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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Youth Aviation Day participants enjoyed a wide variety of activities, including exhibitors in the Foundation hangar, pedal planes for the younger children, aircraft displays from area businesses, free EAA Young Eagle flights, ride opportunities in the Gateway Chapter Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Vietnam-era Army Huey and Cobra helicopters and special smoke-on fly-overs. The Aero Experience participated extensively in the preparations for Youth Aviation Day over the last several months, and here we present our complete coverage from the ground up!
Youth Aviation Day was made possible through the hard work and dedication of the volunteer members of the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation, Creve Coeur Airport staff, the participating aviation organizations and local business sponsors. We start our coverage by recognizing the Foundation's event sponsors, Mungenast St. Louis Acura and Mungenast Burkard Alton Toyota, represented here with their vehicle display at the public entrance to Youth Aviation Day.
Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation
The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation hangar served as the hub of the event grounds, with volunteers welcoming guests and directing them to the exhibitors. The youngest visitors had fun doing touch-and-go patterns in their pedal planes, and the Fox 2 News crew began their coverage in this spot just after the event began at 10 A.M.
The hospitality tent and raffle items were a great addition to Youth Aviation Day, and much appreciation goes to Foundation member Mandy Rivera who prepared the raffles and managed ticket sales throughout the day.
The Foundation's V/R Flight Simulation Lab was available for flight adventures "virtually" anywhere around the world. This facility is used for the 8-Week Intro to Flight sessions offered each weekend. Each session includes academic classes and flight simulations centered around a specific theme, and several of the Intro to Flight students have taken Discovery Flights or began flight training with the program's sponsor, Piston Aviation. Special thanks to The Sound Room for providing the public address/music system.
The Foundation had its heavy metal on display as well - former military aircraft now available for educational events on or off the airport. The F-4 Phantom mobile cockpit exhibit has been a staple of the Foundation since its inception, and has made "fighter pilots" out of kids of all ages for over twenty years with its restorer and Foundation President, Joe Steimann. The U.S. Air Force recruitment representatives, SSGT Hrnciar and Airman First Class Condado, set up their tent in front of the iconic jet's cockpit.
Two former military helicopters were also on display, hosted by the Foundation's A&P Mechanic Faith Ortega, who specializes in maintaining the Bell Helicopter Jet Ranger/Long Ranger family of rotorcraft. She was instrumental in returning the orange and white TH-67 to flight status, and she continues to oversee the maintenance program for the Foundation's flying asset. You can follow her helicopter adventures on the Howtohelicopter Facebook and Instagram pages. Also on display was Joe Steimann's restored olive green OH-58 Kiowa.
Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum and Food Trucks
The Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum is located near the parking lot and across the taxiway from the Foundation hangar. The Museum contains a large collection of flying aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s, including one-of-a-kind and extremely rare types that tell the tale of aircraft development in the "Golden Age of Aviation." Visitors from around the world come to St. Louis specifically to tour the museum with the resident expert, Albert Stix.
The area outside one of the Museum hangars served as a convenient space for the food trucks and picnic area. Food was provided by Pappy's Smokehouse, G Burrito and Destination Desserts. We recommend them to anyone looking for food truck services.
Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation Hangar Exhibitors
The Foundation hosted exhibitors inside the hangar, giving most of the organizations with table displays relief from the heat and the wind that increased later in the afternoon. These groups provide valuable services to the local aviation community and general public, with an emphasis in youth outreach and education programs. Here we give a brief tour of the exhibitors and thank them for their support of Youth Aviation Day.
Wicks Aircraft Supply has been a source for aircraft hardware, components, tools and raw materials for nearly fifty years as an outgrowth of the Wicks Organ Company. Both century-old organs and modern aircraft require precision-made parts and attention to detail, and the thick Wicks Aircraft Supply catalog (or the online version) is a staple of every homebuilder and maintenance shop. Scott Wick brought some demonstration projects to share with everyone.
