The MayDay STOL Event will take place at the Wayne Municipal Airport April 28 through May 1. STOL stands for Short Take-off and Landing and is the fastest growing event in aviation.
This event is open to the public, but parking is not available at the airport. Parking will be available at the fairgrounds, Journey Christian Church, or the softball complex. The Wayne County Fairground will be used for camping and shuttle services will be provided.
“MayDay STOL is airplane drag races,” organizer Scott Hammer said. “It is when airplanes line up, side by side in a 150-foot-wide runway. They take off together and race side by side down the runway 10-15 feet off the ground. They land at the other and stop completely. Then they turn around a full 180 degrees and do the same thing back. The first one to land at a complete stop is the winner of the drag race.”
“We will practice social distancing and there will be handwashing stations,” Hammer said. Additionally, there will be signs posted to remind the public to wear their masks at this event.
There is an expectation of around 500 airplanes coming through over the course of the four-day event. “We need some cooperation from mother nature of course,” organizer Travis Meyer said. There are competitors from at least 34 states that will participate in this event at the Wayne Municipal Airport.
On April 28, there will be STOL Drag Class for pilots who are interested in learning the STOL Drag ways hosted by Kevin Quinn. There will be a poker run for all pilots who have signed up on April 30.
May 1 is the day where there will be STOL races. Additionally, there will be the finals party to celebrate the 2021 MayDay races with the band, ECKOPHONIC.
There are nine different food trucks and for the 21 and over crowd there will be a beer garden available all four days. Tickets for this event are available for purchase at Madaystol.com.
The MayDay STOL event is also looking for volunteers. “All kinds of volunteers are needed,” Hammer said. “This might interest some Wayne State students. If you volunteer for a day, you will earn a day pass for the event. We need everything from ticket takers, t-shirt vendors, registers for campers, people to help park cars, empty trash bins, and general labor.”