Road Trip: Short work

World-famous STOL contest draws a crowd

May 1, 2018 By Mike Collins

Take the Leap

Getting there

Fly, drive, ferry

Flying yourself to Valdez makes the most sense if you already have an aircraft in Alaska. If you do, there are two popular options: If the weather’s good, fly southeast from Anchorage, transit the Portage Pass, and follow Prince William Sound to Valdez. From the north or west, head to Gulkana and follow the Richardson Highway—and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which ends in Valdez—south to Thompson Pass, and then west. Weather can be tricky, particularly in the coastal environment, and pilot reports are appreciated.

If you fly to Anchorage commercially, regional airline Ravn Alaska serves Valdez.

The 300-mile drive from Anchorage will take about six hours. If you don’t want to make that trek both ways, drive from Anchorage to Whittier and take the Alaska Marine Highway—this is a ferry, not a roadway—to Valdez. Your car can come along. It’s not any faster than driving but the scenery is spectacular.

See the 2017 record landing: www.aopa.org/pilot/extremeSTOL

To be inspired by what a backcountry short-field landing can be, go to Valdez, Alaska, in mid-May. You’re guaranteed to see extremely short takeoffs and landings. A word of warning, however: The short-field techniques you observe in Valdez might make your flight instructor shudder.

The short takeoff and landing competition—the one you’ve seen on YouTube—will be the high point of the 2018 Valdez Fly-In and Air Show, May 11 to 13 at Valdez Pioneer Field. Last year, around 200 airplanes and more than 2,500 people descended on the airport for the event; many camp beneath the wings of their aircraft in this springtime ritual of Alaska aviation.

How short is short? Frank Knapp of Palmer, Alaska, set a new record in 2017, landing his Little Cub—a highly modified 1939 Piper J–3—in 10 feet 5 inches after taking off in 14 feet 7 inches for a total score of 25 feet. (Under the competition rules, takeoff begins from the starting line, and judges measure where the main wheels leave the ground; on landing, mains cannot touch down before the line, and distance is measured to where the mains stop.) The overall second-place combined takeoff and landing distance was 75 feet.

Valdez is well suited to the STOL contest. “We have a steady sea breeze, we’re obviously at sea level, and it’s a little cooler than some other places,” said Joe Prax, president of the Valdez Fly-In. “All of that is conducive to great airplane performance.”

Web: www.valdezflyin.com

WHY YOU SHOULD GO

Hang around with Alaskan bush pilots before they begin their busy summer season—
and see some amazing short-field operations.

2018 STOL schedule

Look for demonstrations and competitions at these events

May 11-13
Valdez Fly-In and Air Show

June 15-16
AOPA Fly-In, Missoula, Montana

July 22
New Holstein STOL Expo, New Holstein, Wisconsin

Sept. 28-30
Texas STOL Roundup, Hondo, Texas

Mike Collins

Technical Editor

Mike Collins, AOPA technical editor and director of business development, died at age 59 on February 25, 2021. He was an integral part of the AOPA Media team for nearly 30 years, and held many key editorial roles at AOPA Pilot, Flight Training, and AOPA Online. He was a gifted writer, editor, photographer, audio storyteller, and videographer, and was an instrument-rated pilot and drone pilot.

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