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News & Media AOPA’s Missoula Fly-In to feature STOL demos

AOPA’s Missoula Fly-In to feature STOL demos

May 16, 2018 By Dan Namowitz

The backcountry flavor and Rocky Mountain ambiance of the AOPA Fly-In at Missoula International Airport in Montana June 15 and 16 will set the perfect scene for demonstrations of specialized takeoff and landing techniques by pilots with great stick-and-rudder skills and some of the aircraft that can put them to good use.

A Maule approaches the 50-foot cones a little low during the Texas STOL Roundup flight demonstration Saturday afternoon at AOPA's 2017 Norman Fly-In, while a de Havilland Beaver waits to take off. Photo by Mike Collins.
A Maule approaches the 50-foot cones a little low during the Texas STOL Roundup flight demonstration Saturday afternoon at AOPA's 2017 Norman Fly-In, while a de Havilland Beaver waits to take off. Photo by Mike Collins.

Don't miss the event from 11 a.m. to noon on June 16 when the Texas STOL Roundup Team presented by Phillips 66 conducts an Obstacle STOL (short takeoff and landing) demonstration—wind permitting—and a Traditional STOL demo.

There will be STOL-capable aircraft to suit every taste when the demonstration, marked off on the runway by 50-foot pylons, gets underway, from classics including a Travel Air 6000 and a Beech Staggerwing to wilderness workhorses like the Aviat Husky, Carbon Cub, Cessna 180s and 185s, Maule, Piper Super Cub, and amateur-built Backcountry Super Cubs Mackey SQ2.

The air boss for the demos will be Jimmy Gist, a retired FedEx captain who flew Boeing 777s and now keeps himself aloft at the controls of his Cessna 185 or his de Havilland Chipmunk.

The STOL demonstrations will showcase the practical application of information presented at the "Backcountry Adventure and Skills Seminar" presented by Air Safety Institute Executive Director Richard McSpadden, Mike Vivion, and Jeff Fouche on June 15 from 9 a.m. to noon; and "STOL for the Masses: Maximizing Your Aircraft's Short Takeoff and Landing Potential," with Vivion, Paul Brown, and Phil Whittemore, on June 16 from 10 to 10:45 a.m.

Supporting STOL demonstration sponsors include CubCrafters, Aviat Aircraft, Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, and Stene Aviation.

The fifth annual Texas STOL Roundup will take place Sept. 28 through 30 at the Hondo Airport. See the Texas STOL Roundup website for details.

Dan Namowitz

Dan Namowitz

Dan Namowitz has been writing for AOPA in a variety of capacities since 1991. He has been a flight instructor since 1990 and is a 35-year AOPA member.
Go to Dan Namowitz's Profile
Topics: Events, AOPA Events, Fly-in

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