Fellow aviators!

I'm looking for challenging runways (less than 1000ft) to practice STOL flying techniques for a new video.

I would be grateful for your recommendations for your favourite challenging airstrips outside of the U.K (and available in MSFS or as third party software).

Lockyers is my bible for finding U.K based strips In my real-world flying. Obviously in MSFS I can fly further afield so I'd appreciate hearing about your top picks for STOL flying in MSFS.

Cheers

TrafficPilot

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by TrafficPilot

Marsh Court, Stockbridge, in the UK.

Head South from the village about 1/2 NM and find the grass strip running besides the river. It's in the sim very nicely and there are TALL trees both ends making your effective landing length - very short indeed.

Check Google Earth. Just to your right of that little lake to the south of Stockbridge and where it says Marsh Court.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stockbridge/@51.1023314,-1.4938242,4491m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4873f0ba02a8869f:0xba25b0c3aa21e79f!8m2!3d51.116603!4d-1.484301

Absolute bugger. Very little space to turn the ship for takeoff too so take care.

Nearest civilised runway is either Popham or Southampton.

If you want a bearing it's just over 10NM from the SAM VOR (113.35) on 327°

It's difficult to find. Keep yourself high. Give yourself a long In approach. Definitely right at the  "back-of-the-curve" for Speed and Flaps.

X-Cub's perfect for it.

Good Luck! - (you're going need it)

 

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by Will Fly For Cheese

It is well modeled in MSFS and I know for a fact that you can land and take off from there in the default DA62, so long as you have very little fuel on board, but it isn't easy.

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by Chock

1 hour ago, TrafficPilot said:

I'm looking for challenging runways (less than 1000ft) to practice STOL flying techniques for a new video.

Go here and download everything with the "explosion" by it that indicates a particularly challenging field.   Vines is a favorite of mine.

Additionally, if you're doing STOL videos, you might want to get Dead Cow Lakebed, which is configured for STOL drags and has measurement lines laid down.   It's where I took this video of an insanely short takeoff in Grravel.

 

 

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by kaosfere

And if you want to go all the way down the rabbit hole of STOL . .

I'm too scared to, but this guy is definitely not;

I think he might be dead now though.

A STOL too far at some later date . . .

 

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by Will Fly For Cheese

 

 

LSVE Altiport de Croix de Coeur is a top notch runway in Switzerland, there's even a mod to make it even prettier: 

https://flightsim.to/file/5924/lsve-altiport-de-croix-de-coeur

 

real landing:

 

Wilsons bar Idaho is a good one...

https://www.mountainflying.com/Pages/airstrips/id_wilson_bar.html

There is a very short strip on Cuttyhunk Island in MA, USA.

Right where the Seaplane airport is in this sectional.

Do it in real WX for added challenge. Sometimes in real planes we actually landed on the road instead of on the strip.

Here is a video of a 182 landing there, it is in the end of the vid, T/O was from Katama on Marthas Vineyard.

 

Edited March 27, 20215 yr by 177B

21 hours ago, Will Fly For Cheese said:

Marsh Court, Stockbridge, in the UK.

Head South from the village about 1/2 NM and find the grass strip running besides the river. It's in the sim very nicely and there are TALL trees both ends making your effective landing length - very short indeed.

Check Google Earth. Just to your right of that little lake to the south of Stockbridge and where it says Marsh Court.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Stockbridge/@51.1023314,-1.4938242,4491m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x4873f0ba02a8869f:0xba25b0c3aa21e79f!8m2!3d51.116603!4d-1.484301

Absolute bugger. Very little space to turn the ship for takeoff too so take care.

Nearest civilised runway is either Popham or Southampton.

If you want a bearing it's just over 10NM from the SAM VOR (113.35) on 327°

It's difficult to find. Keep yourself high. Give yourself a long In approach. Definitely right at the  "back-of-the-curve" for Speed and Flaps.

X-Cub's perfect for it.

Good Luck! - (you're going need it)

 

This is excellent thank you. I can't believe I missed this strip! As you say it's only a few minutes flying time from Popham so will be tempting to add to the real-world logbook. That is assuming our C42 could get in and out of there safely.

Cheers

TrafficPilot

22 hours ago, Chock said:

It is well modeled in MSFS and I know for a fact that you can land and take off from there in the default DA62, so long as you have very little fuel on board, but it isn't easy.

Thanks Chock! I'd missed this in MSFS. That looks like a proper challenge. The wind must be really tricky what with the mountain and the sea in close proximity. Another one to check out thank you!

21 hours ago, kaosfere said:

Go here and download everything with the "explosion" by it that indicates a particularly challenging field.   Vines is a favorite of mine.

Additionally, if you're doing STOL videos, you might want to get Dead Cow Lakebed, which is configured for STOL drags and has measurement lines laid down.   It's where I took this video of an insanely short takeoff in Grravel.

 

 

Thank you - wasn't aware of this in the sim. That's an impressive take-off! How much flap were you using?

Love the Savage Carbon/Gravel. I'm so grateful to those guys for coding an aircraft with properly designed flight dynamics. I would have uninstalled MSFS months ago had it not been for this wonderful freeware.

 

21 hours ago, Will Fly For Cheese said:

And if you want to go all the way down the rabbit hole of STOL . .

I'm too scared to, but this guy is definitely not;

I think he might be dead now though.

A STOL too far at some later date . . .

 

This is mad. He can obviously fly but I doubt his insurance would cover the damage to his aircraft/himself. What a twit.

21 hours ago, Johnny Wyatt said:

 

 

LSVE Altiport de Croix de Coeur is a top notch runway in Switzerland, there's even a mod to make it even prettier: 

https://flightsim.to/file/5924/lsve-altiport-de-croix-de-coeur

 

real landing:

 

Wow. Great video fantastic scenery. Thanks for the link am downloading now. I wish MSFS had modelled winds/drag/friction properly. Oh well at least it looks pretty!

20 hours ago, Flyfaster_MTN002 said:

Wilsons bar Idaho is a good one...

https://www.mountainflying.com/Pages/airstrips/id_wilson_bar.html

Oh my. Just seen the photo of the strip. If you can call it "a strip"! Thanks for this - another one to add to my list.

20 hours ago, 177B said:

There is a very short strip on Cuttyhunk Island in MA, USA.

Right where the Seaplane airport is in this sectional.

Do it in real WX for added challenge. Sometimes in real planes we actually landed on the road instead of on the strip.

Here is a video of a 182 landing there, it is in the end of the vid, T/O was from Katama on Marthas Vineyard.

 

Thanks lovely area to fly I'll add it. I wonder how much it cost to repair the tail boom on the 182 in that video :D