The STOL Collective

''Just when I convinced myself that this was basically a Super Cub with an overhead engine, the out of sync harmonics of the props winding down begin to create that distinct: ... THAT SOUND!" - Zane Jacobson in "THE PROTOTYPE"

Zane Jacobson is the founder/editor of Backcountry Pilot and currently flies a tailwheel Piper PA-22 Pacer around his newly adopted home area of Eveleth, Minnesota - USA. An Oregon native and former avid dirt bike rider, he has been a pilot for the better part of 25 years. Father of two young girls, he enjoys writing and producing articles and short films about anything to do with backcountry and bush flying, and makes baby steps on the build of his 4-place Bearhawk when time allows.

In this episode, Zane Jacobson shares with us his family roots which got him into flying, how the idea came to launch https://backcountrypilot.org/⁠ in late 2004 as an alternative to the many type-specific forums that were already popular at the time, his wish even right after getting is PPL to transcend the type focus forums and unite pilots' common interest in backcountry and bush flying, how he found his passion for film making unlike vlogging by bringing a more cinematographic touch to backcountry aviation videos, his passion for music and building synthesisers and many stories from past expeditions.

If you want to discover more content about Zane, go checkout this episode's page on our website: www.thestolcollective.com

Obviously don’t forget to visit Zane’s https://backcountrypilot.org/ as well as watch his awesome videos on https://youtube.com/@BackcountryPilot

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover picture: Zane Jacobson - Backcountry Pilot

“Everywhere we are landing on water now [in Japan] is basically a first!” – Ben Kerr

Originally from Sydney - Australia, Ben Kerr moved to Japan almost thirty years ago, to pursue his dream of racing motorcars up to formula 3.

In this episode, Ben Kerr shares with us his love for Japan´s northernmost Island - Hokkaido, his dedication to grow the backcountry and float flying community in Japan as well as his constant search for new water spots all around the country.

If you want to discover more content about Ben, go checkout this episode's page on our website: www.thestolcollective.com

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover Art: Ben Kerr 

‘’As a surfer or a snowboarder, we like to draw a line as an artist on a canvas’’ – Géraldine Fasnacht

Born in Lausanne - Switzerland, Géraldine Fasnacht is a world known freeride snowboarder, base jumper and wingsuit pilot. She is a pioneer who constantly draws new lines in the mountains with her snowboard and her wingsuit. Based in her favorite playground, Verbier, Switzerland, she gets inspired by the mountains and explores the most remote places on earth. Be it from the depths of Antarctica to the top of the Matterhorn, Switzerland.

In 2002 Géraldine Fasnacht won the most extreme freeride competition in the world; The Verbier Xtreme. That was when her snowboarding career took off. That same year, at the age of 21, five additional victories catapulted her to the top of the freeride world. Always ready to go beyond her limits, she took part in International Freeride Competition and the Freeride World Tour for eight years.

Géraldine loves discovering new horizons and experiencing new sensations. Since 2005 she has been carrying out groundbreaking expeditions to conquer the most beautiful summits. She has left traces with her snowboard on incredibly steep slopes, and has performed breath-taking wingsuit flights. Her high mountain knowledge gained with freeride snowboarding since the age of 15, combined with her experiences in parachuting since 1998, Géraldine performs world premieres in base jumping and wingsuit flying. Opening some of the most beautiful summits around the globe: Switzerland, France, Baffin Island, Greenland, Iran, Mali, China and Antarctica – from mythical peaks ranging from Les Drus in Chamonix - France, Holtanna - Antarctica, to the Matterhorn in Switzerland flying alongside great eagles.

Her life is about risk management, pushing  boundaries and team building. For about 10 years, Géraldine has given conferences worldwide, in French or in English, for individuals or companies. She shares her vision through the adventures and the experiences she has achieved. She keeps pushing the level of her passions higher perfectly managing the risks and she loves sharing her adventures through her conferences.

For more than 11 years, Géraldine has been flying UL/LSA airplanes. Four years ago, she had the opportunity to obtain her PPL, instantly followed by a mountain rating on skis and wheels. Constantly drawing lines in the mountains, either on her snowboard or in her wingsuit, an idea started to grow bigger after fulfilling her dream of owning her own mountain UL/LSA airplane, an ICP Savannah taildragger named "Roméo". This idea, first made visible through her series of videos "LinéAire", is to go on a constant quest to find and ride new lines, combining mountain flying and snowboarding deeper than ever.

In this episode, Géraldine shares with us her love for mountain flying and especially her constant quest to draw new lines with her beloved "Roméo" and on her snowboard, in the deep and immaculate powder snow of Swiss glaciers.