Wings of Hope, the St. Louis-based global humanitarian nonprofit organization, "changes and saves lives through the power of aviation." Their volunteer pilots and medical professionals provide medical air transport services in the U.S. with the Medical Relief and Air Transport Program as well as sustainable humanitarian aviation missions in partnership with local organizations in the Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. The five-week SOAR Into STEM Program offers high school students the opportunity to learn about humanitarian aviation through practical application of STEM knowledge and skills in the Wings of Hope hangar. Here, Education Coordinator Robert Powell uses a glider activity to teach the basics of flight.
Aviation Explorers Post 9032 is a Learning for Life Exploring career education program chartered through the Boeing Company and supported by EAA Chapter 32. Youth ages 14-20 and their mentors meet at Boeing St. Louis Building 100 twice per month and engage with aviation educational organizations such as the Foundation that provide exposure to the aviation field. Aviation Explorers from around the country will attend and provide valuable services at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 this summer.
The St. Louis Rocketry Association is a local affiliate of the National Association of Rocketry and holds regular launch events at Buder Park and occasional high-power rocket launches in rural Elsberry, MO. The members displayed a variety of rockets, including the "Marvin the Martian" scaled up rocket with its own transport cart. President David Kovar is known for the elaborate pre-launch sequencing of his Saturn V on a scratch-built launch complex, complete with flame and smoke show!
St. Louis Community College offers the Boeing Pre-Employment Program to train the local workforce for aircraft assembly work at the Boeing St. Louis manufacturing facilities. High school graduates who pass the entry screening are eligible for no-cost training in the Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter and Composites Mechanic tracks. Those who pass the course are guaranteed an interview with Boeing, and over 950 graduates have become Boeing employees over the last 14 years. Here Don Colombatto provides instruction for a riveting station activity in the hangar during Youth Aviation Day.
The Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association promotes aviation safety and flight instruction excellence through education and training. The Association works with area flight schools, the FAA and other organizations to provide safety seminars, safety circulars and other resources that encourage a safety mindset. The annual awards banquet recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of St. Louis - Lambert International Airport along with recognizing area CFIs and organizations who promote St. Louis aviation. Here Jeff Rapp explains the basics of airspace on a sample aeronautical chart.
Southwestern Illinois College, Southern Illinois University, Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association
The St. Louis area is fortunate to have Keith Mueller as an advocate for the area's aviation academic programs. A 2019 inductee into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame, Mueller has served as a corporate pilot, flight instructor and maintenance technician, retiring from American Airlines as the Central Region Manager for Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering in 2015. He is currently the Aviation Pilot Training Coordinator at Southwestern Illinois College and also works closely with Southern Illinois University's Aviation Program, the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association and Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association among others. Here he discusses options to potential students at Youth Aviation Day.
Static Aircraft Displays from St. Louis Area Aviation Organizations - Main Apron
Youth Aviation Day featured an impressive presentation of static display aircraft from St. Louis area aviation organizations. Dedicating an aircraft and crew to a Saturday, non-revenue event is a significant contribution, and the Foundation greatly appreciates such a great outpouring of support. Here we highlight the aircraft static displays stationed on the main display apron near the Foundation hangar.
Piston Aviation has been a sponsor of the Foundation since they began operations at Creve Coeur Airport. In less than a year, they have attracted over 100 flight training students and have seven planes in their fleet, including two Bristell LSAs. They are also a Bristell Aircraft dealer and will soon offer aircraft maintenance services to external customers. They had two aircraft on display near their tent on Youth Aviation Day - their newest Bristell LSA and Piper Cherokee 160 that is currently offered as a raffle aircraft for the Future Pilots Fund. Joe Ord, Meghen Ord and Phillip Pennell were available to show the planes and discuss pilot training options throughout the day.
Gateway Flight Training has been serving Creve Coeur Airport for over ten years, providing flight training and ground school for all levels of pilot certification along with aircraft maintenance and avionics installation. They excel in complex and high-performance aircraft crew training and are the area's source for Avidyne, Aspen and Dynon avionics service. They featured two aircraft for display - Beechcraft 35 Debonair and Piper 180 Arrow. Here Brian Borton, Bob Meder and Ben Lefton meet with a potential flight student.
