Today’s Top Pick is a 1947 Aeronca 7BCM.

I have always preferred the Aeronca Champ over its more-famous rival, the Piper J-3 Cub, because as a solo pilot you sit in the front seat instead of the rear, and as a result can actually see where you are going.

This is particularly important on the ground, where taildraggers tend to be the most challenging. I can see over the Champ’s nicely tapered nose but no such luck with the Piper.

Of course, I would never wave off either of the classic machines, especially in their military liaison versions—like this Aeronca, also known as an L-16A—which have extended greenhouses intended for observers in the back seat. Nowadays those airy glass enclosures give passengers a near-panoramic view and make the vintage-aircraft experience far more palatable for first-timers.

Early taildraggers like this Aeronca are a joy to fly on short hops for breakfast, lunch, or fly-ins at local airports. Packing one up for an overnight trip is also a fun way to spend a weekend, whether you plan to camp under the stars or retire to a cozy bed-and-breakfast.

This Aeronca 7BCM has 5,894 hours on the airframe and 329 hours since overhaul on its Continental C85 engine.

While the Aeronca is a basic, fairly bare-bones aircraft, it does have certain features that enhance its effectiveness in the backcountry, including a 7-gallon fuel tank in its wing in addition to the 15-gallon main tank, a Brackett air filter, tinted visor, front and rear side windows that open,  quick-release door hinge, hand brake, no-bounce landing gear, Aero-Classic 850×6 main tires, new exhaust, and air vents.

The VFR panel includes a digital comm radio, turn coordinator, tachometer, airspeed indicator, altimeter, oil temperature and pressure gauges, fuel gauge, and compass—everything you need.

Pilots looking for a back-to-basics tailwheel airplane with vintage appeal and extra visibility that will impress passengers should consider this 1947 Aeronca 7BCM, which is available for $39,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Restoration Nation: Aeronca Champ
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• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Aeronca Champ
• Plane & Pilot: Aeronca Champ
• Plane & Pilot: Aeronca 7AC Champion

The post This 1947 Aeronca 7BCM Is an Easygoing Warbird and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2014 Aviat A-1C-180 Husky.

Over the years I occasionally have heard pilots call the Husky a “glorified Super Cub.” I think such skeptics fail to consider that the Husky was developed decades after Piper’s PA-18 and other classic taildraggers and has certain advantages that come with modern design and engineering.

The Husky emerged after its designer, Frank Christensen, tried to buy the rights to the Super Cub and other bushplane designs but was thwarted. Christensen, who previously had developed the Christen Eagle aerobatic biplane as a kit, eventually lost patience and decided to build his own plane that could excel in the bush while providing a bit more comfort for pilot and passenger, and functioning well in civilization.

By making the Husky more capable and easier to live with than many other taildraggers, Christensen scored a hit that remains popular decades later. The aforementioned glorification has held up well.   

This 2014 Husky has 830 hours on the airframe and on its 180 hp Lycoming O-360A1P engine, and 110 hours since new on its MT composite propeller. The aircraft is equipped with a PowerFlow tuned exhaust system, Gate 9 oil cooler airflow control, B&C oil filter, Challenger engine air filter, 70-amp alternator, lifting rings for float installation, and 26-inch Goodyear tundra tires.

The IFR panel includes a Garmin G3X Touch PFD and MFD, Garmin 750Xi GPS/nav/comm, GTR 20 comm, GTX 345R transponder, Garmin 35c audio panel with markers, intercom and Bluetooth, Garmin G5, GFC 500 autopilot, GI260 angle of attack instrument, USB power output, and engine monitor with fuel totalizer. The cockpit also features front and rear five-point seat belts.

This Husky has a basic empty weight of 1,356, carries 50 gallons of usable fuel, and has a useful load of 894 pounds. Maximum takeoff weight is 2,250 pounds.

Pilots who like the looks and value of an early straight-tail Bonanza but prefer to fly with modern instrumentation should consider this 1962 Beechcraft B33 Debonair, which is available for $139,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Aviat Husky
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• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Aviat Husky

The post This 2014 Aviat A-1C Husky Is a Rugged ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick that Cleans Up Well appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1979 Bellanca 8GCBC.

The Bellanca Citabria has been a popular taildragger ever since its introduction in the early 1960s. Descendants of the beloved Aeronca 7AC Champ, the Citabria and its derivatives come in an alphabet-soup of model designations, including 7ECA through 8KCAB.

Specifications differ significantly but all of these aircraft have the same basic appearance of a modernized, squared-off Champ.

Other pilots have told me that Citabrias, while fairly versatile, are not truly cut out for the rigors of bush flying—too delicate, they say. The aircraft for sale here was Bellanca’s answer to that assertion.

