A friend of mine sent me a link to an Article published by AOPA on June 16, 2016. It's titled "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME STOL COMPETITIONS DEMAND EXTREME TECHNIQUES". Has some photos and blurbs of a few of our members.

Try to be nice.

https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/august/flight-training/dont-try-this-at-home

Huh. Interesting...

For the love all that is good DO TRY THIS AT HOME!

This Hirschman guy is special...after his video, and now the way he wrote this article, it sure seems like he has something against STOL.

Our backcountry/STOL flying seems to be one of the few sectors in GA that is actually growing. Why is AOPA publishing this guy who's putting a negative spin on STOL??? His intro and little excerpt at the end, "The Right Way," had the same negative vibe as his video.

I hope that readers, who are unfamiliar with our type of flying, realize that Dave Hirschman is merely a self-proclaimed authority; in my opinion he has zero credibility. As far as backcountry/STOL flying is concerned, Hirschman has shown a level of skill/understanding no greater than that of a student pilot.

My home runway in 12,000'/9,000' at sea level.

And still people crash for no reason.

Skalywag wrote:This Hirschman guy is special...after his video, and now the way he wrote this article, it sure seems like he has something against STOL.

Our backcountry/STOL flying seems to be one of the few sectors in GA that is actually growing. Why is AOPA publishing this guy who's putting a negative spin on STOL??? His intro and little excerpt at the end, "The Right Way," had the same negative vibe as his video.

I hope that readers, who are unfamiliar with our type of flying, realize that Dave Hirschman is merely a self-proclaimed authority; in my opinion he has zero credibility. As far as backcountry/STOL flying is concerned, Hirschman has shown a level of skill/understanding no greater than that of a student pilot.

X2. Very well said Luke.

A1Skinner wrote:

Skalywag wrote:This Hirschman guy is special...after his video, and now the way he wrote this article, it sure seems like he has something against STOL.

Our backcountry/STOL flying seems to be one of the few sectors in GA that is actually growing. Why is AOPA publishing this guy who's putting a negative spin on STOL??? His intro and little excerpt at the end, "The Right Way," had the same negative vibe as his video.

I hope that readers, who are unfamiliar with our type of flying, realize that Dave Hirschman is merely a self-proclaimed authority; in my opinion he has zero credibility. As far as backcountry/STOL flying is concerned, Hirschman has shown a level of skill/understanding no greater than that of a student pilot.

X2. Very well said Luke.

X3

I was pulling full flaps and rotating in the Cherokee 140 as soon as I kicked my instructor out of the plane.

I blame this site, Greg Swingle, and YouTube.



If I would've listened to all the "experts" I would have never left Ohio for Idaho with 80 hours in my logbook. Best thing I ever did. Scared the fuck out of myself at least four times.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Changed my life forever.

Crzyivan13 wrote:

A1Skinner wrote:

Skalywag wrote:This Hirschman guy is special...after his video, and now the way he wrote this article, it sure seems like he has something against STOL.

Our backcountry/STOL flying seems to be one of the few sectors in GA that is actually growing. Why is AOPA publishing this guy who's putting a negative spin on STOL??? His intro and little excerpt at the end, "The Right Way," had the same negative vibe as his video.

I hope that readers, who are unfamiliar with our type of flying, realize that Dave Hirschman is merely a self-proclaimed authority; in my opinion he has zero credibility. As far as backcountry/STOL flying is concerned, Hirschman has shown a level of skill/understanding no greater than that of a student pilot.

X2. Very well said Luke.

X3

I was pulling full flaps and rotating in the Cherokee 140 as soon as I kicked my instructor out of the plane.

I blame this site, Greg Swingle, and YouTube.



If I would've listened to all the "experts" I would have never left Ohio for Idaho with 80 hours in my logbook. Best thing I ever did. Scared the fuck out of myself at least four times.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Changed my life forever.

x4

It is a good barometer reading on the mentality of GA in general when a well-known AOPA columnist writes something that marginalizes a discipline of flying that has ALWAYS existed and plays it off as some radical new craze.

I cannot articulate it better than Skalywag.

I am tempted to translate what Skaly wrote into local Hawaiian pidgin. But, it would not be as polite.

8GCBC wrote:I am tempted to translate what Skaly wrote into local Hawaiian pidgin. But, it would not be as polite.

But would be great to hear nonetheless.

PittsDriver wrote:

8GCBC wrote:I am tempted to translate what Skaly wrote into local Hawaiian pidgin. But, it would not be as polite.

But would be great to hear nonetheless.

Ah, an elegant post. You must teach.

Crzyivan13 wrote:

A1Skinner wrote:

Skalywag wrote:This Hirschman guy is special...after his video, and now the way he wrote this article, it sure seems like he has something against STOL.

Our backcountry/STOL flying seems to be one of the few sectors in GA that is actually growing. Why is AOPA publishing this guy who's putting a negative spin on STOL??? His intro and little excerpt at the end, "The Right Way," had the same negative vibe as his video.

I hope that readers, who are unfamiliar with our type of flying, realize that Dave Hirschman is merely a self-proclaimed authority; in my opinion he has zero credibility. As far as backcountry/STOL flying is concerned, Hirschman has shown a level of skill/understanding no greater than that of a student pilot.

X2. Very well said Luke.

X3

I was pulling full flaps and rotating in the Cherokee 140 as soon as I kicked my instructor out of the plane.

I blame this site, Greg Swingle, and YouTube.



If I would've listened to all the "experts" I would have never left Ohio for Idaho with 80 hours in my logbook. Best thing I ever did. Scared the fuck out of myself at least four times.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. Changed my life forever.

Swingle, courierguy, and YOU have cost me thousands of retirement money

Just got back last week from Stick & Rudder with my Savage Cub. Don't expect any crazy video too soon as old dogs don't learn new tricks very fast (just ask S&R guys).

Being the first person to land in some random field or ridge top, having fun with the guys at a for-fun spot landing competition.. getting out the tape measure and seeing who can rip their plane off the ground in the shortest distance... not just practicing but also modifying my plane to do these things as well as possible has been not just the highlight of my flying 'career'....but some of the best times I've had in life period. I'm all about sneaking up on something and trying it after doing as much homework and research as possible, but discouraging anyone from enjoying this type of flying is just sad.

It's been said better than I can say it already in this thread.. but I felt the need to chime in.

It doesn't surprise me though. One of the instructors where I trained said he had never landed on anything but pavement and never would. Some of the other guys think it's crazy I am using my driveway as my runway... I don't think they could wrap their heads around it, or why anyone would want to do something like that. Some of them of course were all about it. Everyone's different, and that's fine, but don't knock it.. I don't go out and do loops and rolls with my plane, but I think it's awesome that other pilots do that stuff!!

"...Remember that the objective is to land on a spot and stop soon after, not use as little of the runway as possible..."

Is that not a contradiction? that reads to me as "How to spot land" not "How to land short".
I doubt that Hirschman would be so general and dissing about aerobatic flying as he is about STOL flying...


Maybe Patrick Romano can send AOPA an article on STOL flying?

The first three sentences and title in his article does give that "taboo" vibe. A big negative to promoting GA aviation IMO.

I'm glad AOPA doesn't write much about seaplanes. We don't need that kind of "Helpfulness".