Wings of Hope Holds Fourth Annual Plane Pull Fundraiser to Support Humanitarian Programs

By Carmelo Turdo

Wings of Hope held their fourth annual Pulling for Hope event Saturday, October 3, at their Spirit of St. Louis Airport world headquarters. Thirteen teams, sponsored by local businesses, competed for the fastest time to pull a Gulfstream jet 60 feet across the taxiway outside of the Wings of Hope hangar. All proceeds will be used to fund humanitarian aviation programs that support the Wings of Hope mission of "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation." 

The teams began arriving prior to the 11:00 A.M. start time and flowed in as their pull time drew near. Wings of Hope volunteers performed the registration duties along with the other roles needed for a fun and safe event, including tug driver, timers, team prep and start/stop signaling.  We begin our coverage with a survey of the activities at the Wings of Hope hangar as the teams arrived and future aviators enjoyed art projects, pedal planes and great food throughout the day. 

The plane pull began with Team 1, Wings of Hope Board, at 11:00 A.M. Each team had two pulls, with the best (lowest) time as the score of record. Here we include some views of the teams during their plane pulls. 

Team 1: Wings of Hope Board 

Team 2: Logan University

Team 3: Grounded Falcons

Team 4: Fabick Cat

Team 5: Monarch Fire Protection District (3rd Place)

Team 7: Garmin (2nd Place)

Team 8: Pulling G's

Team 9: No Plane, No Gain

Team 10: Detail 360

Team 11: Made In MO

Team 12: AVMATS Afterburners (1st Place)

Team 13: Husch Blackwell

Team 14: UHY Team

Special thanks to the Pulling for Hope sponsors:

Fabick Cat, Dierbergs, Garmin, Logan University, Signature Aviation, AERO Charter, GoJet Airlines, Husch Blackwell, Lakenan Insurance, RealClean Aircraft Detailing, Spirit of St. Louis Airport, SpiritJets, St. Luke's, Thaman Family, Patrick and Susan Bowman, Rottler Pest Control, Angela Walleman, West Star Aviation, Detail 360 and Dowco Enterprises. 

The Aero Experience thanks the teams, event and team sponsors, and Wings of Hope volunteers for making this event possible!

News Release: MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Named Primary Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE          
Contact:
Merisa Ashbaugh                                                                  Darren James
PR Counsel                                                                           Airport Director
(314) 436-9090 (office) (309) 335-5453 (cell)                       618-566-5240 (office)
 
MASCOUTAH, Ill. (Oct. 1, 2026) – MidAmerica St. Louis Airport has been named Primary Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), earning statewide recognition for its commitment to safety, customer service and operational excellence. The award was presented Sept. 28 during the Illinois Public Airports Association's fall conference in Galena. Recipients were selected based on accomplishments including strong partnerships with the state, a commitment to customer safety and satisfaction, facility maintenance and the promotion of aviation.

"Being named Primary Airport of the Year is a testament to the exceptional service, strategic vision and continuous growth of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport," said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. "This award reflects the commitment of our airport leadership, employees and partners to providing a first-class experience for travelers while driving economic development and opportunity throughout St. Clair County and the Metro East region."
 
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was among six Illinois aviation facilities honored through IDOT's 2026 Airport of the Year Awards program. Other recipients included Chicago Executive Airport (Reliever Airport of the Year), Albertus Airport (Large General Aviation Airport of the Year), Tri-Township Airport (Small General Aviation Airport of the Year), Carle Health Methodist Hospital (Restricted Landing Area Heliport of the Year) and Thacker Airport (Restricted Landing Area Airport of the Year).
 
"This recognition is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire airport team," said Darren James, Director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. "Every day, our employees, partners and stakeholders work together to provide a safe, efficient and welcoming experience for our passengers. We are proud to serve the region and grateful to IDOT for this recognition."
 
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport continues to expand air service options, enhance its facilities and improve the passenger experience while serving as a key transportation and economic asset for southwestern Illinois and the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. The airport also plays an important role in Illinois' aviation network, which according to IDOT supports more than 492,000 jobs and generates an estimated $95.4 billion in annual economic impact statewide.
 
For more information about MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, visit FlyMidAmerica.com. To learn more about aviation in Illinois and the Illinois Aviation System Plan, visit ILAviation.com.

                                                                                                                   
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.

National Tour Brings New Epic Aircraft E1000AX to St. Louis

By Carmelo Turdo

Epic Aircraft is currently touring the country to promote their new E1000 AX, the enhanced model of their innovative production turboprop aircraft. The tour made a stop in St. Louis on September 23, exhibiting the aircraft at Spirit of St. Louis Airport's Million Air FBO. The Aero Experience was on site to visit with Byron Severson, Epic Aircraft's Regional Sales Manager, to get an update on the E1000 AX.

The E1000 AX model retains the carbon fiber airframe and Pratt and Whitney PT-6A -67A 1200shp engine that makes this aircraft a stellar performer. With seating for six comfortably, the E1000 series has a payload of 1,170lbs and a cruise speed over 300KTAS at 30,000 feet. It is certified for flight into known icing and has convenient ground handling features, including trailing link landing gear and a breakout function that allows the nose gear to caster for tighter turns while taxiing. The wing structure is designed to withstand 7g stress loads, and the graceful lines of the cabin provide both comfort and aerodynamic efficiency. 

Commonality with the E1000 GX makes for a smooth transition to the the new model. Severson gave The Aero Experience a tour of the aircraft, taking time to discuss the new features that come with the E1000 AX, including: 

Garmin G1000NXi Avionics Suite featuring synthetic vison, GPS, weather, traffic and terrain;

Garmin GDL 60 with Plane Sync technology for data updates and aircraft health monitoring;

Garmin GFC 700 Autopilot with digital flight control and automatic trim capabilities;

Garmin Autothrottle and Garmin Autoland;

3D SafeTaxi and Taxiway Routing for navigating large, congested airports;

8000 StormOptix weather radar;

and CoolView windows with 24K gold film coating for UV protection.

In the video below, Severson takes us on a tour of a brand new E1000 AX and provides a concise and thorough briefing on the new features. For reference, we also include last year's video covering the E1000 GX model.

The Aero Experience thanks Epic Aircraft, Byron Severson, Million Air FBO and Spirit of St. Louis Airport for hosting our visit.