tailwheel Cessnas, primarily 180s and
185s, filled the Heavy Touring class, as well
as 182s and a 206.
And a few more exotic aircraft stirred
lots of chatter. A pressurized Cessna P210
with a Robertson STOL kit had organizers wondering aloud whether it could even
lumber off of the 1,700-foot grass runway,
but it did so in less than half that distance.
A former Italian military SIAI-Marchetti
SM.1019, a stretched, turboprop version of
the O-1 Bird Dog, landed in a stunningly
short distance with a blast from its reversible prop; and a Quest Kodiak showed its
ruggedness with a no-flare, aircraft carrier-style landing that left an impression
(actually two of them) on the turf.
There's a saying in STOL that the
airplane gets credit for good takeoff

performance, but landings are all about the
pilot. The difference between the first- and
second-place finishers frequently came
down to just a few feet-and there were
no points given for style or subtlety. Coarse
but well-timed actions carried the day.
A NEW SPORT

While traditional airshows and fly-ins
struggle to attract new audiences, the
STOL Roundup is one of the few showing rapid growth. There's a great deal of
interest among pilots, backcountry aircraft
manufacturers, kit builders, and young
pilots. Some of the pilots in their teens and
20s are brand-new to aviation.
Industry representatives such as Craig
Catto, the prop maker from California,
and Tony Kasabasich, who designs and

how, according to Steve Henry, a Nevada-based pilot and builder of modified Just Aircraft Highlanders, who is best known for viral YouTube videos
such as Deadstick Takeoff.
First, make sure your airplane is as light as possible. In a daytime STOL
The kinds of ultra-short, competition-style, excontest, that's landing with a 30-minute fuel reserve.
treme short takeoffs and landings performed at
For takeoff, align your airplane with the runway centerline and come
STOL events defy all conventions. Do these things
to a full stop at the starting line. Tighten the throttle friction lock so that,
on an FAA checkride and you'll be sent home with
once advanced, the throttle handle won't slide aft on its own after you let
a pink slip. Try them on an aircraft checkout and
go. Then add one notch of flaps using the manual flap handle. Doing so
no flight school or club will ever allow you to rent
will add minimal drag during the takeoff roll, and positioning the handle
an airplane. Do them during tailwheel training and
that way makes it easier to grab later in the takeoff roll when you'll forceyour instructor will send you home.
fully drop the flaps to their full down position.
But if you want to win a STOL contest, here's
Then check the gauge on your nitrous oxide tank to make sure the
combustion-enhancing gas is warmed to the proper temperature. (You've
got a nitrous tank, don't you?) Once the nitrous flow begins, engine
power surges about 40 percent instantly.
Hold the brakes hard as you increase engine power and push forward on the
control stick. When the tailwheel comes up and the airplane is stationary and in
a level attitude, release the brakes and add full power.

STOL contest technique

70 | AOPA PILOT October 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2016