St. Louis University's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science offers Aviation Degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This course of study traces its history to what was known as Parks Air College founded in 1927 holding Air Training Certificate Number 1. The Cahokia, IL campus expanded into what is now St. Louis Downtown Airport, where the Flight Operations Center remains. The St. Louis University crew, Tyler Johnson and Johannes Munua, brough their new generation Piper Archer TX fleet training aircraft.
Ideal Aviation provides both fixed-wing and rotary-wing flight training at St. Louis Downtown Airport. Owner Bill Macon comes from an aviation family dating back to the 1930s when his grandfather owned the Von Hoffmann Aircraft Corporation and Von Hoffmann Flight School in St. Louis and both his parents became pilots in the 1940s. The Ideal Aviation crew, Mary Cortesi and Jake Ervin, seen here with Bill Macon, brought their new Tecnam P92 Echo LSA for display at Youth Aviation Day.
Warbirds - North American SNJ Texan and Douglas Skyraider
Among the static display aircraft at the end of the display area were two aircraft previously used in military service. Here we feature a Noth American SNJ-5 Texan, a former U.S. Navy carrier-capable trainer originally obtained for the USAAF during WWII. Texans are popular warbirds, and this one is being restored to flight status by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum. The other, more massive aircraft is a Douglas EA-1E (AD-5W) Skyraider that served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1971. This model is the four-seat, airborne early warning sub-type of the famous Skyraider family of combat aircraft that served through the early Vietnam War period and was later owned by several museums and private owners. It is now owned by the Midwest Wild Relics Refuge and flown by pilot Eric Downing at airshows in the Midwest. Both aircraft are based at Creve Coeur Airport.
Static Aircraft Displays from St. Louis Area Aviation Organizations - North Apron
Luscombe Hangar
Rounding the corner from the main apron is the hangar row we call the North Apron display area for reference purposes. The Foundation's hangar neighbor across the row is Jimmy Johnson, a mechanical wizard who can repair and rebuild virtually anything with moving parts. His Luscombe 8A is strikingly eye-catching, and several more projects are under construction inside the hangar. He maintains and restores the aircraft in the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum and is always willing to lend a hand with a tough job. Here he is shown explaining the workings of Continental four cylinder and vintage Kinner five-cylinder piston aircraft engines.
Women In Aviation International - St. Louis Women With Wings
Women In Aviation International was represented by the revitalized St. Louis Women With Wings Chapter. These ladies have made a significant impact on the aviation industry, including Piston Aviation, EAA Chapter 64, Dream Flights and the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation among many others. Their tent was set up next to pilot/owner Jill Rempala's Cessna 150, previously featured in our coverage of the Foundation's Intro to Flight Program. Here we feature chapter members Meghen Ord, Ruth Orr, Fly Allyssa and Jill Rempala.
AeroCareers is a non-profit organization providing mentoring and guidance to those seeking a career in the aerospace industry. These experienced professionals have teamed up to provide youth education programs, such as Scout merit badge counseling and camps, introductory flights and field trips as well as mentoring, career coaching and flying club membership for older students. Current projects include the restoration to flight of The New Spirit of St. Louis Lancair Columbia used by Erik Lindbergh to recreate his grandfather's solo transatlantic flight and the Piper Cub fundraising raffle now underway. Here we have Bob McDaniel with the Spirit of St. Louis cockpit reproduction along with more aviation industry mentors.
Civil Air Patrol is the civilian U.S. Air Force Auxiliary founded a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the U.S. into WWII. During the war, Civil Air Patrol flew coastal patrol, search and rescue, liaison and other support missions that added value to the war effort at home and freed resources for fighting overseas. Since then, Civil Air Patrol has added the Cadet Program and Aerospace Education to the Emergency Services mission, enabling the organization to develop successive generations of aerospace industry leaders. Civil Air Patrol 1Lt. Joe Morris brought a late-model Cessna 172S Skyhawk for display.
