STOL Invitational at Oshkosh Draws SRO Crowds

The event was part of the Twilight Flight Fest at the 2022 show.

Josh Richling

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 at 11:53 AM ET

Verified

Jared Jestice taking off in his Kitfox Model 4 Speedster. [Photo: Josh Richling]

Key Takeaways:

The 2022 STOL Invitational at EAA AirVenture attracted unprecedented crowds, underscoring the event's significant growth and widespread popularity among spectators and pilots.
Despite being an invitational demonstration, pilots, including well-known YouTube personalities, competed fiercely for the shortest takeoffs and landings, supported by a strong community spirit.
The evening event featured impressive displays of LED lighting on aircraft and concluded with Steve Henry declared the overall winner, followed by Hal Stockman and Jared Jestice.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The 2022 STOL Invitational—part of the Twilight Flight Fest at EAA AirVenture—featured standing-room-only crowds on the ultralight field, as people began gathering more than an hour in advance to secure a good viewing spot to see their favorite STOL pilots and YouTube stars.

The past few years have seen an enormous increase both in pilots and spectators. It is rumored that next year the event may take place on a new field in a different location, but time will tell. For the 2022 event, spectators stood five deep in full bleachers, looking over each other’s shoulders to try to get a glimpse of the line where pilots would be measured from.