PITTS S-2B PLT CONDUCTED FORCED LNDG AS A RESULT OF FUEL STARVATION. MAIN FUEL VALVE HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY TURNED OFF.

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THOUGH I HAVE OVER 100 HRS IN THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE; I HADN'T FLOWN IT SINCE GETTING A BFR IN IT IN MARCH OF THIS YR. IN FACT; I HADN'T BEEN DOING MUCH FLYING AT ALL IN THE LAST YR. CURRENCY WAS DEFINITELY A FACTOR. I WAS FLYING TO ZZZ FOR A MEETING; FLYING INTO THE SUN; NAVING ON A FAMILIAR RTE WITH PILOTAGE BACKED UP BY A SINGLE VOR. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FUEL FLOWING INTO THE AUX TANK FROM THE MAIN TANK WHILE INVERTED AND THOUGHT I SHOULD MAKE SURE THE AUX VALVE WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS UNNECESSARY AT THIS TIME AS IT WAS A XCOUNTRY FLT WITH NO INVERTED FLT CONTEMPLATED. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW THE VALVE ON. THE RIGHT THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CHK IT ON THE GND AT ZZZ WHEN I COULD ACCESS AND EASILY SEE BOTH VALVES. I TURNED THE VALVE OFF. I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME; BUT THIS WAS THE MAIN VALVE. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS FOR THE ENG TO RUN OUT OF GAS. I RECEIVED A RADIO CALL FROM APCH GIVING A FREQ CHANGE AND THE ENG QUIT BEFORE I ACKNOWLEDGED IT. I ACKNOWLEDGED AUTOMATICALLY; THEN SAID (ON THE SAME FREQ; WHILE TRYING MAGNETOS AND MIXTURE TO NO EFFECT) THAT I HAD AN ENG OUT. WHEN THE CTLR ASKED MY INTENTIONS; I REPLIED LOOK FOR SOMEPLACE TO SET IT DOWN. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT THE ARPT WAS 7 MI S. I REPLIED THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF I'D MAKE IT OVER THE RIDGE AND DIDN'T WANT TO BE OVER THE CONGESTED AREA. I CIRCLED; LOCATED A FIELD WITH A HAY BARN AND SETUP THERE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I RPTED DOWN AND STOPPED WITH NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE WHICH WAS RELAYED. I ASKED THE RELAYING AIRPLANE TO RELAY A PHONE NUMBER; WHICH HE DID; THEN SECURED THE AIRPLANE AND SET OFF TO FIND HELP AT THE HAY BARN. AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE CFR PERSONNEL THAT ATC HAD SENT OUT AND SHOWING THEM THAT I HADN'T RUN OUT OF FUEL; I WENT THROUGH THE SAME DRILL WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTY WHILE HE WAS TALKING WITH THE NTSB. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A CALL FROM AN FAA INSPECTOR. AFTER TALKING WITH MY MECH AND GETTING SOME DEBUGGING IDEAS; I ATTEMPTED TO START THE AIRPLANE SUCCESSFULLY; BUT IT QUIT ON THE MECHANICAL PUMP. I ATTEMPTED TO START AGAIN; BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET FLOW ON ELECTRIC PUMP; THOUGH I COULD HEAR IT RUNNING. AT THIS POINT THE LIGHT CAME ON AND I REALIZED WHAT I HAD DONE. TURNED THE FUEL VALVE BACK ON; STARTED THE AIRPLANE NORMALLY; RAN IT FOR A WHILE; VERIFIED EVERYTHING WAS FINE. CALLED THE FAA INSPECTOR BACK; CONFESSED WHAT I HAD DISCOVERED; AND EXPLAINED MY INTENT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE OUT AS I HAD DISCOVERED THE CAUSE OF THE PROB; KNEW IT WASN'T AN AIRWORTHINESS ISSUE (AT LEAST FOR THE AIRPLANE) AND HAD THE LANDOWNER'S PERMISSION. HE CHKED WITH HIS SUPVR; AGREED THAT THERE WAS NO AIRWORTHINESS ISSUE; AND STATED THAT AS I WAS PIC; THAT THERE WAS NO AIRWORTHINESS ISSUE; AND STATED THAT AS I WAS PIC; THE DECISION TO DEPART WAS UP TO ME. TOOK OFF AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK TO ZZZ AS THE MEETING WAS OVER BY THIS TIME. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WOULD FILL A BOOK; BUT FIRST; MORE CURRENCY BEFORE TAKING THE AIRPLANE ON A TRIP. SECOND; DON'T MAKE ANY CONFIGN CHANGES THAT AREN'T NEEDED. THIRD; REMEMBER THE CHANGES MADE AND UNDO THEM. FOURTH; THINK AND DEBUG THE PROB. AS SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED AS A MECH; I KNOW HOW THE ENG WORKS; BUT THAT ALL WENT OUT THE WINDOW THAT MORNING. I DIDN'T VERIFY THAT I HAD FUEL FLOW. IF I HAD; IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE VALVE I HAD TURNED OFF. AT THE VERY LEAST; IT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO TURN ON THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP; WHICH I DIDN'T. ONCE I ACCEPTED THAT THE ENG HAD REALLY QUIT (PRETTY QUICKLY); I JUST SWITCHED COMPLETELY TO FOCUSING ON LNDG THE AIRPLANE. I'M GLAD I WAS ABLE TO IDENT A GOOD SPOT AND SAFELY LAND THE AIRPLANE; BUT HAD I NOT STOPPED THINKING AND DUG INTO WHY THE ENG QUIT; I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE LNDG ALTOGETHER.