Render 2023

Unlimited

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Hal Stockman	03	2024 Badlands Vaquero	N510DH	Silver Oratex	Lawnmower 4.1		Rotax 916IS	1500			Turbo Charged, Fuel Injected, Catto Prop, Canard			Elko NV		Rebuild of Lawnmower IV...tail from the original was re-covered Adding a canard on the front to help offset the CG and make the tail more effective and take more weight off the wings
Jared Garetson	603	2022 Badlands Traveler	N603GB	Blue and Gray	Badlands		Titan O-340, 174hp	2200	970	35” bushwheels	10” beringer brakes	Anti gravity wings, and slats	Catto propellers and Ashley’s checkbook ; )	Manhattan KS	@Jaredgaretson	My name is Jared Garetson, 2025 is my second season competing with National STOL. I buy, sell, trade and build experimental backcountry planes. If I can fit in it, I’ll fly it! I can’t wait to see how the season goes this year!
Steve Henry	44	2022 Just Aircraft Wild West Aircraft Highlander XL	N864SC	Yellow with blue trim ~ Number 44	Wild West Aircraft	YeeHaw #8	Yamaha 998T Sidewinder 300HP	1320	850	Carlisle 22.5 X 10–8 tires	WWA Carbon Slats, TK 1 Suspension, Marc Ingegno wheels and brakes	Cockpit adjustable tailwheel suspension	HYPERSPORTS, RACING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, BETTER AIRCRAFT FABRIC, FLYING EYES OPTICS, CLEMENS INSURANCE, SKYTRAX GEARBOX, TK1 SHOCK MONSTERS, AEROLEDS, MARC INGEGNO WHEELS AND BRAKES, GRT AVIONICS, SENSENICH PROPELLERS, NR PROPELLERS, TUNDRA TAILWHEELS, EARTH X BATTERIES, SKY COWBOY HELMETS	Nampa ID	wildweststeve	Steve Henry is a seasoned aviator who has been flying and competing in his Wild West Aircraft / Just Aircraft Highlander for many years. His passion began in 2005, when he built his first Highlander and made history by filming the Dead Stick Takeoff, which can still be viewed on his YouTube channel, Steve Henry along with his many other backcountry adventure and competition videos. Follow him on Instagram @wildweststeve. Competing in his everyday airplane, Steve&amp;amp;amp;#039;s yellow Highlander, nicknamed Yee-Haw and bearing the number 44, has graced the cover of numerous aviation publications, countless articles, and several viral videos, making it one of the most recognizable backcountry aircraft in the world. Steve is also a dealer for these planes, and has spent years researching and testing them. His enthusiasm and dedication to aviation supports and advances the field, as well as helps aspiring pilots. Steve is approachable and happy to answer any questions you may have about his plane, so don&amp;amp;amp;#039;t hesitate to stop by and say hello! Who knows, you could be the next one to soar in one of these remarkable flying machines.

