One of the newest and most distinctive classes at the Roswell Air Races is the STOL Drag class. The STOL Drag hasn’t been around long, but it has attracted a wide range of pilots and aircraft.
Cathy Page, who came to compete in Roswell with her Carbon Cub, is one of those pilots.
Page started out working in the construction industry but found it wasn’t the right fit. She wanted the flexibility to visit her father and the freedom to see the country. Page said several people encouraged her to consider aviation — and a career in it — as an attainable goal. That set her on a path to certification.
She began learning to fly in her early 20s, and by her 25th birthday she had achieved her goal. Shortly after, she bought a Cessna 170 and used it to visit her father. Over the next several years, she continued flying her Cessna 170, piloted a Bearhawk and later purchased a Piper PA-16 for her travels.
Fast forward a few years, and Page found herself looking for a “go-anywhere, do-anything” aircraft that could also carry a passenger. That search led her to the Carbon Cub.
“I wanted to fly backcountry with another person and with all of my gear,” Page said.
Page considered many aircraft but concluded the Carbon Cub was the best option. She was particularly drawn to the company’s builder-assist program at the factory. Because the Carbon Cub is an experimental aircraft, she liked being able to take an active role in building it and said she enjoyed assembling much of it by hand.
“It was the sharpest knife,” Page said. “I wanted an aircraft that could do what I wanted it to do. I started in January and had it built on Aug. 8.”
Her airplane is hard to miss with its tundra tires and heavy-duty suspension. Page said she opted for the Acme Aero suspension.
“It soaks up everything,” she said. “It tackles bumps, rocks and ruts that accompany backcountry flying.”
Page said she stumbled into STOL Drag racing after attending the High Sierra Fly-In at Dead Cow Lakebed in Nevada in 2015. A friend encouraged her to try the competitive race. After listening to the briefing, she decided to join in — and has been competing ever since.
Does Page have any plans to slow down or move on from her Carbon Cub?
“I’m keeping this airplane for the foreseeable future,” she said. “This is the plane that I use for everything.”
0 replies