EAA Chapter 864 Hosts Rusty Pilots Seminar at St. Louis Regional Airport

By Carmelo Turdo

EAA Chapter 864 hosted a Rusty Pilots seminar Saturday at St. Louis Regional Airport. The program is produced by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and taught in person by a team of flight instructors from around the country. Over forty attendees participated in this highly interactive session led by Jeanne' Willerth (ATP/CFI/CFII/MEI) visiting from her home base at Kansas City-Lee's Summit Regional Airport. According to AOPA, over 13,000 pilots have returned to flying after attending a Rusty Pilots seminar or used the online resources prior to completing their next flight review. A Rusty Pilot seminar was also held at Elite Aviation's Spirit of St. Louis Airport facility in 2018.

The Rusty Pilots seminar was held in the airport's new event space off the circle drive near the F-4 jet display. EAA Chapter 864 has moved their meetings there, and it is also available to the public by arrangement through the airport director's office. Here we show the room arrangement in our coverage of the program.   

The Rusty Pilot seminar is a 3.5-hour intensive session that uses the flight scenario method to review skills that tend to atrophy from disuse over time, including aeronautical chart reading, weather METAR and TAF interpretation, airport ground operations, ATC communication and airport pattern entry and exit points to name a few. A detailed Resource Guide and Scenario Handout were provided by AOPA to facilitate the session. The exercise also reviews the aeronautical decision-making process as the group works through variables such as engine and instrument failures, unexpected storm fronts and airport closures that all pilots will eventually experience. The next step for these "rusty pilots" is to contact a local CFI and prepare for a flight review. 

EAA Chapter 864 is very active at St. Louis Regional Airport, hosting special events throughout the year along with their monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 P.M. The chapter is known for their Pancake Breakfast, this year on June 20 to celebrate the launch of the Air Race Classic from the airport. They also support the popular fall Wings-N-Wheels Fly-In. Here we feature Nick Hobbs presenting a thank you gift to Jeanne' Willerth and announcing the Pancake Breakfast event. The chapter's exhibit included some new items this year - custom laser engraved gifts now available to benefit the scholarship fund. Examples of acrylic lights, with the EAA Chapter 864 logo and St. Louis Regional Airport layout, are shown below.

Another special guest at the Rusty Pilot seminar was Jenna Gerdes, Outreach Director & Development Assistant for Angel Flight Central based in Kansas City, MO. Since 1995, Angel Flight Central has been arranging flights for those needing medical or humanitarian care through a network of volunteer pilots donating their time and aircraft to helping others. Throughout the last three decades, Angel Flight Central has developed an efficient system to match pilots to flight requests, helping to ensure successful outcomes. Here we show Jenna Gerdes with her exhibit and raffling T-shirts following the seminar.

      

The Aero Experience thanks EAA Chapter 864, AOPA Rusty Pilots program, St. Louis Regional Airport and everyone who participated in this great event.

General Aviation on a Mission: Over 100 Dogs Find New Homes During Pilots N Paws Fly Away Event

By Carmelo Turdo

Eight rescue dogs were flown from St. Louis Regional Airport to Airlake Airport in Lakeville, MN on Friday as part of the Pilots N Paws Fly Away event scheduled for last weekend. Originally envisioned as a 50 aircraft effort flying over 100 dogs on Sunday, it was modified due to winter weather moving in between the two airports. Through some creative planning, 22 volunteer pilots flew 71 of these lucky dogs from several St. Louis area airports while another 30 went by ground transportation. The mission was coordinated by Rachel Jouppi, a pilot and former Mrs. Minnesota who has dedicated much of her time and talent to "Flying with a Purpose."

Six of the rescue dogs from this location were provided by Dog Saver Rescue, a non-profit, no-kill shelter located in Washington, MO. Dog Saver Rescue was licensed in 2010 and has since found homes for over 3,000 dogs. St. Louis Regional Airport Director Danny Adams and Assistant Director Drake Blackwell welcomed the volunteers as they positioned their vehicle on the apron for easy transfer of the dogs to the three aircraft.

The aircraft arrived and departed between 3 P.M. and 5 P.M. on what was a breezy but still clear afternoon despite the gathering threat of weather for the weekend. Here we feature Ryan with his recently acquired Piper PA-46 (M350) Malibu Mirage based at KSUS; Dexter and Tori in the Piper PA-28-181 Archer II from Ames, IA; and Peter and his wife in the Lancair Columbia from the Chicago area. The accompanying video clearly shows the enthusiasm exhibited by everyone involved at St. Louis Regional Airport.   

The Aero Experience thanks Pilots N Paws, Dog Saver Rescue, St. Louis Regional Airport, the volunteer pilots and drivers and everyone who contributed to this successful event!  

45th Annual Ultralight and Light Sport Aviation Safety Symposium Held at Southwestern Illinois College Granite City Campus

By Carmelo Turdo

The 45th Annual Ultralight and Light Sport Aviation Safety Symposium was held at the Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) Granite City Campus on Saturday. The event, sponsored by AeroCareers, EAA Chapter 64, Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics, FAA St. Louis FSDO and the Illinois Ultralight Advisory Council, offered a variety of exhibitors and expert presenters addressing concerns common to ultralight and light sport aircraft (now MOSAIC Sport Pilot) operators. 

The Aero Experience coverage of the day's activities includes a pictorial review of the guest speakers and exhibitors. We recommend that ultralight and sport pilots attend the next symposium on February 27, 2027. 

Here we review the program as it unfolded throughout the day, beginning with arrivals and registration. Below, attendees are greeted by event host Bob McDaniel and the FAA St. Louis FSDO staff as they register for Wings Pilot Proficiency Program credit.  

Breakfast was available before the symposium and lunch was served at the midday break. Between presentations, attendees visited these exhibitors: AeroCareers, LifeLine Pilots, PDK Aviation, Magni Gyro, Mount Vernon Outland Airport, Recreational Aviation Foundation, and Wicks Aircraft and Motorsports.

Bob McDaniel welcomed the attendees to the Symposium. McDaniel is President of AeroCareers, a non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating aerospace career education and mentoring to the next generation. His career spans from USAF transport pilot to former Director of St. Louis Downtown Airport. Currently, he manages the Southwest Illinois Sport Aviation Flight Park in Millstadt. 

The symposium speakers are recognized experts in the aviation community, and their presentations were well-received and highly interactive. Presenters shown here include:

And lots of raffle prizes!

The Aero Experience thanks everyone who produced this great Midwest Aviation event, and we look forward to another year of safe flying ahead!