Helio Alaska co-founder and CEO Lukas Stutzer won the Heavy Touring class at the Valdez STOL competition in aircraft equipped with Beringer Aero wheels and brakes. [Credit: Beringer Aero]
Key Takeaways:
Lukas Stutzer, CEO of Helio Alaska, won first place in the Heavy Touring class at the 2026 Valdez STOL Competition, piloting his 1972 Helio H-295.
STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) competitions, like the Valdez event, showcase pilots' skill in achieving the shortest takeoff and landing distances, often using aircraft specifically designed for such performance.
Stutzer's winning aircraft was equipped with Beringer Aero's high-performance wheels and brakes, which are crucial for STOL operations, providing shorter rolling distances and enhanced heat dissipation.
Beringer Aero, a specialist in high-performance braking systems, supports pilots like Stutzer who push the limits of aviation performance and safety in demanding STOL environments.
Lukas Stutzer, a fourth-generation Alaskan and co-founder and CEO of Helio Alaska, finished in first place in the Heavy Touring class at the 2026 Valdez STOL Competition on May 9-10.
Flying his 1972 Helio H-295, Stutzer won with a total takeoff and landing distance of 244 feet. He used the same aircraft to claim the same class at Valdez, Alaska, in 2021 at 197 total feet.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