Touring

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Derek Holman	345	1991 Maule MXT 7-180	N345PP	White green black	Trike Envy		Lycoming 0360 180hp	2500	1490	7.00	MT Prop	VGs		Creswell OR		My names Derek Holman I go by DJ, I’m 19 years old with around 100 hours. I’m a college student at southern utah university with goals of ending up in the airlines. The maule is my fathers airplane and I have been flying it for about 2 years now, Theodore in the back or right seat of the aircraft is our full time passenger and he loves pictures so feel free to take some. If the airplane were to crash it’s said NTSB would never know how many souls were truly on board.
Don Mickey	53	1953 Cessna 180	N2252C	Silver with red accents	Uncle Harvey’s Short Field Flying Circus		Norland O-470, 260hp	2550	1690	26”	Horton STOL	MT prop		Albuquerque NM		Born beneath the expansive New Mexico skies in the mystical city of Albuquerque, Don Mickey entered the world already reaching for the clouds. Legend has it that as a baby, he would flap his arms so violently at the sight of birds overhead that neighborhood pigeons began to avoid his block altogether. While most kids were building model airplanes, he was attempting to reverse-engineer lawnmowers into vertical takeoff machines. His early life was filled with aerial dreams—some say even dreams of aerial duels, his sleep-talking often including calls to imaginary wingmen and cryptic coordinates over the Sea of Tranquility. After years of ground-bound scheming and skyward yearning, he took to the skies for real. Having owned a couple of Mooneys and a Bonanza, he discovered they were “entirely too fast for the art of aimless wandering,” as he once put it from the cockpit of a plane he landed on top of a mesa “just to see what was up there.” That’s when he met his wife, Katie—equal parts muse, copilot, and voice of reason. She not only tolerated his airborne antics but brought snacks, navigated better than GPS, and once allegedly sweet-talked a herd of elk out of a remote landing strip at dusk. With her encouragement (and occasional veto power), he traded speed for soul and adopted a Cessna 180—a plane as rugged and romantic as their partnership. STOL flying soon became more than a hobby. It became a philosophy. What began as a way to refine his piloting turned into a lifestyle of adventure, precision, and deeply inappropriate landings in increasingly improbable places. Together, Don and Katie have touched down on beaches, buttes, and one suspiciously well-mowed backyard in Montana (long story). Rumors persist that he once landed in a canyon so narrow the Cessna had to be disassembled and carried out by wild goats—goats Katie somehow trained using only trail mix and firm but kind words. Now regarded by some as a desert sage of backcountry aviation, Don continues to explore the skies not for where they can take him—but for how cleverly he can arrive.
John Douglas	307	1964 Cessna 182	N182WY	White & Green	WYO STOL		O-470 230	2800	1650	600 x 6	VG's	Madras super tips	Emblem Aviation	Pinedale WY	wyostolpilot	Hosting Rocky Mountain STOL is a dream come true! John Douglas, a Pinedale WY native is an IA, and A&amp;amp;amp;P Mechanic with a deep passion for aviation. Backed by an amazing, supportive wife, three daughters, two sons in law, two sons, two daughters in law, and 10 grand kids, John is cheered on by a family that believes in flight, faith and community. Together, he and his wife, Angela, love hosting Rocky Mountain STOL, traveling and competing on the National STOL circuit, and caring for their aviation tribe. Through their business, Emblem Aviation LLC they have built a platform that allows John to use his skills to support these flying adventures. One of John&amp;amp;#039;s most memorable flights took place in 2008 when he flew a Sportsman across the ocean from Oshkosh WI to Cameroon, Africa delivering it to missionary, Tom Needum - a journey that reminds him how far aviation can take us, both literally and figuratively.
Rick Holman	45	1991 Maule MXT 7-180	N345PP	White green black	Trike Envy		Lycoming 0360 180hp	2500	1490	7.00	MT prop	VGs		Creswell OR

Wilderness

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Brandon Corn	30	2024 Backcountry Super Cub Boss	N24BC	White. Red and Blue stripes	Brazos Bullet Aviation		Lycoming 540 330hp	3600	1780	35” Bushwheels	Slats. TK1 Racing Shocks. 330hp Lycon engine Catto Prop		Backcountry Super Cubs, Wyoming. Corn Collision Center Inc. McFarlane Aviation, Flight Resource. Champion Spark plugs and filters Flying Eyes, Best Tugs , Precision Air Power	Gause TX	https://instagram.com/bcorn30?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==	From Hearne Texas, 3rd generation owner of Corn Collision Center established in 1948. After years of racing Wing Sprint Cars, started flying and loving the challenge and constant learning and new adventures. I love competing and honing my skills. I enjoy camping and backcountry flying. 2023 Heavy Touring National Champion
Jared Garetson	603	2024 Backcountry Super Cub Boss	N24BC	White. Red and Blue stripes	Garetson Aviation		Lycoming 540 330hp	3600	1780	35” Bushwheels	Slats. TK1 Racing Shocks. 330hp Lycon engine Catto Prop			Manhattan KS	Garetson Aviation	My name is Jared Garetson, 2025 is my second season competing with National STOL. I buy, sell, trade and build experimental backcountry planes. If I can fit in it, I’ll fly it! I can’t wait to see how the season goes this year!
John McCardle	10	2025 Bearhawk Bearhawk 5	N5630V	Red/White	Team Nebraska		Lycoming 580 400hp	3000	1607	31 in ABW				Omaha NE	_johnmccardle	Been a pilot for 3 years with 450 hours now. I grew up playing football and got a scholarship to play at Kansas State. After that I played for 3 years in Germany. Once my football career was over, I started competing in Cross-Fit where I qualified for Regionals. Although, 22 years of competitive sports took a toll on my body and I decided to quit competitive athletics. I needed a new hobby and decided to start hunting, where I then learned that you could fly planes into the back country to hunt. This spurred my interest in backcountry flying, which led to me getting my pilots license in May of 2022, ultimately leading me to STOL. My first STOL competition was May of 2023. I have also started a YouTube channel @john_mccardle documenting my flying and hunting adventures.

