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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Few places exemplify the heart of general aviation like Creve Coeur Airport, having a unique variety of personal aircraft, businesses and non-profit organizations working together to promote Midwest Aviation. The Aero Experience features Creve Coeur Airport in our coverage often throughout the year, and May is when we see a burst of activity pointing toward a busy summer. Here we include some of our recent coverage, along with previews of stories coming soon here and on The Aero Experience YouTube Channel.
Airport Construction Project Progresses Through May
During the entire month of May, Creve Coeur Airport will implement a planned pavement improvement project that includes a replacing the asphalt on the taxiway for Runway 16/34 with concrete and restriping the taxiways leading to the hangar rows. The airport has regularly communicated the status updates, with the following graphics provided in their recent Facebook posts and photos from our visit on May 12.
Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Gateway Chapter Ride Day, May 2
The Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation held their first St. Louis ride day event of the year on May 2 at Creve Coeur Airport. The chapter's Vietnam War veteran Huey and Cobra helicopters were busy throughout the day, giving their riders unforgettable flight experiences. This event follows the winter maintenance cycle covered in a previous post and sets the stage for participation in a host of regional events this summer. Here we show the Huey being towed to the fuel pumps and the Cobra working a few more flights in the afternoon.
T-35A Buckaroo Makes Local Flight After Eight-Year Restoration
Also on May 2, a very special flight took place marking the return of the Temco T-35A Buckaroo restored by Bill and Will Kientz. This aircraft was one of two imported to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia in 1977 as part of an RSAF restoration project for the Swift Museum completed in 1985. Following work on the RSAF project, including appearances at events until its permanent display at the Swift Museum, the remaining Buckaroo restoration was taken over by Bill Kientz and later Will to the current time. More detailed coverage coming soon on The Aero Experience.
Gateway Flight Training Adds Citabria to Training Fleet
Gateway Flight Training, the flight training and aircraft maintenance center based at Creve Coeur Airport, has introduced a Citabria aircraft to their training fleet. This aircraft is ideal for obtaining a conventional gear (tail wheel) endorsement as well as for learning upset recovery skills. Here we include some views of their Citabria, Piper Arrow, Cherokee and the busy maintenance hangar during our visit on May 12.
Creve Coeur Airport Hosts FAA Wings Safety Day, May 16
The spring Wings Safety Day Seminar was hosted by John Teipen at the newly renovated Wings Industry Network hangar. The program included presentations by local aviation experts addressing practical issues experienced at the airport and in general aviation operations. Special thanks to Gateway Flight Training for providing guest speakers and promoting the event. The Aero Experience will cover the topics on the agenda in greater detail in a future post.
