On September 24, my wife, Cheryl, dropped me off at the Denver International Airport for a one-way flight to Jackson Mississippi, and I was excited about what was in store in the next few days. I was on my way to see a StingSport that I had committed to purchase. It had 29 hours on it, and from the pictures and description, seemed to be a good deal. The original owner (an 80+ year old gentleman) had a hard time transitioning from the heavy aircraft he was used to and decided it wasn’t the aircraft for him.

I’ve flown a few Light Sport Aircraft in the past year, a Tecnam Sierra, a Evektor SportStar, a Remos G-3, and a CT, but saw a StingSport “in the carbon fiber” (as opposed to “in the flesh”) only once. I did put my time in investigating this aircraft, speaking with Bill Canino (thanks for your patience, Bill) and getting all the details from the seller. Being a licensed glider and power pilot, I was drawn to the smooth lines of this sailplaneesque (is that a word?) aircraft, and to the performance data, which, as opposed to other light sport aircraft on the market, turned out to be on the conservative side. Anyway, on to the trip home.

I arrived in Jackson early Monday morning and was greeted by the dealer (Brewer Pearson), and off to the airport, Hawkins Field (KHKS), where the StingSport was located, we went. Upon a thorough examination, it proved to be everything Brewer had said, and so, after a few checkout flights, we closed the deal and I became the proud owner of a StingSport. The weather was cloudy with showers the next morning. My plans were to fly to Little Rock and spend some time with Bill, getting to know this aircraft better, but I decided to wait another day, as a tropical depression in the Gulf that was bringing up the clouds and showers was supposed to move out with the nudge of an advancing front from the west. Spent that day getting XM weather set up on my Garmin 396, and learning the ins and outs of the Sting.

That's a restored Blue Angels ride looking over the Sting's shoulder

The next morning brought more clouds so I waited till afternoon when conditions were better to depart. After takeoff, I used flight following to help as I flew north to Little Rock. The oncoming front had not yet passed and it was turbulent, but I was never apprehensive. The Sting was a joy to fly, hands off after trim for portions of the flight. After an hour I decided to land at a small crop-duster airstrip and take a break. The next leg to Little Rock was a little more challenging. I was almost upon the frontal line and wasn’t sure what to expect. Using XM weather I navigated around some cells, and was told (visually and physically) when I had passed the line. Amazingly accurate, I don’t think I will ever fly again without it. Crossing the Mississippi River was one of the highlights of the trip, and I was amazed at the path the river takes to get from point A to point B. Finally made it to Little Rock, and to North Little Rock (KORK) Airport. Bill had prior obligations that day so I spent the rest of the afternoon with his A&P, Mark Miller, (thanks Mark) who answered my questions and gave me a ride to my hotel. Next morning, Bill picked me up and after breakfast we went flying. Now if you have any questions about a StingSport, Bill is the man to ask. He showed me what the StingSport can really do, and I became more impressed with this aircraft. By the way, Bill has almost every part a person could want or need for the Sting, which, if you’ve ever had to wait on aircraft parts, is a very nice feature of his business.

After saying my goodbyes, I headed west on the most enjoyable trip I have ever experienced. Overstated? Not at all. With XM radio in my headset, PCAS to ’help’ look for other aircraft, comfortable seating, a view that has to be experienced to describe, I was in heaven. (Well, almost. OK, closer than usual. You’re right, I’d better not push it).

The lush landscape of that part of the country is beautiful. Being from a semi-arid climate, green is a color that is sometimes hard to find. The air was smooth and afforded me the luxury of looking at the scenery without making flight path adjustments. Again, I was able to trim the aircraft for hands off flying. As I continued on my western heading the change from tree laden hills of Arkansas to the more arid plains of Kansas became apparent, and so did the number of emergency landing sites. Another example of tradeoffs.

After about three and a half hours of flight, I decided to make a fuel stop, so I pushed nearest on my GPS, and found Harper Municipal Airport (K8K2). After landing and as I was exiting my aircraft, a restored Blue Angels jet taxied past me, and I found out that there was to be a fly-in and air show that following weekend. I had thoughts of hanging around for a few days, but knew better, and fueled the aircraft, used the courtesy car to drive into town for a late lunch, and then resumed my flight.

The Rocky Mountains feel like home

I flew only another hour or so and decided to stop at Larned-Pawnee County Airport for the night. It’s a small airport, well maintained. Arriving late with no one around, I thought I might have to hitch hike into town, but just as I was about to start, an old timer drove over to the Sting, and I knew he had some questions. He was a WWII vet pilot, who still has his license, and owns a Super Cub. Spent an hour trading stories (more from him, obviously), and was told that the office was always left open, and they do have a courtesy car. After rummaging through the office, I found the clipboard and keys to the car, and drove into town to find a motel.

At sunrise I fueled, and took off before anyone ever knew I was there. Now it was a matter of staying on track, enjoy the scenery, and wait for my home airport (KLMO) to arrive. I enjoyed these last two days so much that I had thoughts of diverting, and exploring another part of our country, but alas, I knew I had to get home. I missed my wife and my three kids, and was looking forward to flying with them. After more than 900 NM this trip was quickly coming to a close, and as the mountains grew larger, I thought about the past week, and knew that no matter how I may try, I will never be able to reproduce this trip, and so it is with all of our life experiences. It was, indeed, a flight to remember.

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