The 8GCBC, known as the Scout, was designed as a utility model, with extra power for hauling loads out of remote mountain strips and options for long-range fuel. It can be used for crop spraying, patrol duty, and other missions that we typically associate with larger, beefier aircraft. Unlike most of its relatives, the 8GCBC is not certified for aerobatic maneuvers.

For backcountry flying enthusiasts, though, this taildragger seems like it was built to order.

This 1979 Bellanca has 1,120 hours on the airframe and on its 180 hp Lycoming O-360 engine since overhaul. The aircraft is equipped with 8.5-inch main wheels and a Scott tailwheel. The basic VRF panel includes Icom radio and Stratus ADS-B In and Out.

Pilots looking for a classic tailwheel aircraft capable of short-field operations and off-airport exploration should consider this 1979 Bellanca 8GCBC, which is available for $90,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Getting Reacquainted With Taildraggers Is Time Well Spent
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• AVweb: Buying a Used Aircraft: Decathlon and Citabria

The post This 1979 Bellanca 8GCBC Is a Backcountry-Bred ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Ultra short aircraft manufacturer Electra on Monday announced that it completed successful demonstration flights of its EL-2 Goldfinch prototype at Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico (KNYG) and Felker Army Airfield (KFAF) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (KLFI) in Virginia. U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel were present for the demonstrations, which were the first Electra has performed for the military, the firm told FLYING.

Electra’s nine-passenger design has garnered contracts from the Air Force, Army, and Navy, which view it as a potential game-changer for military resupply missions, tactical insertions, and medical evacuations. The firm is also backed by Lockheed Martin.

The demonstrations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis were conducted under a strategic funding increase (STRATFI) agreement with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, worth up to $85 million. AFWERX offers a quid pro quo arrangement, providing electric aircraft manufacturers and other developers of novel aviation technology with a sandbox in which to mature their systems. In return, the military gets early access to non-commercially available designs.

“This aircraft’s efficient, quiet, and sustainable operations align with military objectives for contested and expeditionary logistics,” said Jacob Wilson, acting branch chief of AFWERX’s Agility Prime division dedicated to electric and autonomous models. “Its hybrid-electric propulsion system provides extended range and endurance, making it suitable for Agile Combat Employment missions in austere locations with compromised or nonexistent runways.”

The Goldfinch uses a unique blown-lift mechanism to amplify lift, allowing it to take off at what the company describes as neighborhood driving speeds. This reduces the vehicle’s runway requirement to just 150 feet, allowing it to operate from locations with a closed or damaged runway, including ships or barges.

Electra test pilot Cody Allee took the Goldfinch through a series of grass field takeoffs and landings, with no ground infrastructure required. The company describes the aircraft as a “mobile power generator” offering 600 kilowatts of continuous power, capable of reaching 1 megawatt in “short bursts.” According to the firm, its fuel consumption is one-third that of helicopters performing the same mission.

Allee flew 150-foot radius turns to showcase the aircraft’s maneuverability at low speed and altitude. The test pilot also helped demonstrate a mobile power generation display, using the aircraft’s power supply to fire up its own sound system and preflight presentation equipment.

“These flight demonstrations mark a significant milestone for Electra as we show the capabilities of the technology in the real-world,” said JP Stewart, vice president and general manager of Electra. “Our ultra short aircraft make it possible to operate from austere locations previously only reachable by helicopters, with 70 percent lower costs and very quiet operations.”

Electra in January said it surpassed 2,000 orders for its flagship design, with commercial customers including regional air carrier JSX, helicopter operator Bristow Group, and private charter marketplace JetSetGo. But as the company continues to refine its design, military customers will get their hands on it first.

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The post U.S. Military Gets First Look at Ultra Short Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2002 Kitfox Series 5.

The Kitfox is nearly as much of a classic, fixture, or legend in the experimental category as the J-3 Cub is among traditional factory-built aircraft. And while not as old as the Cub, the Kitfox has been around for a long time.

Introduced in 1984 as a kit, the side-by-side two-seater has developed in several series and has sold in the thousands. This Series 5 model was larger than previous Kitfoxes, was meant to carry more weight, and give builders the option of installing engines designed for certified airplanes. The airplane for sale here has a 100 HP Rotax 912.

One reason the Kitfox has lasted so long on the fickle market is because of its impressive STOL performance and ability to climb and cruise quickly enough to be a practical traveler. Two people really can get around in this aircraft and, with takeoff and landing rolls of less than 300 feet, it can introduce pilots to exciting, out-of-the-way places.

