Flying With The Aero Experience YouTube Videos - Recent Posts and Previews

By Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience welcomes the Midwest spring season with a renewed excitement about the flight video series coming to our YouTube channel's Flying With The Aero Experience Playlist. Over the years, we have enjoyed the in-flight interviews with CFIs and aircraft owner/operators from around the region, becoming inspired by their stories and learning about their aircraft at the same time. Each flight enriches our appreciation for Midwest Aviation and, most importantly, the people who share their love of flight. From gliders to light sport aircraft, Cessnas to Pipers, vintage to warbirds and even Citation jets, The Aero Experience has it covered.

We will soon be posting our newest videos, some being expanded editions of our recent Tecnam twin and Piper Archer complex aircraft reviews along with new types scheduled in the coming weeks. The Aero Experience will also be partnering with other media outlets and organizations to increase the breadth of our video offerings. Subscribe to The Aero Experience YouTube Channel for the latest updates. 

Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum Gateway Chapter Launches Cobra on first Mission of the Year

By Carmelo Turdo

Throughout the winter, The Aero Experience has regularly visited the Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum at Creve Coeur Airport. This chapter is part of the national organization whose mission is to "Honor the sacrifice and service of veterans and their families by preserving and promoting the legacy of Army Aviation." The chapter volunteers, most of whom are military veterans, operate and maintain the classic Huey, Cobra and Kiowa helicopters previously in service with the U.S. Army. The Foundation sponsors the Sky Soldiers Demonstration Team seen at airshows across the nation, and chapters also provide ride events at their base and other locations within their region. The Gateway Chapter's next ride event will be May 2 at Creve Coeur Airport. Here we show the aircraft under winter maintenance, with the Cobra evening runup prior to deployment on its first mission of the year: Annual crew training at the Legacy Chapter in Hampton, VA.

  

News Release: MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Launches GoodMaps Indoor Navigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                      

Media Contact:                                                                                       

Merisa Ashbaugh: Merisa@hausergrouppr.com 

Content: https://vimeo.com/GoodMaps 

 

MIDAMERICA ST. LOUIS AIRPORT LAUNCHES GOODMAPS INDOOR NAVIGATION

Community Event Introduces New Technology Designed to Support Travelers of All Abilities, Reinforcing BLV’s Reputation as the Region’s Easiest, Most Accessible Airport

 

MASCOUTAH, Ill. (March 18, 2026) – MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) today announced the launch of GoodMaps, a state-of-the-art indoor navigation and accessible digital mapping platform that transforms how travelers navigate the terminal. As MidAmerica St. Louis Airport continues its rapid growth — including construction of a new facility that will support international commercial flights — the implementation of GoodMaps ensures that every passenger, regardless of ability or language, can move through the airport with confidence and independence, reinforcing the stress‑free, welcoming experience the airport offers.

 

The announcement coincided with a community launch event at the airport terminal, which featured live navigation demonstrations, hands‑on experiences with the technology and discussions focused on accessibility in modern air travel. Attendees also heard remarks from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and GoodMaps leadership highlighting how accessible technology supports travelers with disabilities, multilingual passengers, military families and first‑time flyers.

“At MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, we’ve always promised that your next adventure starts here — and we mean that for everyone,” said Airport Director Darren James. “GoodMaps brings that promise to life by ensuring every traveler who walks through our doors can navigate our terminal with confidence and independence, in the language they’re most comfortable with.”

GoodMaps uses LiDAR mapping and AI-powered camera-based positioning to deliver sub-meter navigation accuracy without requiring any physical infrastructure installations. Travelers simply download the free GoodMaps app on their smartphone and receive access to:

 

• Multilingual navigation in 25+ languages, including Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog and German – serving MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s diverse traveler base and the surrounding military community at Scott Air Force Base
• Audio guidance with detailed descriptions for blind and low-vision passengers
• Visual directions for deaf and hard-of-hearing travelers
• Step-free routing that automatically guides wheelchair users, families with strollers and those with other mobility requirements to accessible paths
• Pre-trip planning tools via GoodMaps Web integration on the Terminal Maps and Amenities page at FlyMidAmerica.com, allowing passengers to explore the terminal from home before arriving for their trip
• Real-time updates managed through GoodMaps Studio, ensuring travelers always have accurate terminal information as the airport continues to expand

 

“MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s continued growth is driven in part by smart investments that prioritize the passenger experience,” added James. “As more travelers choose MidAmerica each year, it’s essential that the airport grows in ways that remain inclusive, accessible and easy to navigate. GoodMaps is a great example of how we’re preparing for growth while keeping people at the center of every decision.”

