Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation Welcomes DreamBig Entertainment Top Gun Maverick Experience

By Carmelo Turdo

The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation welcomed Dewey Larson of DreamBig Entertainment during hs visit to Creve Coeur Airport on Monday. He made the noon-time stop at the Foundation while on a trip from last weekend's airshow in St. Joseph, MO to an upcoming event site in Florida. On the current tour, Larson is offering DreamBig's Top Gun Maverick Experience featuring an F/A-18 Hornet cockpit exhibit resembling the jet used in the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick movie. The visit was a great opportunity to feature the DreamBig Hornet and the Foundation's F-4 Phantom II cockpit in a unique McDonnell Douglas/Boeing aircraft heritage photo session with Dewey Larson and Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation Founder, Joe Steimann.

DreamBig Entertainment was was founded in 2010 to offer the public a way to appreciate aviation history through the experience of being in a real fighter jet cockpit. Since then, the mission has grown to include supporting STEM education and enhancing the value of aviation events through creative theme-oriented marketing. The Hornet joined the A-7D Corsair II and F-101 Voodoo cockpits on tour last year, and it continues to be a popular attraction as the anticipation grows for the Top Gun: Maverick movie release. 

The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation uses the F-4 Phantom II cockpit exhibit as a community outreach to inspire the next generation to pursue aviation careers. In just over a year, the Foundation has refreshed and repainted the cockpit and has participated in events around the St. Louis area. The Foundation also offers other STEM-related programs, including a Bell OH-58 restoration, flight simulator lab and hands-on activities for young students. The F-4 Phantom cockpit will also be featured in the upcoming Youth Aviation Day event on June 5 at Creve Coeur Airport.