St. Louis Area Aircraft Displays Honor Civilian and Military Aviation Contributors

By The Aero Experience Team

The St. Louis area is well known for the role its citizens played in the development of aviation over the last century, and there are many public expressions of appreciation for these achievements throughout the metropolitan area.  The Aero Experience will feature many of them as we progress throughout the year, including three featured here.  

The James S. McDonnell Prologue Room is a gallery located at the former McDonnell Douglas World Headquarters Building 100, Now Boeing-St. Louis headquarters, near Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.  The displays mark the milestones of aviation development by the McDonnell, Douglas, Boeing and North American corporate aviation giants.  The story is told through impressive large-scale models of the aircraft, missiles and spacecraft produced by these companies, including full-scale Mercury and Gemini spacecraft engineering fixtures.  This week The Aero Experience visited the Prologue Room off-season and have some views of the new F-4 Phantom II exhibit that greets the visitors as they enter the hall.  We will also have more behind the scenes coverage in the coming weeks, thanks to the staff at Boeing.

 

Nearby St. Clair County, Illinois hosts the Scott Field Heritage Air Park just outside of the Scott AFB Shiloh gate.  The air park is supported by the Scott Field Heritage Air Park Committee, a private, non-profit organization that has done a magnificent job setting up the air park grounds and display aircraft.  Many of the aircraft featured in the air park served at the base, and others have been added that have served in Air Mobility Command, formerly known as Military Airlift Command.  The C-21A, currently serving at Scott AFB and slated for retirement, is now also represented there.  

Another St. Louis area public aviation display can be found at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield.  In Boeing Park, a McDonnell Aircraft F-101B Voodoo is on display along with a memorial to mark 50 years of the Fabick Family's involvement with aviation, dedicated in 1995.  The McDonnell Voodoo was a classic interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force and Canadian Forces for decades, and the John Fabick Tractor Company has been a customer and promoter of aviation in St. Louis for just as long.  The display is well maintained and a credit to the airport and community.