For decades the Kitfox has been a standard for small amateur-built backcountry aircraft. It has certain features that set it apart, including full-span flaperons that enhance control response at low speeds. Large doors made of clear plastic, a generous windshield, and expansive skylight roof give pilots exceptional visibility in the air and a better view of reference points while operating on the ground.

This 2002 Kitfox has 1,782 hours on the airframe and 289 hours on its Rotax 912 engine and Whirlwind propeller. The engine is equipped with a power-boosting Zipper Big Bore kit. The aircraft also comes with 29-inch bush wheels, Acme shocks, and a new “dually” tailwheel.

Pilots looking for a light, powerful aircraft tailored for effective backcountry travel should consider this 2002 Kitfox Series 5, which is available for $98,900 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use its airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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The post This 2002 Kitfox Series 5 Is a Backcountry-Ready ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E.

The SOCATA line of piston GA aircraft tends to get lots of attention on airport ramps in the U.S. because the brand was not well known here from the 1970s to the 1990s when these models were new.

The company, now part of Daher-SOCATA, operated previously under other names including Aerospatiale and Morane-Saulnier. Occasionally you might still hear pilots referring to a Rallye as a “Morane.”

The main reason pilots love the Rallye is its combination of decent cruise performance with impressive short-field capability. Substantial flaps and leading slats that deploy automatically help the Rallye execute remarkably short takeoffs and landings while making it especially reluctant to stall. A rugged trailing-link landing gear design gives the Rallye the ability to operate from a range of unpaved strips, making it a capable backcountry.

Beyond their novelty and stylish design, the Rallye and other SOCATA piston models can be bargains in today’s market, largely because they are unfamiliar to many shoppers. A friend recently told me he was on the verge of buying a TB20 Trinidad, which is a higher-performance retractable relative of the Rallye. But another friend “talked him out of it.” This is common because pilots can be suspicious types when it comes to uncommon aircraft that appear to be “orphans.”

However, between SOCATA owners clubs and the Daher-SOCATA factory, the older SOCATA models continue to enjoy support. 

This 1977 Rallye 235 E has 1,776 hours on the airframe and 608 hours on its 235 hp Lycoming O-540-B4B5 engine. The panel is equipped with basic VFR instruments with no nav/comm radios or transponder installed.

Pilots looking for a versatile, economical and innovative four-seat aircraft with superb visibility and styling that stands out should consider this 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E, which is available for $79,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: A Fellow New Airplane Owner Starts With an Unusual Choice
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• AVweb: Popular SOCATA ‘Caribbean Series’ book release

The post This 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E Is a Short-Field Star and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2006 Maule M-4-180V.

Maule Air, the Moultrie, Georgia-based purveyor of modern taildraggers, has been charting its own unique course for decades.

While its aircraft seem old-fashioned because of their rag-and-tube construction, they remain in production and are ideally suited to their customers’ needs, which include carrying loads into the backcountry and operating from short, rough fields. In light of the growing popularity of STOL and off-airport flying, Maule’s lineup feels completely up to date.

The aircraft for sale here offers an attractive combination of capability and economy. While relatively new by general aviation standards, this M-4 feels like a bargain compared with numerous older taildraggers that are popular among short-field enthusiasts. Even though Maules have been around since the 1940s, they are not necessarily well-known among everyday aircraft shoppers. They tend to attract pilots with a strong sense of adventure and tradition.  

This 2006 Maule M-4 has 925 hours on the airframe and on its 180 hp Lycoming O-360-C1F engine since new. Airframe upgrades include observation doors, vortex generators, Cleveland brakes, 8.50-by-6 tires, an Alaskan Bushwheel 3200 tailwheel, and floatplane reinforcement kit. The aircraft has a maximum takeoff weight of 2,300 pounds and a useful load of 882 pounds.

The panel features a Garmin 250XL GPS/Comm, Aera 660 portable GPS with panel mount that displays ADS-B with weather and traffic, PM1000 intercom, Narco AR850 altitude reporter, Garmin GTX 345 transponder, Electronics International SP-8-A engine analyzer, OAT gauge, and fuel totalizer.

Pilots searching for a traditional 1940s-style taildragger with numerous upgrades that make it better-suited to modern times should consider this 2006 Maule M-4-180V, which is available for $125,900 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use its airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Choose Your Mount—The Maules Do It All
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• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Tailwheel Maules

The post This 2006 Maule M-4-180V Is a Backcountry-Ready ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To Justin Mackie, owner of Mackie Ranch Airfield (UT91), airport ownership is a way of sharing his perspective of flying with other aviators and supporting aviation in Utah. 

