These days, it is not uncommon to see fat Tundra tires on mostly taildragger airplanes flying STOL competitions or descending into a remote airstrip for some “backcountry” fun. It seems more and more that attention is being paid to this subset of general aviation, but the truth is, the lure of short takeoff and landing or STOL flying has been nurtured by the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) for two decades.
With the help of scores of RAF volunteers, the foundation has grown backcountry flying into a very popular niche of GA, with plenty of pilots utilizing stock or modified airplanes to access airstrips that do not involve a paved runway. And while many of these airplanes are purpose-built for STOL operations, according to RAF president Bill McGlynn, an impressive percentage of RAF members fly light sport airplanes now or have used them in the past for backcountry operations.