Backcountry (formerly Bush)

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Brad Crawford	16	2011 Aviat Husky A-1C-180	N11HY	Black, White, Yellow	Spa Aero LLC		Lycoming O-360-A1P 180Hp	2250	1385	29” Bushwheels	VGs, MT Propeller	Bushwheels		Hot Springs AR		I’ve been flying since I was a kid. Bush flying is my passion and I’ve bought and rebuilt many airplanes and many huskys. Including this one which I built completely from the ground up after the original owner damaged it when it was brand new. Love the competition, fun and most importantly the people!
Patrick Pfister	323	1993 Husky A-1	N323SA	White/Red				1800						Pinedale WY
Jerry Clemens	17	2008 Aviat Husky A1-C-200	N134DD	Red/Black	Clemens Insurance	https://www.clemensinsurance.net	IO360 200HP	2200	1467	31” Bushwheel	VG's	MT Prop	Clemens Aviation Insurance	Wichita KS	https://www.instagram.com/clemens.jerry/	I fly a 2008 Husky A1C, N134DD better known as Double D. She has 200hp 31” Bushwheel tires and an MT reverse thrust prop sometimes. She's a little heavy, coming in at 1467 empty. Jerry and double d are on a diet though!

Adventure

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Clint Busenitz	60	2024 El ‘Heffe Badlands Traveler	365BS	Black	Team Sodak	Garage Built	Lycoming 0360 200+hp	1800	988	29 ABW	All the good stuff comes stock			Oral SD SD		Grew up on a cattle ranch in WY, began flying at age 19 in a 90 supercub home built aircraft fanatic currently flying #9 Day job is manufacturing exhaust systems primarily for vans aircraft, and many cub type kits.
Joseph Card	92	2022 Badlands Traveler	N603GB	Blue	Slowpokes		Titan 340 173 hp	1600	970	Round	Booster rockets.	Bug splatter	Irwin sky ranch J-C Fullspeed Service Garretson Aviation	Casper WY		56 year old private pilot. Couple years flying experience. Enjoy exploring by air.
Mike Babcock	8	2025 Badlands STOL Traveler	N568MM	Blue			Yamaha 998T, Hp unknown	1900	1080	custom	a few - more to come		Aero Endeavors, RSRacecraft, Sea Fare Pacific	Cottage Grove OR		The Badlands STOL Traveler is a very capable airplane with the stock wing. Mike is starting to think that all these mods might be mucking it up a bit. Looking forward to spending more in the air than on the ground wrenching.

