National STOL Sodbusters Competition Launches at Hartford Airport Before Oshkosh
National STOL opened its Sodbusters competition Friday at Hartford Municipal Airport in Wisconsin, about 54 miles south of Oshkosh. Friday is reserved largely for pilot briefings and practice. Scored competition begins Saturday morning, two days before EAA AirVenture opens at Wittman Regional Airport. Practice Before Competition Friday's schedule called for a new-competitor briefing at 11 a.m., followed by a mandatory briefing for pilots planning to practice. The practice session runs from 12:30 to 5 p.m. National STOL requires first-time competitors and pilots who have not entered one of its events in more than two years to attend the briefing and practice session. Spectator gates open Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The competition is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until approximately 3 or 4 p.m. An awards dinner for competitors and invited guests is planned for 6 p.m. Transient aircraft parking and underwing camping are available at Hartford, though organizers say camping space is limited. Combined-Distance Scoring Competitors are ranked by the combined distance required to take off and land. The lowest combined score wins each class. The 2026 rules prohibit high-angle-of-attack takeoffs and abrupt maneuvers. Rookie pilots compete without season points, while other entrants accumulate points toward the annual National STOL championship. Sodbusters is a recurring stop on the National STOL calendar and has become part of the pre-Oshkosh schedule for some competitors. AirVenture runs July 20-26. The Hartford event concludes Sunday when camping closes at 11 a.m., leaving pilots time to continue north before the convention opens Monday.