A flight departs from runway 12/30 at the Lake Buena Vista STOL Airport.

What is S.T.O.L.?  Short Takeoff and Landing.  A reference to a short runway, used primarily for puddle-jumping commuter flights.   This one happens to be one of the neatest hidden things in Walt Disney World.

Lake Buena Vista STOL airport was built in 1971 on a patch of land just East of the Walt Disney World Speedway.  The STOL was a private airstrip intended for Walt Disney World guests and employees.  With no hangers, and enough room to accommodate only four airplanes, the STOL was a small port.  To Walt Disney World, the airport served as a living concept – a test of a much larger airport. The vision for a full-service airport was never realized.

All passenger service was halted in the 1980s.   The growth of the resorts, parks, and monorail system would doom the airport to it’s present use – a staging area for trucks and buses.   The STOL is still visible from the monorail and the roadway.  Just look to your left as you drive South past the turn-in for Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort.

Even though it has not serviced a flight in 30 years, the upkeep of the runway is meticulous.  A dedicated group of Cast Members ensure that to short runway is kept in perfect form – you never know when you’ll need a runway.

Since 2003, an FAA-mandated no-fly zone has been in effect over Walt Disney World.   Check out this link to see the details.  Pilots can apply for waivers to fly over the park – out of thousands of applications since 2003, few have been approved.

We will be profiling Shawnee Airlines very soon.  This is the airline that serviced the STOL in the 1970s – Stay tuned, they have a great history and some better paint jobs on their aircraft.

* Jeremy

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