Pilots compete in short takeoff and landing competition this weekend
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – The Military Aviation Museum in Southern VA Beach has a grass runway of over 4,000 feet of length. However, this weekend – the pilots competing in the National STOL competition will only need a fraction of that distance to take off and land!
The Heritage STOL competition – being held Saturday, April 27th is all about short takeoff and landings. On Friday, pilots practiced ahead of tomorrow’s competition to hone their skills and learn the intricies of this location.
Several local pilots are competing in the competition, including Andrew Findlay. It’s his first time flying in this type of an event with his Kitfox airplane.
“The Kitfox is really designed for back country flying on grass and things like that. It’s actually easier to land taildraggers on grass and makes it smoother landing. I think I’m going to be around the 220 foot mark. You can land in less than a football field which is kind of exciting.”
His aircraft, a Kitfox is a 2 seat high wing airplane which has a lot of power for a light airplane.
If you want to attend the event, it starts at 10am Saturday at the Military Aviation Museum in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach. Admission to the museum is included in your spectator admission ticket. The competition starts at 10am Saturday with several classes of competition. They expect the event to wrap around 3 to 4pm.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com.