Mackie is a private pilot who began flying at 15 but stopped shortly thereafter in favor of riding motorcycles. No matter how busy he was with that lifestyle, he always hoped to return to the skies. 

• READ MORE: New Turf for Blue Cedar Landing

“I stopped flying when I was about 17 years old and left aviation for a different direction in life,” Mackie said. “I raced motorcycles and was in that business but always wanted to get back to flying—it just wasn’t in the cards time and money wise. In 2016 I picked it back up and really got into backcountry flying and the STOL stuff. I finished my ticket and started getting more into it.”

As many pilots do, especially those who enjoy flying off the beaten path, Mackie wondered where else he could plant the tires of his highly modified 182. He thought a seemingly unusable section on his 160-acre property would be the perfect place. 

“This ranch has been in my family since 1966, and it’s an original Mormon homestead[from] back in the 1850s,” Mackie said. “I’ve owned it going on 15 years and live here in the summertime. We have [an] all-natural, grass-fed beef operation here, and there’s always been this part of the ranch that was just a waste of dirt, if you will. There was a spot that was just covered in sagebrush and juniper trees up on this bluff on the other side of the waterway. I always wondered what I would do with it, until I got back into aviation and bought an airplane.”

Building an airstrip of his own started to make more sense once Mackie began considering the effort it takes to get to the ranch from Henderson, Nevada, where he spends most of the year.

• READ MORE: Idaho Luxury Fly-In Development Poised for Takeoff

“I own a private equity firm, and it’s a three-hour drive to my ranch from my home in Vegas,” he said. “Once you own an airplane, you start thinking real quick, ‘Why am I driving?’ So, I started scheming about how this would all work once I got a plane—now I am on my fourth—and finished the airstrip in the spring of 2021.”

The more Mackie considered building an airstrip, the more he felt like the ranch was a perfect place for one. He did have some concerns, though. 

“There were some things to figure out, as far as our ranch is in a low point in the surrounding mountain range,” he said. “We are in a horseshoe-shaped section of land in a 3,500-acre private valley, where there’s only one road into this valley up a canyon from the nearest town, Enterprise, Utah. So, there is rising terrain all the way around us, and there are some drainage areas that I had to sort out where the runway is.

“I hired two local guys and we just went to it. It took us about four weeks to build the runway, which is 2,450 feet long by 70 feet wide with a groomed native dirt surface and a 3-acre parking apron. And so there is no manure, hoofprints, or cows on the runway when you want to use it, I fenced off the entire area.”

Mackie credits several organizations with assistance during the creation of the airstrip and throughout its operation the last several years. 

“I got together with the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) and the Utah Backcountry Pilots Association real early on,” he said. “One of my concerns was having a piece of private land with an airstrip that’s open to the public and the liability that comes with that. Most states today have a recreational use statute on the books, that if I make this open to the public, it’s not invitation only, no one’s paying to use it, and a few other things, then I have no risk of liability if somebody hurts themselves here. 

“I really want to convey the message of how important it is for people to use their private land to give back to the general aviation community and utilize the resources of the RAF and their local backcountry flying groups… Because of the amount of resources and lobbyists that exist in those organizations, I am able to do what I’m able to do here because I make it available to the public. I want landowners, or people with private strips, to know that they don’t let people fly in right now because they are scared.” 

Other publicly accessible airstrips inspired how Mackie wanted his strip to look like. A few in Idaho, specifically, served as inspiration for his efforts. 

“My goal, starting early on in my flying, was being a student of backcountry flying, high-density altitude, and all of the things that go along with safely operating in the mountains as a bush pilot,” he said. “I started spending six weeks or so a summer up in the Frank Church[-River of No Return] Wilderness [Area] in Idaho. I came to realize pretty quick that there’s a lot of people that show up in the backcountry without the necessary equipment or skills.” 

• READ MORE: Finding Freedom by Flying in Alaska

In addition to the utility for his own use, Mackie hoped the airstrip would serve as a place where other pilots could dip their toes into backcountry flying.

“You could literally take a lawn chair to those [challenging backcountry strips], and it was like sitting at a boat ramp at the start of the summer, watching the train wreck all day long,” he said. “That became a big motivating factor for me and my airport. I decided it would be a place to go practice and refine my backcountry skills at an altitude that was meaningful but not a place that was scary, density altitude wise. There really wasn’t a lot of stuff in this area that anyone had built that was a great training grounds or a place that was made available to the public to hone their backcountry flying skills.” 

While Mackie Ranch Airfield is well suited for greenhorn pilots, there are, of course, operating challenges to be mindful of. 

