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| By Carmelo Turdo |
FedEx
Express delivered a retired Boeing 727-2D4 freighter to St. Louis Downtown
Airport last Friday amid an atmosphere of great anticipation by airport
management and invited guests from the greater St. Louis aviation community. The jet taxied to the Jet Aviation ramp in
front of the airport fire station following its final landing at 10:33am local
time as Flight 9041 from Indianapolis. Shortly thereafter, the crew exited the aircraft, and a ceremony was held
inside the fire house garage due to unusually brisk weather conditions. The aircraft, which has a unique relationship
to the St. Louis area, will become the centerpiece of a new regional emergency
response training center that will be developed at St. Louis Downtown Airport
in the coming months. The Aero Experience team coverage of the
delivery flight will bring to you the final landing and the unique history of
the aircraft that will soon be prepared to live out its retirement years
training the next generation of emergency responders and aircraft crew members.
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| Director Bob McDaniel (Mark Nankivil) |
Bob McDaniel, St. Louis
Downtown Airport Director, gave credit to Fire Chief Mike Mavrogeorge for the
vision and hard work leading up to the delivery of the FedEx Express Boeing 727
as a first step toward establishing the regional emergency response training
center. "We're standing here today because of one person (Chief
Mavrogeorge)," he said in his introductory remarks following the arrival
of the aircraft. "A few months ago, the Fire Chief came to me with a
wild idea and a dream to obtain an airline-type aircraft for emergency response
training...I said if you think you can make it happen, go for it.
And then I stepped back out of his way. And here we are
today." Director McDaniel is always quick to give credit to
those on his team who accomplish great things, and with his continued
leadership, the training center will flourish as another success story
at Illinois' third busiest airport.
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| Fire Chief Mavrogeorge in 727 cockpit (Mark Nankivil) |
Fire
Chief Mike Mavrogeorge described his vision of the 727's purpose following its
delivery flight. "This is the first component of a dream to develop a
regional training site that will be available to police, fire and EMS
personnel. The best training is realistic training, and you can’t get any
better than that (the B727).” He added that firefighters and EMS personnel
could conduct rescue training, and police and SWAT teams would focus on
counter-terrorism. “As a Fire
Chief," he continued, "I am very fortunate to have the support of my
agency (Bi-State Development Agency/Metro) that allows me to pursue these types
of opportunities and my aggressive vision for our fire department.”
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| President/CEO John Nations (Carmelo
Turdo) |
President and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency/Metro John Nations
thanked FedEx and praised the progress the airport is making in the region.
Turning to Fire Chief Mavrogeorge, he said, “I am proud to acknowledge our
airport fire department that has been in operation here since 2008. Under the
guidance of a tremendous Fire Chief, Mike Mavrogeorge, it continues to lead the
way in safety and training initiatives."
He continued, "Because of our relationship with FedEx and your
donation, our people will be better trained, our public will be safer, and the
quality of life in our region will be greatly enhanced. They (airport
management) will lead the effort to refurbish the interior of the Boeing 727,
working with the staff of the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum and our
colleagues at Jet Aviation. Jet Aviation has a history of doing maintenance and
repair work for the FedEx corporate fleet at its facilities here and their team
has agreed to assist in preparing the aircraft for its new mission. We greatly
appreciate the role they will play.”
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| FedEx Advisor Beth Rush (Carmelo Turdo) |
Representing
FedEx Express was Beth Rush, Advisor, Aircraft Acquisition and Sales. "Today, we’ll talk about our fuel-efficient airplanes, which is the reason we are here," she said. "We are replacing our 3-engine, 3-person
cockpit with the 757 which is a 2-engine, 2-person cockpit. This will allow for
fuel savings, improve our environmental footprint and have aircraft to donate
to educational training programs such as the one here at St. Louis Downtown
Airport." Rush described the many community outreach programs in place at
FedEx Express and made the direct connection to the Boeing 727 donation. Another
'right thing' that FedEx does is help our communities, specifically
organizations that help drive training and education for aviation careers. This
includes St. Louis Downtown Airport for its influence that helps drive young
people to our industry; the community of St. Louis is making a positive
difference for our profession."
Following her remarks, Rush presented John Nations with a model of the
FedEx Express Boeing 727.