 

With passenger traffic increasing 25.3% year-over-year in 2025, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport continues to add nonstop Allegiant destinations while investing more than $34 million in a new facility that will enable international commercial flights and enhanced general aviation services. GoodMaps supports this growth by providing a navigation solution that scales seamlessly, with real-time map updates accommodating construction activity, new terminal areas and evolving layouts without service interruption.

 

Enhanced wayfinding also delivers operational benefits for the airport, including reduced wayfinding-related staff inquiries, improved passenger flow throughout the terminal and increased engagement with onsite dining and retail amenities — supporting the airport’s growing economic impact across the Metro East region and the combined $3.1 billion annual economic contribution of BLV and Scott Air Force Base.

 

“MidAmerica St. Louis Airport’s commitment to making travel easy and accessible sets a powerful example for regional airports everywhere,” said Kevin Kline, Community Engagement Representative for GoodMaps. “This partnership shows that you don’t have to be the biggest airport to deliver the best experience – and that’s exactly what BLV has always been about.”

 

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

 

About GoodMaps

GoodMaps is a revolutionary navigation and web mapping platform that uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to provide precise, turn-by-turn indoor directions through mobile apps, while also offering interactive web-based maps for virtual exploration. Unlike traditional wayfinding solutions, GoodMaps requires no additional infrastructure and works seamlessly with visitors’ personal smartphones, while its web mapping capabilities integrate directly into our website for enhanced digital engagement.

General Aviation on a Mission: Midwest Aviation Serves Humanitarian and Animal Rescue Roles

By Carmelo Turdo

As the first day of spring approaches, the Midwest Aviation community is looking forward to the warm weather days ahead. While most general aviation pilots reduce their flying during the winter months, some individuals and organizations continue to use their talent and resources to serve others all year-round under strict guidelines and conservative personal minimums. Here we highlight two examples of that spirit of service from our recent airport visits.

Spirit of St. Louis Airport - Wings of Hope    

       

Wings of Hope is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization serving those in need around the world for over sixty years. The mission of Wings of Hope is "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation." That mission is accomplished directly through Global Humanitarian Programs and the U.S. Medical Relief and Air Transport (MAT) Program. Several MAT flights per week transport ambulatory patients with chronic medical conditions for treatment at specialty medical centers in 26 states within 800 miles from their St. Louis facility. Here we feature one of the MAT Piper Seneca aircraft ready for the next mission.

  

The current Wings of Hope Spring Raffle Aircraft is Cessna 206, N206KY, the first MAT mission aircraft for the organization beginning in 2003.This well-maintained fleet aircraft offers excellent useful load and bush flying capabilities in addition to STOL and factory seaplane kits. Tickets are on sale for this grand prize and two other valuable prizes as well. 

  

The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope for their humanitarian aviation service, and we encourage everyone to support their mission now and in the coming year. We also send our best wishes to outgoing Wings of Hope Board Chairman David Agee following last week's Board meeting and congratulations to the new Chairman, Patrick Bowen.

Creve Coeur Airport - Pilots N Paws Rescue Mission

General Aviation can play a valuable role in transporting our furry friends to their new foster or forever homes located in other states across the country. Here we feature our second Pilots N Paws Rescue mission in recent weeks, this time featuring our friends Jamie Gotto and Jill Rempala flying in Jamie's Mooney M20K.

The Aero Experience is pleased to include this report from Jamie and Jill describing their mission:

Sammy, the Great Dane pup, was a stray on the streets of North Little Rock. He was being temporarily fostered while returning to health by Little Rock Animal Village volunteers, but he needed to be transported to Just Giants Rescue on the Illinois/Wisconsin border for the next chapter of his life. Rescue groups and pilots connected on PilotsNPaws.org and the journey was planned.

On Saturday, March 14, St Louis local pilots Jamie and Jill flew out of Creve Coeur Airport (1H0) to North Little Rock following their Women in Aviation St Louis - Women with Wings board meeting. 

They met Sammy at the FBO and were bowled over by his size and the amount of love he insisted on sharing with everyone he met. Sammy jumped in the plane and laid down in the backseat for the entire flight to St. Louis Regional Airport (KALN). There he took a break, then continued his journey with Joliet, IL pilot, Mike, where he continued to re-charge his batteries by napping most of the way. (Photos below courtesy of Jill Rempala).

Now that he’s safely arrived, Sammy is settling in, stretching those long puppy legs, and learning what life as a loved giant is all about.

Check out The Aero Experience coverage of the recent Pilots N Paws mission taking off from St. Louis Regional Airport on February 27.