“A normal day here is 70 to 80 degrees, which equates to a density altitude of about 7,000 to 8,000 feet,” Mackie said. “Completely surrounding us, there’s this big valley with peaks that are 7,500 to 8,200 feet high. If you can’t outclimb the ridges to the northeast of us, from Runway 05, you have a half mile to get over a ridgeline that’s 150 feet higher than the departure.”

One of Mackie’s friends, who had ample experience flying in and out of the airstrip, experienced an incident last summer where they impacted the face of a nearby mountain (but fortunately walked away unharmed). 

“So, it’s a challenging airport,” he said. “But at the same time, I get a lot of messages from local guys that this is their first off-airport experience and have had no issues. If you’re smart about it, it’s fine. For people that disregard the wind too much or disregard the high-density altitude, it can get sketchy real quick.” 

The post Utah Bluff of Juniper and Sagebrush Turned Into Backcountry Destination appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1942 Noorduyn Norseman UC-64A.

If you think the Noorduyn Norseman looks a lot like a de Havilland DCH-2 Beaver, you are not alone. The similarities make sense because the two aircraft were designed to handle the demands of air transport in the Canadian backcountry as well as military duty.

Each has a big Pratt & Whitney radial engine in front, supplying the excess of power needed to lift heavy loads from short, rough fields and deliver vital supplies across the sparsely populated stretches of territory that characterize northern Canada. The Norseman, though, made its first flight during the mid-1930s, about a dozen years before the Beaver’s arrival.

While the Norseman was fortified to perform in arctic regions, it would be a fun, effective way to travel today, especially for a large, outdoorsy family that might otherwise choose a recreational vehicle for vacation transport. Imagine the sensation this aircraft would cause parked on the ramp of Massachusetts’ Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) among the modern jets and turboprops.

This 1942 Noorduyn Norseman has 13,250 hours on the airframe and 625 hours on its Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1562 engine since overhaul. The panel features a Narco Comm-811 transceiver, King KT 76A transponder, Narco AR-850 encoder, NAT AA-80 intercom, and Garmin 296 GPS map.

Additional equipment includes Federal hydraulic metal skis, a throw-over yoke, Davtron digital outside temperature and leading edge landing lights, taxi lights, and strobes.

Pilots interested in antique aircraft that remain versatile, utilitarian, and practical by modern standards should take a look at this 1942 Noorduyn Norseman, which is available for $195,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use its airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Building the Dream Beaver for Generations
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The post This 1942 Noorduyn Norseman Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick Tested in the Canadian Backcountry appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Despite challenging weather conditions, seasoned bush pilots navigated through deep, snow-covered canyons and low ceilings to arrive at Valdez-Pioneer Field (PAVD) for the launch of competition May 10. Many found their routes impassable, which limited the number of competitors. 

The Heavy Touring Class of competitors were led by two Helio Couriers that dominated the remaining fleet of Cessnas who were over 100 feet behind winner Lukas Stutzer. Caleb Lofstrom took second place, followed by Shawn Holly in his 1974 Cessna 180.

The Light Touring Class competition was won by Steve Spence in a fat-tired 1957 Cessna 172  with a combined takeoff and landing distance of 192 feet. Mark Hasner took second place in his Cessna 170B, and  Levi Althens was third in another 170B.

In the Bush Class, Cache Carr went unchallenged in his 1977 Piper PA-18 Super Cub. He then joined the Experimental Bush Class, where he was able to showcase his skills.

That class was won by newcomer Lukasz Czepiela in the same Red Bull/Cubcrafters Carbon Cub UL that he landed on the iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel helipad in Dubai. It was also the same plane he flew to perform daily aerobatic airshows at Valdez. Lukasz was followed by second-place Carr and third-place Nathan Rehak in his 1922 CAW-12 Cub.

• READ MORE: Carbon Cub Pilot Takes STOL to the Extreme With Helipad Landing

The Light Sport Experimental Class is always a crowd favorite because records are often set. Unfortunately there was no wind during their taxi out. While staging, Dan Reynolds (shortest landing record holder at Valdez) experienced a brake pedal malfunction in his 1983 Chinook Valdez Special and had to withdraw, leaving Frank Knapp (combined takeoff and landing record holder at Valdez) unable to compete against his good friend and rival and capture the victory. Jon Kotwicki with FLY8MA.com took second in his Rans S-20.

Despite temperamental weather with rain and light snow flurries throughout the weekend, aviation and STOL enthusiasts were undeterred. The packed crowd was rewarded with impressive aerobatic performances by Scott Sexton of Barnstormer Aviation, Czepiela, and Reynolds. 

The post Valdez Fly-In STOL Competition Celebrates 20th Anniversary appeared first on FLYING Magazine.