Wednesday, April 2, 2025

News Release: New General Aviation Facility Taking Shape at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

New General Aviation Facility Taking Shape at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
The facility, being constructed in two phases, will pave the way for international service


MASCOUTAH, Ill. (April 2, 2025) – MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) is pleased to announce that work is progressing on a 25,277-square-foot facility, currently under construction, that will enable the airport to process international commercial flights and attract additional aircraft and airlines. The facility, which will house U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a General Aviation Facility, and a Federal Inspection Station, represents the fourth phase of terminal modifications made by MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to accommodate future passenger growth.

The new facility is being built in two phases. Construction on Phase 4a began in late summer 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The $18.2 million project addresses the documented infrastructure needs of Customs and Border Protection and will include the General Aviation Facility and the exterior of the Federal Inspection Station. Work on Phase 4b, expected to cost approximately $10.9 million, will focus on the interior of the Federal Inspection Station and will complete the 25,277-square-foot facility. The project will feature accessibility improvements, including accommodations for families and companion care. Once complete, the facility will give BLV the ability to process international commercial flights, in addition to general aviation activity.






The construction timeline for Phase 4b is currently being finalized but work is expected to ramp up on that portion of the project while work on Phase 4a is still underway. Funding sources for both phases include FAA grants, community project funding, state funding, passenger facility charges and required local match. Holland Construction Services is serving as the general contractor for both phases.

“This expansion project marks a significant milestone in our plans to continue to grow the number of passengers flying out of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, while simultaneously working to increase the number of destinations and flights available for travelers in the future,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “It is providing good-paying jobs for the community and economic benefits for St. Clair County, as we work to help meet the demand for expanded international commercial air service for underserved areas throughout the Metro East and the broader St. Louis region.”

Darren James, Director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, added, “The project will expand service offerings and increase airline competition by facilitating new international entrants into the regional marketWe have worked closely with the CBP to ensure the facility is designed to meet existing requirements and anticipated needs.”

Work on Phase 4 of the airport’s terminal expansion plan is advancing as passenger enplanements on flights into and out of BLV, via Allegiant, continue to grow. The airport offers nonstop flights year-round or on a seasonal basis to a variety of popular destinations served by Allegiant, including Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers/Punta Gorda, Gulf Shores, Jacksonville, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Orlando/Sanford, Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah, and Tampa Bay/St. Pete.

Phase 4a and 4b are the latest developments in a series of expansion and modification projects made at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport over the past few years to accommodate continuing passenger growth. In June 2023, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport completed work on a $34 million terminal expansion project and opened it for use. The 42,000-square-foot expansion nearly doubled the size of the existing terminal and includes a variety of amenities that are enhancing the experience for those traveling through MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. Phase 3 of the terminal project, which included additional renovations to the existing terminal and enhancements to the curbside drop off area outside the terminal, was completed in spring 2024. Additionally, a $37.7 million investment to add nearly 3,100 linear feet of new Taxiway Lima pavement and a new Taxiway Bridge over Crooked Creek was completed in the summer of 2023. The project provides airfield access to an aviation business park on the south side of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport that is anchored by Boeing’s $200 million, 300,000-square-foot production facility where the company will build the MQ-25 Stingray, the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based, unmanned, aerial refueling aircraft.

To learn more about MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, visit flymidamerica.com.

About MidAmerica St. Louis Airport 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Passenger service to a variety of popular destinations is offered by Allegiant. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64.  With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Tenants include Boeing, which has a manufacturing facility at the airport and North Bay Produce, an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, Mich. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.    

Spring Safety Highlight: FAA TRACON Education Program Held at Creve Coeur Airport

By Carmelo Turdo
The Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association (GSLFIA) hosted an FAA Wings Program session at Creve Coeur Airport Tuesday evening. STL TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control Facility) Controller Pete Seddon returned to provide an interactive, scenario-based discussion covering common issues facing controllers and pilots as they work together to safely navigate U.S. airspace. 

Seddon framed each scenario from the controller's point of view and then led the discussion on the recommended pilot response for a successful outcome. Topics of discussion centered on the importance of see and avoid during cruise flight and visual confirmation of aircraft while under approach control. Another critical safety issue addressed by Seddon during the program was the overreliance of ADS-B data by pilots of general aviation aircraft as well as in large commercial jets. ADS-B data lags real time and the aircraft's transponder may have calibration errors, leading to a false sense of security for anyone relying on ADS-B data instead of maintaining a proper scan. He also reminded the attendees that "Have him on ADS-B" is not a suitable response to a "Maintain visual separation" directive from a controller.

Here we include some views of the session, including introduction of Pete Seddon by GSLFIA President, Keith Mueller, and Board Member Greg Pochapsky.





















The Aero Experience thanks the GSLFIA, Pete Seddon, the FAA St. Louis FSDO and everyone who participated in this program. The next TRACON presentation is scheduled for April 22 at the Piston Aviation facility at St. Louis Regional Airport.

Monday, March 31, 2025

2025 SOAR Into STEM Spring Session 1: Principles of Flight

By Carmelo Turdo
High school students from the St. Louis area and neighboring counties participated in the first of four spring sessions of the Wings of Hope SOAR Into STEM Program on Saturday. SOAR Into STEM provides opportunities to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in the context of the Wings of Hope humanitarian aviation mission. Topics covered include Airplane Basics, Mechanics and Engineering, Navigation and Communication and Drone/Flight Opportunities.

The students gathered in the Wings of Hope hangar on Saturday morning to begin the introductory session covering the basics of airplane flight. The instructor for the session was Lee Ann Nolte, Education Programs Manager for Wings of Hope, supported by a host of volunteer mentors. The Aero Experience begins our coverage of this session with the hangar safety briefing by Cathy Babis and the student/mentor introduction game with the "flying microphone cube." 























SOAR Into STEM supports the Wings of Hope mission of "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation" by introducing the students to the humanitarian aviation programs now in place in the U.S. and around the world. Here we include a briefing on the Medical Relief and Air Transport Program by Flight Operations Manager RaShonda Clark and some views of the hangar tour provided by the volunteer mentors.






































The guest speaker for this session was Frank Dressel, a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and former military pilot who recently completed building a Vans RV-14A experimental aircraft. He gave the students an overview of his flying experience along with an introduction to the principles of flight, aircraft flight controls. and propulsion systems.










Following lunch, the student teams and volunteer mentors worked together to assemble and fly a glider requiring careful attention to construction details and concepts such as center of gravity and weight and balance. During the flight test stage, adjustments were made in the placement of the internal weight and throwing techniques were perfected so that students could throw the glider directly to each other across the hangar. 


































SOAR Into STEM Spring Session 1 also included small group discussions with the volunteer mentors. Each mentor has experience in the aviation field, and their advice and counsel are invaluable to those students interested in pursuing aviation and aerospace careers. Mentor small group discussions are a feature of each SOAR Into SREM session.



















 


The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope and all those who contribute to the SOAR Into STEM program. We will have continuing coverage of the upcoming sessions through April and May, culminating in a career fair and flight opportunities.

Sunday, March 30, 2025

March General Aviation (and More!) Survey

By The Aero Experience Team
The Aero Experience looks back on the month of March in this General Aviation (and More!) Survey. Here we present a variety of aircraft types encountered during our visits to airports while covering stories from around the Midwest. We hope you enjoy this review of our aviation community!

Creve Coeur Airport, Maryland Heights, MO



































































Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, MO































St. Louis Regional Airport, East Alton, IL