Meet Stirling Moore,  Husky owner and rancher.

We caught up to this remarkable young woman on Instagram,  where she was posting amazing photos of her extraordinary life.

Stirling is a 5th generation rancher.  She and her family own a +30,000 acre ranch just north of Douglas, Wyoming.

When we chatted over the phone one early morning, Stirling was actually standing on a ridge (for better cell reception) and surrounded by hundreds of cows she was feeding:

How many heads of cattle do you have on the ranch?

We run just under 500 head of mostly Angus cattle and about 1800 head of Rambouillet ewes.

Why did you choose Husky vs another bush plane?

I began my taildragger search dead-set on acquiring a Super Cub. I had done my research and concluded everything about it would prove to be the perfect ranch airplane. I scoured the western US and quickly realized the hefty price tag and high-time/recently rebuilt nature of the iconic airplane wasn’t actually what I was searching for.

However, I still really liked the design and utility of the PA-18, so I sought out alternatives. Aviat’s Husky provided exactly what I was looking for—a meticulous, intelligent redesign the idea I was already a fan of.

I was excited to try one out, and my Dad located one a few miles east of Casper, Wyoming that was for sale. My father, my mentor, and I went to check it out. We tried it on a typical “breezy” Casper day off of a strip that can best be described as a blown-out, flat-bladed dirt road. We put N234HU through the paces. I was completely impressed by its handling and performance and had an absolute blast. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be, and I knew I was done shopping. The search for a ranch airplane ended on the spot!

What do you like about the Husky?

The Husky enables us to go anywhere and do anything with it that we want to. Its performance capabilities are truly a delight (even starting from our ranch strip altitude of 5027’ MSL), and it’s highly dependable with the Lycoming O-360 engine. The Husky will start and perform in a wide range of Wyoming weather extremes, from -20F winter days to sweltering summer afternoons, and handles high and predictable winds with relative ease.

The fuel economy is pleasantly efficient, as I get 6-7 gph with my usual power settings. This provides for a really impressive range. It’s an airplane that is a challenge, but teaches me something with every flight without allowing for complacency. My father has flown a little bit of everything in his 50+ years of flying and enjoys how well-equipped and performance-oriented the Huskys are, too. Also, they’re aesthetically appealing—Huskys look every bit of the capable, rugged backcountry adventure that they are!

What improvements would you make to the Husky?

My Dad and I chatted about this one and came up with a few thoughts. We wish they came equipped with a better heater (this is probably just be an early-model A-1 limitation) and an adjustable front seat. He is over 6’0,” and I’m 5’6” with my boots on, so I require a fair bit of cushions and padding to have full deflection of the rudder pedals. It would be nice to have a slightly higher useful load (so we could haul more gear, parts, groceries, etc.) but again, that’s just an early model limitation.

Do any of your friends or colleagues own Huskys?

My cousin Frank Moore has one of the first Huskys manufactured. (I believe it is the second?) I met a pilot in Gillette, Wyoming who flies his A-1 B for aerial survey work. Also, a close friend of mine earned her commercial ticket in a Husky on floats down in Florida, and she’s in the process of completing her CFI rating in the same airplane!

Feel free to connect with Stirling online.  You can find her on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/stirlingmoore/ and Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/scrownlivestock/

Many thanks for sharing, Stirling.  We look forward to taking you up in the Pitts the next time you’re in Afton!