Youth Aviation Day provided a real-life example of what a young student pilot can accomplish. Guy Matthews introduced his company, Plane Clean Aviation Detailing Services, to everyone at the event. He provides graduated levels of interior and exterior detailing services using the Wash Wax All line of cleaning products. Here we show the before and after cleaning of the Cessna 172 nose and Guy Matthews wiping down the AeroCareers raffle plane.
Extra EA-300L and Zlin Z50LS Aerobatic Aircraft
Two types of aerobatic aircraft were on display. Bruce Ballew brought his Extra EA-300L, a familiar aircraft similar to those seen on the airshow circuit and in aerobatic competitions. He uses his Extra for upset recovery training and also competes in the annual International Aerobatic Club Chapter 61 Giles Henderson Memorial Challenge in Salem, IL. Next to the Extra was the Zlin Z50LS, a Czechoslovakian design that rose to prominence with World Aerobatic Championship wins in the mid 1980s. The design was refined through the 1990s, and several prominent teams still use the type. Thanks to pilot/owner Francesco Pallozzi for bringing his Zlin to Youth Aviation Day. Along with the static displays, we include several smoke-on passes by Bruce Ballew in his Extra. Special thanks to John Housley from IAC Chapter 61 for coordinating the appearance of the aerobatic aircraft display.
STL Aviators Flying Club
STL Aviators is a non-profit, non-equity flying club with aircraft based at Creve Coeur Airport and Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The club has grown significantly since the launch in March of 2019, and several of the club's Piper Archers can be seen regularly operating out of Creve Coeur Airport as featured in The Aero Experience monthly General Aviation survey posts. STL Aviators is a great airport neighbor and an option for non-owner pilots.
The Surdex Corporation and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) were also at Youth Aviation among the aircraft displays. Surdex provides digital aerial mapping products and project management services, and their aircraft can be seen operating regularly from Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency provides imagery and related products and services to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. Both Surdex and NGA are essential to the collection and processing of geographical information that we take for granted in the modern information age.
Federal Aviation Administration St. Louis Air Traffic Control
St. Louis-Lambert International Airport Air Traffic Control (ATC) provided a unique display of mixed media to illustrate their role in the airspace system and ATC career opportunities. Airport Air Traffic Manager Ryan Vogt and his team attracted visitors coming in and out of the Foundation hangar. The Professional Women Controllers organization was also represented at this popular exhibit.
Flight Opportunities at Youth Aviation Day
The effectiveness of Youth Aviation Day was greatly enhanced by the availability of flight opportunities throughout the day. From experimental aircraft to former military helicopters, there was something for everyone.
Young Eagle Flights sponsored by EAA Chapter 32
Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 32 flew 48 Young Eagles on Youth Aviation Day. Following their flight, each Young Eagle receives a logbook, free EAA Student Membership, access to AeroEducate and Sporty's Learn to Fly Course, and a voucher for a free Discovery Flight at a local flight school. Other training materials and scholarship opportunities are also available. The Foundation thanks EAA Chapter 32 for providing the Young Eagle Flights again this year.
Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Huey and Cobra Flights (Donation-Based)
The Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviaton Heritage Foundation (AAHF) Huey and Cobra helicopters were flying during Youth Aviation Day. These former military helicopters provided a steady rotor slapping sound throughout the day, causing everyone to look up every time they passed by with another load of passengers. The Gateway AAHF Chapter, based at Creve Coeur Airport, flew 90 riders in the Huey and 5 in the Cobra.
Several individual pilots provided flights in their aircraft and others provided some aerial entertainment with more smoke-on passes. Here we conclude our Youth Aviation Day coverage with some parting shots.
Ivan Kondaurov - AutoGyro MTO Sport
Guyair - Piper Cub
David Adams - Rutan LongEZ
John Ladley, Rod Hightower, Doug Watanabe - Stearman Flight
Mark Schuler - Nanchang CJ-6A
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