Happy New Year From The Aero Experience Team!

The Aero Experience Team wishes everyone a very Happy New Year! We hope you have enjoyed sharing our Midwest Aviation adventures and have relived some of the best stories of 2017 with us throughout December on our Facebook page. We are preparing for another year of Celebrating Midwest Aviation, with lots of great stories and some surprises coming along the way. We thank our sponsors and advertisers for their support, and we appreciate our readers and those who have participated in our stories, events and projects - you are all essential to the survival and growth of the Midwest Aviation community and all that it contributes to the well-being of the region, the nation and the world.

Again, Thank You, and Happy New Year!

   

Sponsor Announcement: Air Associates Sponsors The Aero Experience Coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for Fourth Season

The Aero Experience is proud to announce that Air Associates, home of Alpha Flight Academy, will sponsor coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh for our fourth season in 2016.  With locations in St. Louis, MO and Olathe, KS, Air Associates provides affordable, leading edge flight training, aircraft maintenance, aircraft rental and other aviation services recognized for excellence by our Midwest Aviation community.  Air Associates has supported The Aero Experience as we have grown as a Midwest Aviation media resource, and we are pleased that they will sponsor team members Carmelo Turdo and Fred Harl at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016.  We encourage you to click on the sponsor logo above to visit the Air Associates websites for more information on their services and visit them on your next trip to the Midwest.

 The Aero Experience and Air Associates will again team up to provide our unique brand of year-round coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016.  Our audience looks forward to experiencing America's premier aviation event even in the middle of winter, when we are just hitting our stride.  Reliving the great moments of this momentous 10-day aviation odyssey, including the airshows, exhibitor product reviews, aviation legend interviews and even last year's voyage in the Goodyear Zeppelin Wingfoot One, adds to our regular coverage of Midwest Aviation events throughout the year with team members Mark Nankivil and Leo Cachat.  

 Along with our coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 and many other Midwest Aviation events, The Aero Experience will continue to publish monthly feature stories highlighting the people, services and community contributions of Air Associates from their St. Louis, MO and Olathe, KS locations.  We have had the privilege of working with Air Associates to promote Midwest Aviation before they became a sponsor, and we are looking forward to another great year.

The Aero Experience will be at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 from July 22-August 1.  Look for our coverage to begin shortly after we return, and join us for another great year of our celebration of Midwest Aviation!      

Fly Now! Launches Book with Autograph Event At Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum

By Carmelo Turdo

The Fly Now! book was officially released to the public during a book-signing event at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Saturday.  The book's author and Fly Now! brand originator Brian K. Kissinger and The Aero Experience Team were on hand to autograph the first 50 copies for pre-order customers and new orders as supplies last.  The book contains photos contributed by The Aero Experience Team, with a photo also by guest photographer Gary Austen, chronicling the making of the Fly Now! movie and other aviation topics featured in The Aero Experience stories from 2015.  The first 50 autographed books also contain Fly Now! The Movie DVD as well.  They can be ordered through the Fly Now! website.  

"The Aero Experience Team is honored to be part of the Fly Now! book and movie projects," said The Aero Experience Founder Carmelo Turdo during the event.  "It is great to have the whole team here today with Brian Kissinger to launch the book after working all year to gather photos for our aviation feature stories.  It has been an awesome year, and we look forward to an even better one in 2016."  The Aero Experience Team often works in pairs to cover the most territory, and having all team members together for an event signifies an important occasion!  It also poses a dilemma by having the photographers as the subjects rather than behind the camera.  In this case, Ellen Cachat ably stepped in to capture the moment in the following photos:

(L-R) Gary Austen, Leo Cachat, Fred Harl, Mark Nankivil, Carmelo Turdo

and Brian K. Kissinger

            









Author Brian K. Kissinger presented the group with a cake to celebrate the event, and Santa Clause made a guest appearance (Carmelo Turdo photos):

Special thanks to Ideal Aviation, the FBO and museum neighbor on the West Ramp of St. Louis Downtown Airport, for sponsoring refreshments for the event.

Celebrate Midwest Aviation This Winter with the Fly Now! Book and Movie!

By Carmelo Turdo

The premiere of the Reality Aviation Documentary Fly Now! The Movie took place at the St. Louis Hi-Pointe Theater on October 17.  The film chronicles the adventures of aviators from around the country as the movie crew and their trusty homebuilt Pietenpol aircraft travel from St. Louis to Lakeland, FL, Oshkosh, WI and many places in between.  After much hard work, the self-funded, independent film got its wings in front of a home-town audience.  A limited amount of Fly Now! gear - T-shirts and caps, are now available at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum. 

Brian Kissinger and Rick Rehg with the new Fly Now! gear

The Fly Now! The Movie team and The Aero Experience are now proud to announce the publishing of the accompanying Fly Now! book, written by Brian Kissinger and illustrated by The Aero Experience.  The book chronicles the Fly Now! spirit with inspirational words from Brian Kissinger and photos from the year of Midwest Aviation activities.  The first 50 autographed, hard-bound books with DVD movie are now available for pre-order at only $50!  To place your order, contact Carmelo Turdo via Facebook or order directly here.  Orders will be available December 12 at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum rollout event or by mail.

 

The Aero Experience: Carmelo Turdo, Mark Nankivil, Fred Harl, Leo Cachat

 

 

Some of the people featured in the book and movie include:

Brian K. Kissinger

 

 

Jerry "Jive" Kerby and LM "Lunar" Sawyer

Director Jeff Wilson with Pitts Special Patrick McAlee

Greg Colyer flies "Ace Maker" T-33



Bob Richards performs his signature tail wheel drag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Celebrate Midwest Aviation at the Fly Now! The Movie Premiere October 17

By Carmelo Turdo

The much-anticipated premiere of the Reality Aviation Documentary Fly Now! The Movie will take place at the St. Louis Hi-Pointe Theater this Saturday, October 17.  The film chronicles the adventures of aviators from around the country as the movie crew and their trusty homebuilt Pietenpol aircraft travel from St. Louis to Lakeland, FL, Oshkosh, WI and many places in between.  After much hard work, the self-funded, independent film will get its wings this Saturday in front of a home-town audience.  

Fly Now! The Movie Director Jeff Wilson and Executive Producer Brian Kissinger have also been active promoting the spirit of grass-roots aviation through a series of podcasts featuring local aviation personalities, including The Aero Experience Founder Carmelo Turdo.  The Aero Experience team has been active promoting the Fly Now! concept throughout the year with feature stories, photography services and coordination of support from the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum.  The Aero Experience will continue to participate in Fly Now! projects that will be introduced in the near future. 

The Aero Experience team hopes to see you at the Fly Now! The Movie premier on Saturday.  Until then, listen to the podcasts and check out these scenes from the movie production:

       

Countdown to the Fly Now! The Movie Premiere Showing in St. Louis October 17

The Aero Experience is proud to support the premiere of the anticipated Fly Now! The Movie at the Hi-Pointe Theater in St. Louis October 17.  Director Jeff Wilson, Executive Producer Brian Kissinger, the Fly Now! The Movie crew and a cast of thousands have captured the essence of living life to the fullest today by bringing the joy of aviation to as many people as possible throughout the year.  We are asking our community to join us at the movie premiere, order your copy, and support the work of current and future Fly Now! projects.    

 

Meet special guest ExtremeFlight Pitts Special airshow pilot Patrick McAlee!