Cub

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Chadwyck Wirtz	49	2008 CubCrafters Sport Cub CC11-100	N4984H	Yellow	Chadwyck Wirtz		Continental O-200-A	1320	850	8.50x6 4 Ply Aero Classic Smooth Tundra	None	None		San Jose KRHV CA		I am a private pilot and I fly a CubCrafters Sport Cub S2 out of Reid Hillview airport.
Michael Sisk	230	1953 Piper Super Cub	N230T	Yellow	Redneck Hunter		IO-320	1800	1300	31 Alaska Bushwheels	New gear, suspension and tires	VG’s	Me!!	Alpine WY		I’m 57 and have been flying since high school. Grew up in Norh West Colorado and have lots of mtn flying experience Have had my Cub for 15 years and also fly a cub on floats, race a T-6, and travel in a turbine converted Bonanza. I’m an Orthopedic surgeon and enjoy doing specialty outreach in rural communities
Ryan Melendez	222	1954 Piper Super Cub PA-18	N8180C	White and Gold	Warriors With Wings	Goldie	Lycoming O-360 180hp	1700	1250	Alaska Bushwheel 31 inches	Alaska Gear Company (Lift Struts, Titanium Gear/Tailspring, PSTOL Flaps, Baby Bushwheel) - Crosswind STOL Kit - ACME AERO Black Ops Suspension - Sensenich 82" Ground Adjustable Composite Prop -		Baker Avionics, Whelen Aerospace Technologies, Fairings-Ect	San Diego CA	@flyinsnoopy @warriors_with_wings	My name is Ryan Melendez and I am a full time airport bum, part time airline pilot. My aviation journey started almost 10 years ago at the age of 17. On September 6th, 2015, I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance where doctors were unsure if I would make it through the night as I was suffering from Septic Shock. I spent 3 days in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit awaiting results to why I was so sick. Unsure of what my future would be, I turned to my father and told him I want to learn to fly. I always had a love for aviation and when I was a baby, my father flew and owned a Cessna 182 with David Crosby until they sold the plane in 2001. Without any hesitation, my father drove down to the local airport (Montgomery Field) and bought me a logbook to bring back to the hospital for me. Then on September 10th, the doctors came in and told my family and I that I was diagnosed with Very High Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. After spending more than a month in the hospital, I was finally discharged and able to take my first intro flight. It was the first time since being diagnosed that I felt like I had control of my life, and was the ultimate feeling of freedom. In 2018, I learned about the Sport Pilot License and bought a 1946 Aeronca Chief to learn to fly in. It was from that moment on that I became obsessed with everything tailwheel. After finishing treatment at the end of 2018, I filed appeals with the FAA for eight months before being granted my 1st class medical, and went on to get my Private and Commercial ratings. Throughout my three and a half years of treatment, flying always proved to be my escape from the fight with cancer. In 2020, I was hired to tow banners for FlySkyAds in New Jersey. It was here that I was introduced N8180C, a 1954 180 hp Piper Super Cub. Though I did not know it at the time, this would be the same Super Cub that I own and fly today! I flew over 900 hours in N8180C before going to the airlines in 2021. After being hired by a major airline in 2023, my old banner tow boss reached out to me and asked if I would like to buy N8180C from him, to which I quickly said yes! Unfortunately, the Super Cub did not look the way it does now when I bought it. My father and I spent two years together restoring the Cub and building it to what it is today. In an effort to give back for all that was given to me during my cancer diagnosis, I started a non profit called Warriors With Wings. The goal of the organization is to help children and young adults battling cancer experience the freedom of flight by providing intro flights, scholarships, and by putting flight simulators in Childrens Hospitals. N8180C aka Goldie was built to help spread awareness of Pediatric Cancer and raise money for Warriors with Wings, as seen by her paint scheme with the Gold Cancer Ribbon on the tail. To think back on the day when I told my father I want to learn how to fly; to where I find myself now seems like something more inconceivable than a miracle, but truthfully I am forever grateful to aviation for saving my life.

