A Thousand Words: High Sierra Fly-In 2017 Edition

8 years in, the High Sierra Fly-in is approaching critical mass with record attendance, and apparently still growing. It no longer bears explaining what it is, or why. It is a well-known event in aviation circles the world over, and attendees come from as far as Australia to get a taste of the playa dust and a sampling of some of the most incredible and unique aircraft and pilots the STOL community has to offer. This year's High Sierra Edition of A Thousand Words features riveting images from photographers Leonardo Correa Luna, Alex Wells, and Laura Wegner.

The Man: organizer and guide Kevin Quinn.Alex Wells

Any action on the playa causes an eruption of the fine dust that makes up the surface of the enormous dry lake bed. Laura Wegner

Shrouded in dust, a 170 and a Taylorcraft weather the storm. High winds and rain rocked the camp on Thursday night, testing tie-downs and leaving the playa wet and muddy for morning. Leonardo Correa Luna

The Nevada earthscape takes on an entirely new life from the air.Alex Wells

Fiddler Dustin Mosher provides his score for the misty morning scene, as departures commence at HSF.Laura Wegner

The seldom-seen Scoda Aeronautica Super Petrel LS surveys Pyramid Lake and its massive tufa-coated bluffs. HSF is a magnet for interesting aircraft. Leonardo Correa Luna

The sun sets on a lonely tent at the HSF. Temps can drop dramatically in the high desert without the heat of the sun. Alex Wells

Every year the fire gets larger and the circle of people does too — The night is filled with the sounds of camaradie and sometimes explosions. Leonardo Correa Luna

Little Aubrey braves the shadows of giants in her PJs in the morning sun, her Skywagon in the background. Alex Wells

The Max Holste Broussard MH-1521... there were actually two of them at HSF.Leonardo Correa Luna

The much-heralded six-seat Cessna 205 packs quite a camp.Alex Wells

Two craft, low and inbound for the steam vent on Pyramid Lake. Leonardo Correa Luna

This is really what it's all about at HSF: Sitting around and enjoying time with friends, old and new, under a wing. Alex Wells

Neck and neck in the STOL drag competition, pilots Jason Sneed and Trent Palmer duke it out in the seminfinal. Leonardo Correa Luna