An afternoon spent taking off and landing on some hillside airstrips in the American Champion Scout.

It’s not my first time landing on a hill, but it is the first time I’ve taken the Scout out for a play on these backcountry runways.

The 8GCBC Scout is a great STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft, on par with the Super Cub with its large wing and flaps.

Normally, I use the Scout (which is very similar to the Citabria and Decathlon line of aircraft) for Tailwheel undercarriage training at our flying school.