If you want to discover more content about Géraldine, go checkout this episode's page on our website: www.thestolcollective.com

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover photography: Raphael Surmont

Arturo Polo Ena and his wife Elisa Fernández Esparza have backcountry aviation in their blood and you know how Spanish blood is!

Arturo Polo Ena started to fly hang gliders at age 16 and very soon discovered the unlimited possibilities offered by UL/LSA in Europe. Rapidly becoming an instructor at Torremoncha de Jiloca aerodrome in Aragon - Spain, he explored most of Europe and developed a dedication to mountain flying, especially in the French Alps as well as in the Massif Central and also in the Pyrénées both in Spain and France. A PPL (EU & US)  and CPL (US) owner with taildragger and ski rating, he loves to fly his Piper Super Cub "The Green Machine" on AKBW 35's during summer in Alaska and works as an UL/LSA-3axes instructor in Spain at his school "Amilpies", focusing on taildraggers, mountain and bush flying. He is also a Zlin Aviation dealer for Spain.

Elisa Fernández Esparza is a lawyer and attorney in Spain. Coming from Teruel - Aragon, she met Arturo while hang gliding and they both share the same love for backcountry aviation. A UL/LSA pilot since 2002 then an instructor in 2004, she also owns a PPL (EU & USA) with taildragger and float rating. She teaches during the winter time in Spain at her local Aerodromo municipal S/N Torremocha del Jiloca and works as well as a Lawyer and attorney, specialised in international law and aeronautical advice for several companies. During the summer season, she lives in Alaska enjoying the bush flying and wilderness of the Wrangell St Elias National Park.

In this episode, Arturo and Elisa share their story about how they fell in love with backcountry aviation and especially after discovering the Zlin Savage UL/LSA more than 15 years ago, leading them to create the first and only bush flying flight-school in Europe. They also explain us their deep fascination for Alaska, having pushed them to spend every spring and summer in the Wrangells for the past eleven years.

If you want to learn to fly taildraggers with Arturo or Elisa and even better, attend the best and only bush flying training in Europe, go to: https://www.amilpies.com/en/

This episode´s book tip is: Wager with the Wind: The Don Sheldon Story, by James M. Greiner, 1974 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/119375.Wager_with_the_Wind

Because I love skateboarding and because Spanish skateboarders are one of my favourite since I started to skate, check out all three Episodes about Jesus Fernandez from Freeskatemag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BX7ywQtWMw

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover photography: Arturo Polo Ena

Marius Jumolea is from Cluj-Napoca - Romania and although having been raised in an aviation family, he only found his own passion for aviation and especially bush flying at the age of 25.

Since then, Marius developed an avid need to fly and perfect his backcountry skills. This dedication pushed him to be one the few European owners of a Cub Crafters Carbon Cub EX2 back in late 2016. First pushing the limits on his own bush plane and exploring his amazing birth country, his passion saw him sharing a seat next to Philipp Sturm in his PT6 on his way from Switzerland to Alaska back in 2019. After spending two years in the birth country of bush flying, Marius came back to Romania with countless lessons learned and his passion still burning.

Today an UL/LSA and LAPL flight instructor, Marius shares with us his personal story about backcountry flying in Romania then Alaska, his thoughts about flying safely in the backcountry as well as carrying the appropriate safety gear but most of all, the joy of meeting awesome people around the world, sharing the same passion.

This episode´s book tip is: Notes from the Cockpit: A Mountain Pilot´s Perspective, by Richard K. Williams, Dominique Etchevrry - 2015 - ISBN 1507665385, 9781507665381

If you want to watch a video of Marius backcountry flying in his Carbon Cub in Romania: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQQvY3_yM38

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover photography: Bogdan Pop

In today´s episode, It is our pleasure to welcome Sam Rutherford from the UK and Belgium.

For those who may not know about him, his flying career started at age 13 and pushed him to be commissioned officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1991. Born a pilot, Sam qualified as an Army helicopter pilot and left the British Army as a Flight Commander after eight years of service. Later, he became an FAA/EASA commercial helicopter and airplane pilot. He logged more than 3500+ hours Total time, delivering aircrafts worldwide since 2008 as a ferry pilot and organizing Air Trophies and Air Rallies.

This episode´s book tip is: Flying the Knife Edge: New Guinea Bush Pilot, Matt McLaughlin - 2016 - ISBN 988140360X, 9789881403605

Music credits: “Slowly”, Amon Tobin – Supermodified, 2000

Cover photography: Thibault De Schepper - https://tibods.com/