Hey Chatty McBotface, what is a STOL airplane and why is it important?
In the world of aviation, STOL means “short takeoff and landing.” A STOL aircraft is a fixed-wing airplane (i.e., not a helicopter or tilt-rotor design) that can take off and land in a very short distance. 

There is no universally accepted definition for how short of a takeoff roll counts as “short.” Most so-called STOLports (airports that are only made to accommodate STOL aircraft) have runways shorter than 3000 feet. The US Department of Defense expects STOL aircraft to be able to clear a 50-foot obstacle within 1,500 feet of takeoff and to stop within 1,500 feet of a 50-foot obstacle during a landing approach. Some definitions are even more restrictive than that.

However, some STOL aircraft can land in just a few hundred feet (or less, if they have a headwind). Most of these are small propeller-driven utility aircraft meant to move small amounts of cargo or passengers into and out of undeveloped bush country. They may be fitted with skis, floats, or specially designed tundra tires so they can land in places with no prepared runway surfaces.

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter, Dornier Do-27, and deHavilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou are several notable examples that are advertised with a landing roll of 600 feet or less.