Friends Enjoy a Different Kind of ‘Bar Hopping’ in Their Zenith LSAs

Zenith STOL flyers introduce a friend to landing on gravel bars.

Dan Pimentel

Friday, September 02, 2022 at 06:10 AM ET

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Curt Thompson chose a unique paint scheme for his plans-built Zenith CH701 Clownfish Plane. [Courtesy: Terry Green]

Key Takeaways:

Four Washington-based LSA pilots embarked on "The Great Gravel Gaggle" to introduce new pilot Curt Thompson to the exhilarating experience of STOL gravel bar landings.
The outing emphasized safety in off-airport landings, with experienced pilots checking surfaces first and guiding Thompson through his carefully documented first gravel bar landing.
Thompson's Zenith CH701 "Clownfish Plane," which he built over eight years, proved ideal for this type of flying, showcasing the fun and camaraderie of STOL gravel bar hopping while prioritizing gaining experience safely.

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One of the main draws to what we know as “sport flying” is just going out and having fun with your airplane. And when that fun involves more friends who also share your love of flying light sport airplanes, the “fun” aspect is multiplied several times.

So when three LSA pilots from Washington state decided to introduce a fourth sport pilot to the exhilaration that comes from landing on gravel bars in a STOL machine, they named the one-day outing “The Great Gravel Gaggle.”