Landing’s the tricky part at Texas STOL Roundup in Llano
JARED FIELDS • PICAYUNE STAFF
LLANO — If he’s on his game, Phil Whittemore said he can land his airplane within 50 feet. With a head wind, he can almost hover down to the ground.
“The shortest I’ve ever done is three feet,” said the Spicewood resident.
He’ll have the opportunity to show off that skill with other pilots April 10-12 at the second annual Texas STOL Roundup at the Llano Municipal Airport, 100 Evelyn Gould Drive. Competition begins between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. April 11.
“Short-take-off-landing (STOL) is predominantly in Alaska for bush pilots,” Whittemore said. “As us pilots are getting older and having money, we’re looking for a fun kind of flying. It’s not a way to earn a living, but it’s a way to have fun.”
Last year’s event was the first one of its kind held in the continental United States. The contest drew 108 planes to the airport and its renowned grass landing strip. Pilots will compete in Experimental and Certificated Heavy Touring, Light Touring, Bush and Light Sport classes.
There will be three competitions this year. The first is the general STOL event, in which scorers measure a plane’s stopping distance from a reference line to where the main gear tires stopped.
A new event never held before will be the obstacle STOL.
Whittemore said he wanted a contest that replicated flying over trees or other obstacles and touching down in a short distance. Because the FAA frowns on putting actual obstacles in the air that could come into contact with planes, Whittemore found inspiration from another event: air racing.
Inflated pylons are used in air races similar to sticks in downhill skiing. The only place Whittemore said he could find the pylons was Poland.
Made of parachute material, two 25-foot pylons will give pilots a reference point to pass between before coming down to land. Judges will determine if a pilot’s wheels were below the obstacles.
The third competition is the flour bombing. And yes, it’s exactly as it sounds.
Based on another bush pilot skill, pilots have to be at least 300 feet above the ground and aim a bag of flour at a 30-foot target. The closest one wins.
The April 11 competition day is free and open to the public. Pilots will arrive April 10, while fly-out day, or a rain day (if needed) is April 12.
jared@thepicayune.com