Spring Takes Flight: Experience the Freedom of Flight With Air Associates

By Carmelo Turdo

Another spring has finally made its appearance in the Midwest, and now is the time to get out of the house and into the air.  Those of us the in St. Louis, Missouri and Olathe, Kansas metropolitan areas are fortunate to have an Air Associates Cessna Pilot Center nearby to help make that happen.  Both locations bring the aircraft and training resources of the Cessna Aircraft Company to student pilots and reliable aviation services to current pilots, renters and aircraft owners.  Both locations feature modern Cessna Skyhawks and the Skycatcher Light Sport Aircraft along with advanced Redbird flight simulators.  If you have considered flight training, then this is the time to get started.  If you would like to upgrade your certificate or get more flight time, there's no time like the present.  If you just want to visit with nice people and check out the aircraft, visit either location during regular hours or on special events held throughout the year.  

Air Associates of Missouri      

18600 Edison Ave.
Chesterfield, MO 63005
Phone: (636) 536-1341

Air Associates of Kansas
12901 W 151st Street, Suite B,
Olathe, KS 66062

Phone: 913-764-4800

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013: The Aerostars Precision Aerobatic Team

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 continues as we present the Aerostars Precision Aerobatic Team.  The trio of Yak-52TW aircraft will also appear at the upcoming Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival, and we thought it would be a good time to feature the Aerostars.  

The team pilots, Harvey Meek (Lead), David Monroe (RW) and Paul Hornick (LW) are all highly-accomplished current and former commercial airline pilots, holding multiple instructor and aerobatic certificates.  Their aircraft, Yak-52TW (Tail Wheel) derivative of the Yak-52 family of Eastern European training aircraft, were purchased new from the factory in Romania about twelve years ago.  They sport a 400hp engine and can fly up to 260mph.  The intrinsic aerobatic capabilities of the aircraft, combined with the honed skills of the pilots, make for a graceful display of precision aerobatics.

The Aero Experience Team thanks the Aerostars for visiting with us during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013, and we present this photo essay of their performances that week:

   

Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival Makes Strong Return with Canadian Forces Snowbirds, Top Civilian Airshow Performers

The Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival 

By Carmelo Turdo

is making a strong return to the Midwest region's airshow lineup for May 17-18 through the support of loyal sponsors and the commitment of the  Canadian Forces Snowbirds Demonstration Team and top-tier civilian performers. The Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival is a staple community event in southeast Missouri, providing a friendly environment for visitors from around the Midwest to experience aviation.  The Aero Experience continues to support this great Midwest Aviation event and will be on-site to bring the highlights to our growing audience.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, owned and operated by the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, provides a stable environment for the production of aviation events.  Even so, the lack of military participation in 2013 made it more challenging to raise the additional funds necessary to host civilian performers and static displays.  Overall, the organizers came close enough to their sponsor goals and made good deals with civilian performers in an environment where airshows across the region were being cancelled at a rapid rate.  "We were very fortunate," noted Airport Manager Bruce Loy in an interview during the 2013 event.  "We came close to our sponsor goals and we kept it relatively inexpensive...This community came together very well to assist us in promoting the show."  Loy also noted that the 2013 Regional Air Festival was executed with the knowledge that the Canadian Forces Snowbirds were coming in 2014, and so it was a good way to get the organizers and volunteers back in practice following a purposeful layoff of airshows in the previous two years.

Bruce Loy (left) and Carmelo Turdo

This year's airshow will feature an impressive lineup of both military and civilian performers, including the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, U.S. Army Golden Knights, The Aerostars, Younkin Airshows, Indy Boy's Extreme Jet Vehicles, Friends of Jenny, and other air and ground-based attractions.  We encourage everyone to visit the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival May 17-18 to experience the fun and excitement of aviation entertainment. The following photo essay from The Aero Experience Team will illustrate some of the performers expected at this year's airshow.

Canadian Forces Snowbirds Demonstration Team

       
      




U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team

The Aerostars

Younkin Airshows

Two Extremes: Indy Boy's Extreme Jet Vehicles and World War I Jenny Trainer