Vintage Cub

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio

Sport

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Joel Milloway	4	1996 Rans S7	N7723W	White/Yellow (Tiger scheme)	Milloway Customs	Tiger	Rotax 912 ULS 100hp	1320	723	22" Desser	Hoerner wing tips, Roberts Bush Gear, vortex generators	Carbon fiber seat, aluminum wing tanks	Roberts Bush Gear, Backcountry Custom Planes, E-Props, Lost River Components	Blackfoot ID		Pilot - A/P - Builder Fabricator.
Jeff Vallon	365	2016 Zenith 701	N365BD	Unpainted	Lil Rabbit		80hp 912a	1100	600	8x6	VG’s, Trimmed Slats, Elevator Fences			Bay Area CA		Always wanted to fly. Didn’t pick it up till I was 45. Flew and caped a TriPacer all over the west coast till it was sold to a man in Yakima,WA. Picked up this 701 in Ohio last spring and flew it back to CA. Put 200hrs on her this year. Fly as much as I can.
Kyle Patterson	164	1999 Kitfox Model 4	N60364	Yellow			Rotax 912uls 115 hp	1200	720	26” Alaskan Bushwheels				WyoBraska NE	https://instagram.com/307_aviator?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=	Electrical Power Lineman Kitfox 4 aka ElectricFox ⚡️
Robin Irwin	621	2007 Zlin Savage Classic	N621KV	Yellow			Rotax 912 100 hp	1320	800	26” Alaskan	TK Gear, Alaskan wheels		Irwin’s Sky Ranch, (Harford Airfield) Casper Wyoming	Casper WY		Born in 1955, Robin Irwin has spent a lifetime soaring above the ordinary. Taking to the skies at just fourteen flying a Beechcraft Debonair with his father he discovered an unshakable passion for aviation that would define his journey. Alongside his love of flying, Robin thrived on adrenaline-fueled competition in his younger years, racing snowmobiles and dirt bikes with the same determination and precision he would later bring to the cockpit. Irwin’s Sky Ranch, founded in 1969 by his father, John L. Irwin Jr., became the heart of their aviation life. From this private airstrip in Casper, Wyoming, Robin and his father owned and operated a fleet that included a Cessna 185, Cessna 206, Piper Super Cub, and an Engstrom helicopter, offering charter flights and predator control services across the region. Today, Robin continues to chase horizons in his beloved Savage Classic, embodying the spirit of both adventure and discipline. His life serves as an inspiring reminder that dreams take flight when paired with courage and persistence. Whether navigating the air, tearing through snow, or kicking up dirt on the race track, Robin has always lived with passion and purpose. In every way, he proves that the sky is not the limit—it’s only the beginning.

Rookie

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio
Doug Tolbert	96	1996 Kit Fox 4 classic	N961VB	Red and white	Powerhouse		rotax 9-12 with HAL Big Bore 105 HP	1200	684	26 inch bush	105 hp big boar - bush gear	custom paint	Powerhouse Coach Inc custom rv and trailer building company	Idaho Falls ID		Flying was a lifelong dream i was finally able to start 12 years ago and never looked back . Private pilot single and multi engine ticket . Love fixing up and modifying older planes to make them my own, doing my own fabrricating building and painting . Went to Stol Drag at dead cow last fall and got hooked . Retired home to build a custom trailer to travel and enjoy competition flying . I am a custom RV builder by trade and have designed and built 80+ custom motor home and all types of rv units over the last 30 years . It's great to have such a rewarding job www.powerhousecoach.com . Been married to the same great woman 39 years have 3 kids and 9 grandkids . Who could know being grandpa could be SO GREAT .
Nathan Grimes		2004 Rans S7s courier	N345GH	Yellow			Rotax 914	1320	830	29” Alaska bush tires	Shock Monster gear	Lager fuel tanks		Pinedale WY		I started out flying hang gliders then paragliders. Then I picked up paramotoring. I got to fly in a bush plane and thought I need to do this. I finished my pilot certificate training in 2 months. Bad Attitude in Ohio offered more pilot training. They do upset recovery, aerobatic and tail wheel training. That was a fun week. Flying in a sailplane is awesome. I had to get my glider add on to my pilot certificate or zero engine rating. I bought a beautiful Rans S7s. It’s been upgraded with shock monster gear, 29” Alaska Bush wheels, and larger fuel tanks.

Exhibition

Name	Race Number	Aircraft	Tail Number	Color	Team Name	Team Website	Aircraft Engine	Aircraft Gross Weight	Aircraft Empty Weight	Aircraft Tires	Aircraft Performance Mods	Aircraft Other Mods	Sponsors	Hometown	Instagram	Bio