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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Elite Aviation hosted the Civil Air Patrol 80th Anniversary and Open House event Saturday at their Spirit of St. Louis flight training facility. The public was invited to learn about the Civil Air Patrol, meet members of the local aviation community, explore the aircraft on display, take Discovery Flights in modern Elite Aviation aircraft and enjoy good food and refreshments throughout the day. Elite Aviation has supported the fleet of Civil Air Patrol aircraft since they began operations at the airport, and they were a natural partner to help plan and host the event. Special guest appearances by the Missouri CAF, U.S. Army, Metro Air Support and the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation's F-4 cockpit and Kid Zone exhibit made the day enjoyable for visitors of all ages.In Part 1, we introduced the main sponsors, Elite Aviation and the Civil Air Patrol, and in Part 2 we covered the special guest exhibitors. Here in Part 3, we will include the other participants that brought aircraft and exhibit tents to the event.
In the spirit of the Civil Air Patrol 80th Anniversary, there were several liaison aircraft like those used by the CAP since World War II. L-birds, or Grasshoppers, as they are called due to their role and ability to operate from short grass airstrips, are ideal aerial observation platforms and are relatively easy to fly and maintain. Included here are Michael and Susan Letrello's 1943 Taylorcraft L-2B; Jim Johnson's silver 1947 Aeronca L-16A with CAP service from 1952-1987; the Missouri CAF Wing 1941 Aeronca L-3E, Lil' Show Me; and Michael Totty's 1954 Cessna 180 Skywagon.
Doug Gardner's Great Lakes 2T-1A aerobatic biplane
Steven Eldert's 1948 Globe GC-1B Swift
Mark Schuler's Nanchang CJ-6A
John Murphy's SubSonex and RV-8A
U.S. Navy
The Aero Experience thanks everyone who planned and participated in this great Midwest Aviation event to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the Civil Air Patrol!
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