St. Louis Downtown Airport Director Reflects on Four Years of Progress

By Carmelo Turdo

Sandra Shore recently marked her fourth anniversary as the Director of St. Louis Downtown Airport. During her time as the airport director, she has presided over a time of significant progress while navigating the current turbulence in the aviation industry. New construction can be seen across the airport, while improvements to infrastructure are also underway. Aviation service businesses continue to grow and increase their economic impact to the region. Long-range projects, with their temporary inconveniences, are moving forward as the allocated resources become available.

Shore leads a small administrative staff along with the airport maintenance and firefighting personnel who provide daily support services to airport tenants and visitors. The airport is an enterprise of Bi-State Development, whose reach covers the City of St. Louis, six surrounding counties and iconic multi-modal resources including Metro Transit, the St. Louis Regional Freightway. the Eads Bridge, City/Arch/River development and recreational transportation surrounding the Gateway Arch.  

Previously, Shore was the Director of Quincy, IL Regional Airport, the 2019 Illinois Primary Airport of the Year, and before that Manager of the Floyd W. Jones Airport in Lebanon, MO. She is a graduate of the SIU-Carbondale Aviation Management Program and holds several AAAE credentials including Airport Accredited Executive. She has a passion for airport development that has a direct positive impact on the community.

St. Louis Downtown Airport has experienced significant investment for current and future infrastructure improvements. Gateway Jets, an aircraft management company, has completed construction of a new hangar and adjoining apron to better serve their growing clientele. Gulfstream Aerospace expanded their completions center, now employing over 700 skilled workers. The Taxiway Bravo reconstruction project is underway, and replacement of the main terminal building is scheduled to start later this year. Preservation and reutilization of the historic Curtiss-Wright hangars on the west apron have begun, and a self-serve fuel farm is completed and awaiting final inspection. Jet Aviation, the airport's FBO, will continue to offer their services, including team charter operations, throughout the current construction period. 

The Aero Experience visited with Sandra Shore on in May after she passed the four-year mark as St. Louis Downtown Airport Director to get an update since our first interview just a month into her tenure. Since then, she has built a record of accomplishments and set a course for the future of the airport. Topics covered in the accompanying video include:

Regional Cooperation Among St. Louis-Metro East Area Airport Directors

   

Airport Business Growth and Infrastructure Improvements

And Airport Tenant Activities  

Air Race Classic Team 38, Penguin Power, Makes Impressive Finish at Air Race Classic

By Carmelo Turdo

The 2025 Air Race Classic ran June 17-20 involving teams from across the country flying from Fairhope, AL to Spokane, WA with intermediate navigation points at airports along the way. Samy-Rae Strausbaugh, a CFII/MEI at St. Louis-based Piston Aviation, flew the race with Elizabeth Menozzi in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk as Team 38, Penguin Power, on this recent cross-country adventure. Piston Aviation was a major sponsor of Team 38, and Strausbaugh can be seen often instructing her students in Piston's Tomark Viper fleet training aircraft based at Creve Coeur Airport.

(ARC graphic)

The Air Race Classic is an all-female aviation event that continues the tradition of the Golden Age air races using current flight standards to promote opportunities for women pilots. It is not the wind in your hair speed dash of yesteryear, but a true test of flight planning, navigation and in-flight decision-making as teams plot their course to each waypoint. The teams compete against the speed handicap for their actual aircraft, with the results depending more on precision and adaptability than sheer speed.

The 2025 Air Race Classic results are in, and Team 38 placed eighth of eighteen teams in the Competition Class. They averaged 111.588mph compared to the 124.800mph handicap speed, with an elapsed flight time of 16:40:22.065 hours. Yes, it's that precise! Other team classes included Non-Competition and Intercollegiate. 

The Aero Experience met with Samy-Rae Strausbaugh at the Piston Aviation Live Studio prior to her departure for the race, and then again after her return. Here we feature some photos she provided along with our post-race interview video below.

News Release: St. Louis Regional Airport to Host Air Race Classic in 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Alton, IL – St. Louis Regional Airport was selected by Air Race Classic, Inc. to host the 49^th Annual Air Race Classic Start event in June 2026.  Occurring annually, the Air Race Classic is an all-female piloted aviation race which provides upwards of 60 teams from around the country the opportunity to fly a pre-determined route over a four-day period.  Competitors are judged on their cross-country flying skills as they visit ten different airports enroute to the Terminus.  Averaging around 100 participants each year, teams consist of two to three pilots flying in single engine, general aviation aircrafts.  As a result, this event brings an estimated direct economic benefit of $180,000.

 

Directed by all volunteers, the Air Race Classic, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to: encouraging and education current and future women pilots; increasing public awareness of general aviation; demonstrating women’s roles in aviation; preserving and promoting the tradition of pioneering women in aviation. 

