any pilots here?

[ricoman]

this looks like fun

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/shorlandstol2

[John Schmidt]

That would be a blast. Reminds me....I've made some controlled crashes in a C-150, coming in at less than 45 indicated and stopping quite fast. The approach angle for that is quite steep and the guy giving me a biannual check ride was having a stroke...telling me I'm going to lose it. Told him this wasn't my first time at the controls so sit still and be still. When we touched down I hit the power to go around and he killed it, told me to park it. Signed me off without a word, then headed for the FBO...kinda looking rather pale. Guess he didn't like the airline food! 

[Patrick]

That looks like the Superstol which is a homebuilt made by Just Aircraft in South Carolina, usually powered by a Rotax.

I like STOL aircraft, favorite being the Fiesler Storch. We enjoy having short and spot landing contests.

[ricoman]

That looks like the Superstol which is a homebuilt made by Just Aircraft in South Carolina, usually powered by a Rotax.

I like STOL aircraft, favorite being the Fiesler Storch. We enjoy having short and spot landing contests.

this'll help
http://www.wildwestaircraft.com/superstol/

[old2soon]

THAT guy is having entirely TOO much fun.    RIDE SAFE.

[Momz]

Daniel Meyer?

[Willow]

That's impressive.  With the steep angle on the approach my guess is this isn't the first nine times he's done that.     

[BigChris99]

Very cool. Like a flying dune buggy. Two thoughts, it would make an excellent light delivery,mail and such, Alaskan bush plane. And a very good SAR plane.

[Mapper]

That's VERY cool.  Still can't hover though 

[Patrick]

That's VERY cool.  Still can't hover though 

I've been able to fly backwards.

[Mapper]

I've been able to fly backwards.

I can't overstate how cool I think that is!  Backwards in an airplane???  Cool, but I think I'd feel much better doing that in a helicopter.

[Patrick]

I've been able to fly backwards.

I can't overstate how cool I think that is!  Backwards in an airplane???  Cool, but I think I'd feel much better doing that in a helicopter.

I've had a couple really BAD experiences in helicopters [ I wasn't the driver] so I don't much like them and haven't been able to climb in one since. [ Projectiles and explosives had more to do with that than the flying abilities]. I've read and understand all the science, but, I'm convinced the only way a helicopter is able to fly is that they just simply beat the air into submission.

But, to make an airplane go backwards isn't hard to do. Just stick the nose into a hard wind and throttle back, watch your shadow start backing up.

A little [ well not so little] story. Years ago a friend took the J3 out for a spin around the neighborhood. He made the turn around the bluff, stuck the nose into the wind and throttled back. He sat there in the same place for so long that a nice lady in one of the cottages ended up calling the Sheriff Dept stating that there was a plane 'stuck in the air'.

[Master Blaster]

Always wanted to fly, the desire was embedded in my formative years watching mock dog fights over the WW2 Army Air Core training bases.  My ambition was to become a Fighter Ace.  I have many thousands of hours rotary wing, got in on the big push for pilots for Vietnam, and flew mostly Cobras for about 10 years, went to work for Petroleum Helicopters while on retirement leave from the  Army, and did that for 20 more years, mostly light twin.  Never did get the fixed wing, but used to dream about building my own.  Was torn between the Storch repo, or a 200 MPH monoplane.  Guess it just wasn't to be, but don't regret a bit of it. Were I to get back into it, it would be STOL for sure.  Not in a hurry anymore.

[BobB]

When I flew, over 40 years ago, I landed a C-150 into a stiff head wind at the normal air speed and did not get any more roll out that the short field landing on that video.  It's surprising how weather conditions can impact general aviation.  Coolest flying I did was in New Zealand, took off from a sheep pasture, but I was not at the controls. 

[Mapper]

a nice lady in one of the cottages ended up calling the Sheriff Dept stating that there was a plane 'stuck in the air'.

I was lucky enough to get both fixed-wing and rotary-wing training.  I don't fly anymore and I only miss it every time I see or hear something flying.    Some of the most fun I had was aerobatics in a fixed-wing, low-level tactics, confined area landings, and autorotations in a helicopter.  Nothing beats being able to hover and parallel park in a helicopter though... not even aerobatics.     Just my opinion.

[Patrick]

a nice lady in one of the cottages ended up calling the Sheriff Dept stating that there was a plane 'stuck in the air'.

I was lucky enough to get both fixed-wing and rotary-wing training.  I don't fly anymore and I only miss it every time I see or hear something flying.    Some of the most fun I had was aerobatics in a fixed-wing, low-level tactics, confined area landings, and autorotations in a helicopter.  Nothing beats being able to hover and parallel park in a helicopter though... not even aerobatics.     Just my opinion.

I'm still a fairly active flight instructor and when flying with some students 'unexpected' low level aerobatics are more than interesting. There are places here where we practice real ' off-field' landings. Its usually more interesting to get back in the air after one of these, I still enjoy the looks on some faces.
A friend bought a nice little helicopter a number of years ago. Another friend [ a high-time Vietnam helicopter pilot] offered to 'un-trailer ' it for him, but, of course he thought he could handle it himself. After-al, how hard to could this be. Within a matter of seconds he destroyed a perfectly good helicopter and was out $80K.

[Mapper]

he thought he could handle it himself. After-al, how hard to could this be. Within a matter of seconds he destroyed a perfectly good helicopter and was out $80K.

Funny thing about helicopters and motorcycles: you can crash while parked if you aren't careful or don't know what you're doing.

I'm not sure I could handle "low level, student-induced aerobatics."