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President and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency/Metro John Nations receives a model of the FedEx Express Boeing 727 from FedEx Aircraft Acquisition and Sales Advisor Beth Rush (Mark Nankivil) |
Illinois Division of Aeronautics
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| Illinois Director Dr. Susan Shea (Mark Nankivil) |
Director Dr. Susan Shea was also present at the
delivery of the aircraft. “FedEx brought in the most important piece of
safety equipment at an airport – a real plane…This is real time, real life,
hands-on,” she said. Dr. Shea explained how the usual emergency
training is conducted in a fairly static environment, using props and
stand-ins. She went on to describe how using the FedEx Express
Boeing 727 will lend unparalleled credibility to the training that will
be conducted at the new training center for emergency service
agencies from surrounding Missouri and Illinois counties.
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| "Captain" Jack Nankivil and Mark Nankivil in 727 cockpit |
The
potential for educational use of the FedEx Express aircraft is very
promising. Mark Nankivil, President of the Greater St.Louis Air & Space Museum, has been an early advocate of
obtaining a transport aircraft for education and aerospace advocacy
programs. "The Museum is excited to be partnering with the
airport to use and take care of the 727. This is a special event
for all of us, and we look forward to making the most of the opportunity we've
been presented with her arrival. We are offering a number of airliner
seats for installation in the forward cabin education center, and the
museum is also assisting in the search for a permanent set of stairs to
access the jet. Work on educational programs will accelerate as time
nears for relocating the aircraft."
The FedEx
Express Boeing 727-2D4 cargo jet arrived at St. Louis Downtown Airport in
biting cold and cloudy weather. The aircraft, one of the few
remaining in U.S. service with a three-person flight crew, was flown
by Captain Bryan Pender, First Officer Robert Dittman and Second
Officer Jason Redenius. Following the landing, the aircraft was
given a water cannon salute by the pumper crew of the St. Louis Downtown
Airport Fire Department as it taxied to the Jet Aviation ramp across
from the fire station. Following the acceptance ceremony,
the Boeing 727 was available for tours by those in attendance. Here
are some views of the landing and aircraft tours (sone taken by Jack and Mark Nankivil).
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Captain
Pender, First Officer Dittman, Second Officer Redenius
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The FedEx
Express Boeing 727 donated to the St. Louis Downtown Airport, the 70th such
donation since 2000, has a connection to the St. Louis area. The aircraft was first delivered to Ozark
Airlines in October 1979 as N721ZK, s/n 21850.
The third iteration of Ozark Airlines emerged after Parks Airlines
failed to begin operations from Parks Metropolitan Airport (now St. Louis
Downtown Airport) near St. Louis as directed by the Civil Aeronautics Board in
1947. This Ozark Airlines began
operations in 1950 using four
former Parks Airlines DC-3s. According
to Jon Proctor, Aviation Journalist and Historian, N721ZK had been sold to Pan
Am by Ozark prior to delivery, then leased back by Boeing for flight testing. Interestingly, in Proctor's photo, the
aircraft, now designated N362PA and owned by Pan American World Airways,
appears in Ozark Airlines colors but with Pan American registration. Pan American operated N362PA as "Clipper
Frankfurt" from 1980 through 1991, and then it was acquired by FedEx
Express in 1993 as N288FE. The aircraft
is currently name "Michelle."
Beth Rush from FedEx Express explains:
"At FedEx we have the tradition of naming our aircraft after the
children of employees, and that is why you will note the name 'Michelle' on the
side of the aircraft. Michelle is the
daughter of Martin Angell, who was a package handler in the Heathrow Gateway
Operation in Great Britain. Michelle has completed her degree in Child Care and
works for a nursery; she is continuing her education."
The
Boeing 727 will now undergo interior modifications for the future education and
training roles it will assume as part of Fire Chief Mike Mavrogeorge's vision
of a regional emergency response training center at St. Louis Downtown Airport. It will be an exciting time for Midwest
Aviation as this initiative gains momentum and becomes a model for other
metropolitan areas. Special thanks to
St. Louis Downtown Airport management, Bi-State Development Agency/Metro, FedEx
Express, Illinois Department of Aeronautics, and Jet Aviation for their
assistance in the acquisition of the aircraft and the preparation of this
article.