 

As the host and Start airport for the event, race officials and participants will descend upon St. Louis Regional Airport and the surrounding communities for several days of pre-race preparations which include detailed event briefings, aircraft safety inspections, and celebratory gatherings all leading to the take-off event on the morning of Tuesday, June 23, 2026.  Look for future information to be shared on public viewing opportunities during the take-off event.

 

Sponsorships are available for promotion during the event.  Any media wishing to cover the Air Race Classic at St. Louis Regional Airport are encouraged to contact Danny Adams (dadams@stlouisregional.com) or 618-259-2531.

 

For more information about Air Race Classic Inc. or the Air Race Classic event, visit www.airraceclassic.org

  

About St. Louis Regional Airport:

The St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN), classified as an FAA Reliever Airport, provides more than 1,500 jobs with an annual economic impact of $480 million.  With two runways capable of handling a variety of aircrafts, the Airport serves a diverse clientele from private aviators to Fortune 500 companies, and regional aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul customers.  For more information, visit www.stlouisregional.com or follow on Facebook: St. Louis Regional Airport.

 

Thank you,

 

Danny Adams, A.A.E.

Airport Director

 

St. Louis Regional Airport

8 Terminal Drive

East Alton, IL 62024

o 618.259.2531

Air Race Classic Team 38 Includes Piston Aviation CFI in Annual Cross-Country Odyssey

By Carmelo Turdo

The 2025 Air Race Classic is set to run next Tuesday through Friday, and teams from across the country are currently gathering at the starting point - H.L. "Sonny" Callahan Airport in Fairhope, AL. From there, the route stretches northwest to Felts Field in Spokane, WA with intermediate navigation points at airports along the way. Teams will complete their pre-race requirements by Saturday and begin a series of formal briefings on Sunday and Monday. 

The Air Race Classic is an all-female aviation event that continues the tradition of the Golden Age air races using current flight standards to promote opportunities for women pilots. It is not the wind in your hair speed dash of yesteryear, but a true test of flight planning, navigation and in-flight decision-making as teams plot their course to each waypoint. The teams compete against the speed handicap for their actual aircraft, with the results depending more on precision and adaptability than sheer speed.

Samy-Rae Strausbaugh, a CFII/MEI at St. Louis-based Piston Aviation, will be flying with Elizabeth Menozzi in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk as Team 38, Penguin Power. They are already in Fairhope preparing for their upcoming cross-country flight adventure. This will be her second consecutive Air Race Classic, and she is ready to apply her aerial navigation and crew resource management skills to the task. Piston Aviation is a major sponsor of Team 38, and Strausbaugh can be seen often instructing her students in Piston's Tomark Viper fleet training aircraft based at Creve Coeur Airport. 

The Aero Experience met with Samy-Rae Strausbaugh at the Piston Aviation Studio prior to her departure to Fairhope. Our first question was about the origin of the team's name. The answer harkens back to her teammate's experience during flight training.

"It has a meaning for my race partner, Elizabeth Menozzi," she explained. "While we learn to fly, we're always told everything is done with our feet. And so her instructor kept telling her to have 'happy feet,' which made us think of penguins. So, we came up with the name, Penguin Power." Menozzi is actually flying in from Washington state and will return to her home airport after the conclusion of the race in Spokane.

A CFII/MEI with over 1500 flight hours, Samy-Rae Strausbaugh is not only an accomplished instructor with a commercial air carrier career within grasp, but she is also active in the Ninety-Nines, the international organization of women pilots from 44 countries headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK. She looks forward to sharing her experience flying the Air Race Classic in various forums upon her return.

"It is an all-women's sports group, and as a female pilot, it's really nice to have this comradery with so many other people who have done this race not only before me but currently as well," she added. The Air Race Classic is one of the more visible events highlighting female aviators at the national level. 

Flying at any skill level is challenging, and safety is paramount. Samy-Rae Strausbaugh knows that first-hand in her role as a flight instructor. But there is another aspect to being an aviator that is also important - you must enjoy the experience and share that joy with others.

"For us, it's really important to fly safe. But we both just want to have fun with it. We want to learn what we can learn and make it an experience for our life."

The Aero Experience thanks Samy-Rae Strausbaugh for meeting with us before taking off for the Air Race Classic, and we wish her and Elizabeth Menozzi a safe and fun week ahead. Please support her team and track their progress starting on Tuesday. 

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023: Exhibitors - Hangar Booths and Specialty Aircraft

By Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience continues our coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, sponsored by Piston Aviation, with this selection of aerospace industry exhibitors we visited during our ten days on the grounds. Here we focus on the booths located inside one of the large hangars along with some of the specialty aircraft brands on display.