the east and the entire AirVenture grounds are laid out
below. With perfect weather and a cool breeze in the
cockpit, why would anyone want to land? The truth is
that landing is the most fun thing in aviation and that is
what the spectators come to see. Takeoffs are great,
too, but the airplane does all the work while the pilot
sits quietly waiting for something to go wrong. Landings are more interactive.
This year, Aeroprakt A20 Vista pilot Dennis Long of
Oakland, Tennessee, made a compilation video of flying
at the Ultralight/Light Plane Runway. The amateur video
includes lots of takeoffs and landings. This is what draws
spectators to our runway. The second half of the video
is all in-flight views from the wing, the tail, and under the
belly of this aircraft. The footage (at the 6:00 minute mark)
captures the intricacies of the final approach and landing
from both directions. If you've never flown here, this is
your film. Check out his video Oshkosh Flying 2013 HD.
Overhead view of the Ultralight/Light Plane area.
If you haven't already seen it, read my "Light Plane
World" column in the September 2013 issue of EAA
Experimenter. It covers some of the top stories and
interesting airplanes from the Fun Flying Zone at AirVenture 2103. Read about the latest electric airplanes
flown this year, a fabulous flying antique, and the Revo
trike invasion. With 130 ultralights and light planes on
display, there was plenty to see. Here's more news
from the Ultralight/Light Plane area.
Just Aircraft Highlander SuperSTOL
Few airplanes have done more to attract newcomers
to grassroots STOL flying than Troy Woodland's Highlander SuperSTOL. First seen at AirVenture in 2012, it
captures the true essence of flight. During slow flight
near the ground (as when landing and taking off), the
magic that is flight becomes magnified in the eyes of
the viewer. A short takeoff is expected from the STOL
plane, but during the landing, time seems to stand still.
With flaps and slats deployed, it floats as if there is no
gravity and settles down with surprising gentleness.
The main gear is on long-travel shocks, and there is
a shock absorber on the tail wheel. Both the original
Highlander design and the new SuperSTOL were flown
all week at AirVenture. To fully understand the capability of the landing gear, watch this video…sure to make
you smile.
Highlanders are amateur-built kits, and Troy said he is
not anticipating going the special light-sport aircraft
(S-LSA) route. The current airframe kit is very economical at $36,650. Troy claims a complete aircraft
with tundra tires, wing tanks, and 100-hp Rotax engine
Photography by Dan Grunloh
Troy Woodlawn and the Highlander SuperSTOL
Custom showplane version of a Kolb Firestar.
EAA Experimenter
35