June General Aviation (and More!) Survey

By The Aero Experience Team

The Aero Experience looks back on the month of June in this General Aviation (and More!) Survey. Here we present a variety of aircraft types encountered during our visits to airports while covering stories from around the Midwest. We hope you enjoy this review of our aviation community!

Creve Coeur Airport, Maryland Heights, MO

St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia Heights, IL

St. Charles County Regional Airport Smartt Field, Portage Des Sioux, MO

Guest Post: 2023 Quad City Airshow Features USAF Thunderbirds

Guest Post: The Aero Experience thanks our friend Duane Cooley of DRC Images for contributing this coverage of the Quad City Airshow last weekend.

The Quad City Airshow was held June 24 and 25 at Davenport Municipal Airport, IA. Our coverage here begins with the headlining USAF Thunderbirds and continues with other world-class performers.

The renown Aeroshell Aerobatic Team filled the sky with giant, white smoke trails as they weaved through the air in their four North American Texans. They bring decades of performance experience as a team and are a staple of the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh day and night shows.

The Canadian Forces Parachute Demonstration Team, the Skyhawks, bring a new excitement to airshows in North America. In true teamwork fashion, members of the Skyhawks carry a number of flags and link up with each other under Maple Leaf parachutes before splitting off at the last second!

Gregory "Wired" Colyer flew Ace Maker III, one of the Canadair CT-133 Silver Stars that Ace Maker Airshows brings to events around the country. Colyer's graceful solo performance shows off the vintage jet's stylish looks as well as crisp handling in the hands of a true professional. 

Bob Carlton of Vertigo Airshows is a legend in the microjet airshow world, regularly performing in the SubSonex and also in the Super Salto jet sailplane as shown here. Carlton put the sailplane through its paces in a precisely choreographed display, including takeoff and recovery in front of the crowd.

The Shetterly Squadron was out in force, featuring Greg Shetterly in the Rihn DR 107 One Design, Joe "Rifle" Shetterly in the Vans RV-8 and Jeff Shetterly in the SNJ-6 Texan. Each of the Shetterly brothers may be seen performing solo acts or as a team in airshows across the country each year.

The Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Gateway Chapter from Creve Coeur Airport and the GA Heritage Chapter featured their Huey and Cobra aircraft in the fly-by below and as an added ride attraction. About 400 riders flew in the Gateway Chapter Huey and 16 in the Cobra over the weekend.

A selection of warbirds was also part of the airshow, including the Missouri CAF Wing B-25J Show Me based at St. Charles County Regional Airport Smartt Field that was also available for ride opportunities. These and others were part of the warbird fly-by and static display program.

The Heritage Flight is a highlight of any airshow, and this one featured the USAF Raptor Demo Team and P-51 Charlotte's Chariot II from the Southern Heritage Air Foundation. Both gave solo performances as well as the traditional formation passes.

...And a few more interesting sights: Aftershock Jet Fire Truck, F/A-18C legacy Hornets and Eurocopter EC130 T2 medevac helicopter.