Scott Stoops

Scott’s column, “Flight Training,” appears in the February, April, June, August, October, and December issues of Model Aviation. His email address is [email protected]. A lifetime in aviation would be an accurate description of Scott Stoops’ involvement in both the RC modeling world and full-scale aviation. He grew up in an aviation family and his father was an airline pilot.
From an early age, Scott exhibited an interest in all things aviation-related. With his father’s help, he built his first RC model aircraft at the age of 10. RC modeling remained a major activity for Scott for the balance of his adolescence, limited only by his educational pursuits and his developing interest in full-scale aviation.
At the age of 16, he soloed a full-scale aircraft and progressed quickly through his FAA licenses, becoming a commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor at the age of 18. He specialized in tail wheel, instrument, and aerobatic instruction.
While working full time as a flight instructor, glider tow pilot, and cargo pilot, Scott completed his college degree. Upon completing college at 21 years of age, with more than 2,800 hours of flying experience, he was hired by United Airlines as a Boeing 737 first officer. He has flown as a first officer on the Boeing 737-200, 737-300, Airbus A320, Boeing 767/757, and as a captain on the Boeing 737-300.
While learning to fly and working as an instructor, Scott’s interest in aerobatic flight grew. He learned and later taught aerobatics in a variety of aircraft. He has also competed in a Russian Yak-55 in full-scale International Aerobatic Club contests progressing through the ranks.
Scott currently flies a Russian Sukhoi Su-26mx in the Advanced category. He has over 14,000 hours of full-scale flying including more than 1,500 hours of tail wheel and aerobatic experience.
At home, Scott and his wife, Michelle, have three children: Andrew, Alex, and Abigail. Scott’s interest in passing along the joy of model aviation to his family and friends continues to spark his involvement in model aviation. He currently enjoys developing models for a major model manufacturer and his current RC interests include high-performance aerobatic and 3-D RC aircraft.