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| By Leo Cachat |
As we head towards the 4th of July, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate America's Independence with a look back at what had become a traditional Midwest airshow: Fair St. Louis. This year it was decided that the airshow would not take place due to the change in venue for the fair. Construction on the Gateway Arch grounds has forced the fair to move to Forest Park in the heart of St. Louis, and the airshow was just not feasible or safe due to the layout of the park. The reasons for the cancellation could be debated, but instead I thought it would be nice to showcase the performers who entertained us during the 2013 Fair St. Louis airshow. For The Aero Experience, it was a whirlwind week with aircraft arriving on July 2nd and aerial action taking us all the way through July 6th. The aircraft were based at The Aero Experience's home at St. Louis Downtown Airport, which also is the location of the St. Louis Air and Space Museum which hosted the EAA's B-17 "Aluminum Overcast." The Aero Experience team took thousands of photographs of the week's flying activities, and we are proud to present this look back with these never before posted photos. Today we'll showcase the B-17 "Aluminum Overcast," the F4U-5N Corsair and the P-51C Redtail Mustang "Tuskegee Airmen By Request."
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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Members of the IL Army National Guard were welcomed back from a training deployment at Mount Vernon Outland Airport Thursday. The troops arrived in six C-130H Hercules transport aircraft flown by the IL Air National Guard 182nd Airlift Wing based in Peoria, IL. Airport Manager Chris Collins assembled a great team of staff and volunteers to safely direct and park the aircraft. The troops were greeted at the terminal by a unit of Young Marines and ushered to waiting coaches for the remainder of the trip. The Aero Experience was on site to capture the arrivals, and we can now share some of the photos here.
Special thanks to Mount Vernon Outland Airport management and the IL Air National Guard for their hospitality and professionalism in all they do.
