airplane short takeoff/landing records

[Jon]

I remember watching Alaskan videos of Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) when I was doing my private pilot training. Hey, I thought, that'll be me real soon. My instructor had a good chuckle at that one.

STOL is, by no surprise, a great tradition among Alaskan bush pilots. First of all, Alaska has six times as many pilots per capita as the US average. Second, the terrain provides many opportunities for skilled pilots to land and take off in limited but remote and beautiful locations. Finally, it offers something highly valued among all pilots: bragging rights.

Here's a 2016 highlights video from a famous yearly air show in Valdez, Alaska that hosts a legendary STOL contest. Go straight to 1:40 if you want to see the winner of the experimental bush plane class.