🤯 Watch This Carbon Cub Land in 100 Feet – STOL Magic (Videos)

🤯 Watch This Carbon Cub Land in 100 Feet (No, Seriously)

Physics-defying STOL performance. This is what separates bush planes from everything else.

Carbon Cub SS landing in about 100 feet at a STOL competition. Watch it stop in the length of three cars.

How Is This Even Possible? 🤔

It’s all about energy management and design:

• 🪂 Slow approach speed: 25-30 mph over the threshold
• 💨 Massive drag: Full flaps, slow speed = tons of drag
• 🎯 Precision touchdown: Nail your spot within inches
• 🛞 Brakes + grass: Hit the brakes hard on soft surface
• ⚖️ Light weight: Carbon fiber = less mass to stop

🎥 STOL Drag Racing Competition

STOL drag racing = taking off as short as possible, flying around a pylon, and landing as short as possible. These pilots are INSANE (in the best way).

Competition rules:

• Shortest combined takeoff + landing distance wins
• Typical winning distance: 150-200 feet TOTAL
• That’s takeoff AND landing combined 🤯

🛫 Shortest Takeoff Ever?

Mike Patey’s “Draco” STOL monster taking off in about 100 feet. 680 HP turbine, carbon fiber, and pure insanity. (RIP Draco – crashed in 2019 but Mike walked away)

🏔️ Why STOL Performance Matters

Short answer: Backcountry strips.

• 🎯 1,200-foot strips in the Idaho backcountry
• ⬆️ One-way strips (land uphill, takeoff downhill)
• 🌡️ High density altitude (6,000’+ elevation on a hot day)
• 🌲 Trees on both sides (zero margin for error)
• 💨 Variable winds (mountain weather changes fast)

STOL capability = more places you can land safely.

📹 Bush Plane Compilation – Crazy Landings

Bush planes landing on sandbars, glaciers, mountains, and places that don’t look like airports because they’re NOT airports.

🔧 What Makes a STOL Machine?

Carbon Cub features:

• ✅ 31″ Alaskan Bushwheel tires
• ✅ Vortex generators on wings
• ✅ Drooped wing tips
• ✅ Monster flaps (50+ degrees)
• ✅ 180 HP Lycoming engine
• ✅ Light carbon fiber airframe
• ✅ High wing = better lift at slow speeds

🎯 Want to Learn STOL?

Get training! These techniques look easy on video but require skill:

• 📚 Backcountry flying course (highly recommended)
• 🎓 Mountain flying seminar (Idaho Aviation Foundation)
• 👨‍✈️ Tail dragger endorsement (most STOL planes are tail draggers)
• 🎯 Practice, practice, practice (at long runways first!)

Never attempt short field landings without proper training. The mountains are forever. You can wait. ⛰️✈️