Midwest Aviation Success Story: Looking Back at the 2025 Zenith Aircraft Homecoming Weekend

By Carmelo Turdo

Zenith Aircraft Company held the 2025 Homecoming Open Hangar Days and Fly-In on September 19-20 at their Mexico, MO Memorial Airport facility. Those new to Zenith Aircraft toured the factory and checked out the aircraft on display, including the very popular, slatted-wing CH750 STOL that can take off and land from almost anywhere. Current builders and owners traded stories and picked up tips of the trade learned through their own experience. 

Zenith Aircraft Company owner, Sebastien Heintz, was on hand to meet with visitors throughout the event. Zenith Aircraft recently completed an expansion of their factory that will allow additional space for kit manufacturing and builder construction stations. Heintz believes that the new MOSAIC regulations will increase access to aviation, and that the current Zenith Aircraft types offer expanded capability to provide the best combination of economy, performance and modern avionics available into the future.

The Zenith Aircraft Company was formed in 1992 to manufacture kit-built aircraft in their Mexico, Missouri facility featuring the Zenair designs from Chris Heintz. In addition to the aircraft types offered in kit form, the company maintains generous customer service and building assistance programs that make the purchase and building process more successful. Advanced technology manufacturing techniques have made the parts relatively easy to assemble, and the numerous hands-on workshops give ample opportunities for new kit owners to assemble one sub-assembly at a time as they progress through the building process. Each aircraft is designed to offer ease of assembly, fuel economy and a desirable flight performance envelope. Here we feature builder classes and a factory tour offered during Homecoming Weekend. 

Saturday began with breakfast prepared by EAA Chapter 944 from Chillicothe, MO and sponsored by Avemco and Kitplanes Magazine. The Aero Experience coverage begins with the early morning tour of the aircraft on display flown in by owner/builders from around the country. We also feature fly-in visitors from Piston Aviation checking out the lineup during a stop on their cross-country training flight.

Inside the hangar, industry exhibitors were available to discuss how their products and services apply directly to the needs of the owner/builders in attendance. This sampler, as well as the coverage in the video below, includes: North American Aerospace, UL Power Aero Engines, F&A Cycle, Garmin, Avemco and Dynon Avionics among others.

    

Saturday's keynote speaker was Carson Stilson, builder of the well-equipped CH750 Super Duty featured on his Wairworthy YouTube channel. His aircraft is especially suited to his backcountry, high density-altitude flying in Utah. He accomplished the first-ever Lycoming YIO-EXP-289 (IO-390) 215hp engine installation on a flying Zenith. This powerplant gives him good performance even though it is not turbocharged and it is heavier than the typical engine choice. Stilson uses an in-flight adjustable Hartzel propeller, adding to the already nose-heavy nature of the aircraft. 

The paint scheme and seat pattern reflect the geography of Zion National Park, his favorite scenic flight area in Utah. The carbon fiber panel features Garmin Dual G3X touch displays, and dual control sticks are a major modification from the standard Y-stick configuration. For YouTube filming, a one-switch system runs multiple cameras and Starlink is used for live broadcasts (only by an accompanying passenger). For more information on Carson Stilson and his Super Duty, see the coverage below and his YouTube channel.

       

The Aero Experience thanks Zenith Aircraft and the sponsors, exhibitors, and pilot/builders in attendance for making the 2025 Homecoming Weekend a great success. Check out our video below for a tour of the grounds and in-depth interviews recorded during the event.

Textron Launches Citation Ascend as Latest Edition of the 560XL Series

By Carmelo Turdo

Textron Aviation recently introduced the newest member of their Citation 560XL series, the Citation Ascend, into service. The Ascend received FAA certification on November 5 after the completion of a three-year, over 1,000 flight hour certification program. The first customer delivery was accomplished on December 30. This jet is more than a tweak or a rebrand. It offers an enhanced flight experience for passengers and crew alike, with customer-driven amenities found on the longer-range Latitude and Longitude. Luxury and efficiency can indeed be engineered into a midsize business jet. (Textron Graphic)

The Citation Ascend takes the 560XL family to new heights with updates within the XL airframe. The latest Pratt & Whitney PW545D engines power the aircraft via a dual-channel FADEC system and autothrottle. Three fourteen-inch, high-resolution Garmin G5000 displays give the two-person crew the flight data they need the way they want it presented. For crew convenience and passenger pre-board comfort, the APU can be operated unattended to provide electric power and air conditioning. The cabin layout provides for a flat floor, sideways adjusting seats, charging stations, wireless adjustable lighting and electronic window shades, a concert hall quality music system and wi-fi service from GoGo. The ideal capacity is four passengers, but the jet can accommodate up to 12 passengers. A large aft cargo hold can accommodate golf clubs and suit bags loaded vertically. 

The Aero Experience coverage of the Citation XL series begins with a look at an aircraft managed by Gateway Jets at St. Louis Downtown Airport. We recently visited with Corey Tomczak, owner and President of Gateway Jets, to get a preview of the new hangar and learn about the Citation XL in his management portfolio. In the photos and video below, Tomczak elaborates on opening the new hangar and shows us the Citation XL, the largest jet currently managed by Gateway Jets. Courtesy services such as food stocks and professional detailing, as shown in the video, are included. Aircraft inspections and preventive maintenance are provided by industry leaders such as West Star Aviation. Other services offered by Gateway Jets include aircraft brokerage, flight crews and aircraft hangar rental.

In September, Textron brought their mockup exhibit to Aero Charter at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Aero Experience toured the display and interviewed John Reimer, Senior Technical Marketing Advisor and Citation series pilot, for this feature story and the video included below. He gave an excellent overview of the Ascend and demonstrated the enhancements to the passenger cabin.

"The Citation Ascend fits right between the CJ4 and the Citation Latitude," Reimer told The Aero Experience. "So, as we leave the Citation Four and grow into the Ascend, we gain a lot of the large jet amenities and features to include auxiliary power unit, a true airstair door, thrust reversers, large baggage compartment, single-point fueling - all those things you'd expect in a large jet."

Learn more about the Citation Ascend from our new video:

The Aero Experience thanks Textron Aviation for exhibiting their Citation Ascend mockup in St. Louis and the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association for sponsoring the event.