News Release: Allegiant Adds Nonstop Service to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport

Service to Gulf Shores area will begin in May 2025

MASCOUTAH, ILL., Nov. 27, 2024 — MidAmerica St. Louis Airport (BLV) has announced that Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is adding new, nonstop service between the Mascoutah, Ill.-based airport and Gulf Shores International Airport (GUF), providing individuals with direct access to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama. Beginning May 23, 2025, flights between the two airports will be offered twice weekly – on Mondays and Fridays. The new route marks the only nonstop service currently available between St. Louis and Gulf Shores. 

“The new service to Gulf Shores will kick off just as the busy summer travel season gets underway and will be a perfect complement to the other existing, low-cost flights BLV’s leisure travelers have come to rely on,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “Connecting the St. Louis area to the popular beach vacation destination will be a benefit for local travelers who appreciate the hassle-free experience of flying from MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.”

The new route between BLV and GUF will be the 12^th nonstop destination currently available via MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and the first destination in Alabama offered by Allegiant from the St. Louis region. Other nonstop destinations currently served by Allegiant out of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport –either year-round or seasonally – include Las Vegas; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Savannah, Ga.; and Knoxville, Tenn.; as well as the Florida destinations of Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Sanford/Orlando, Sarasota/Bradenton, Punta Gorda/Ft. Myers and St. Pete/Tampa.

“We are constantly looking to increase the number of destinations and flights available to our leisure travelers and are thrilled to now offer nonstop service to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in Alabama,” said Darren James, director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. “In addition to the new route, Allegiant’s seasonal service between BLV and the popular travel destinations of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., will also be available again starting in May.”

Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found at flyMidAmerica.com or AllegiantAir.com.

About MidAmerica St. Louis Airport 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Passenger service to a variety of popular destinations is offered by Allegiant. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64.  With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Tenants include Boeing, which has a manufacturing facility at the airport and North Bay Produce, an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, Mich. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.

Contact:

Pamela Powell, The Hauser Group, Inc.

314-436-9090

The Aero Experience YouTube Channel: Interesting People Enrich Our Lives

 

Book Review: Keeping Score with GRITT: Straight Talk Strategies for Success by Shawn Burcham

By Carmelo Turdo

Keeping Score with GRITT: Straight Talk Strategies for Success, by PFSbrands founder Shawn Burcham, lives up to its title as a practical guide for anyone to become more successful in work and life. Based on Burcham's early life experience and over two decades as a business owner in the food service industry, Keeping Score with GRITT offers a roadmap containing many encouraging life illustrations along the way. This is not a high-level, theoretical construct, but a real-world, roll your sleeves up call to action that will involve a mindset change for many. And that's a good thing.

The purpose and audience for the book are clearly identified in the Introduction, "The Difference a Book Can Make." First, Keeping Score with GRITT gives PFSbrands employee-owners, franchisees and suppliers an inside look at the company's history, philosophy and challenges in a highly competitive environment. But the second stated purpose aims to address the broader need to develop a new generation of business leaders:

The Ultimate purpose of this book is to help ANYONE become

more successful in business and in life, to teach people about

business and financial literacy, and to teach people how to 

mentally change in order to consistently improve as a person. 

The knowledge, skills and habits needed for business success translate well into other areas of life, especially when the inevitable obstacles turn up along the way. Keeping Score with GRITT directly addresses the steps necessary to not only begin the journey to business and personal success, but to rise up from a sense of stagnation and aimlessness that comes with a lack of goals and direction.

So, what is GRITT, anyway? The GRITT acronym is almost self-explanatory:

Goal-Driven, Responsible, Involved, Team, Tolerance of Failure

Yes, there will be accountability through measurable results and introspection, but the GRITT method also includes a support system and a relief valve for recovery and rejuvenation along the way. Each step builds upon itself for a logical, cumulative approach to improving the total person. 

Shawn Burcham with 2024 GRITT Summit
Keynote Speaker, Amelia Rose Earhart

The Aero Experience met Shawn Burcham this summer at the annual GRITT Summit in St. Charles, MO. He reiterated the purpose of the book, which is echoed in the Summit and through the individual and seminar programs offered through GRITT Business Coaching.

"Keeping Score with GRITT is really all about how to help people be more successful in work and life," Burcham said during our on-site interview. "What I really love to do is help other people be more successful. And not just in their work life, but in their personal life. I really like to help people go from good to great."

Keeping Score with GRITT is a fascinating study in the development and transformation of PFSbrands from an idea to a multi-million-dollar, employee-owned company that continually scales up to satisfy new markets. Each chapter elaborates on how to set and achieve priority goals (G is first for a reason) while promoting team success and employee ownership through servant leadership. Counter-intuitive? Maybe, but Keeping Score with GRITT walks the reader through the process to show how it can work as it did for PFSbrands. And, by the way, Shawn Burcham is also a pilot, rated for Citation series jets, with some relatable stories applying aeronautical decision-making to the GRITT process.

There is a great wealth of material in Keeping Score with GRITT, and we encourage everyone to get their copy and do a deep dive into this valuable resource. The 2025 GRITT Summit is scheduled for July 15-17, and it promises to be better than ever. For more on the 2024 GRITT Summit Keynote Speaker Amelia Rose Earhart's book, Learn to Love the Turbulence: "Flight Lessons" on Becoming the Pilot in Command of Your Own Journey, check out the recent book review by Alexis Noel on The Aero Experience. Also, look for the upcoming full video from our interview with Shawn Burcham and Amelia Rose Earhart on The Aero Experience YouTube Channel. 

News Release: 2024 “Take Flight Forum” Highlights Growth in St. Louis Region’s Aerospace Sector

Efforts Underway to Fill the Talent Pipeline as Investments Drive Job Growth
 

[ST. LOUIS, MO/Nov. 14, 2024] Regional employment within aerospace manufacturing in the St. Louis area grew by more than 1,800 new jobs, or 11.9 percent, over the last five years. This represents a growth rate 10-times faster than the national growth rate of only 1.1% since 2019. Those statistics were among the new numbers shared at the 3^rd Annual Take Flight Forum held on November 8 hosted by the St. Louis Regional Freightway. The data affirms that the St. Louis region continues to strengthen as an aerospace and aviation hub and underscores the importance of the bi-state effort underway to grow the talent pipeline for this vibrant ecosystem. The event brought together representatives of some of the region’s most significant aerospace manufacturing and service companies and the education institutions they are collaborating with to prepare for future growth, as well as participants in programs providing a pipeline to family sustaining careers in the growing aerospace sector.

L to R: Anthony “Tony” Ray, Vice President and General Manager, St. Louis Completions, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.; Brian Bauwens, General Manager, West Star Aviation; Sean Guess, District Director, Workforce Solutions Group, St. Louis Community College/Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program; David Maag, a recent Graduate of West Star Aviation Academy who is now an Aircraft Maintenance Technician I at West Star Aviation; Asher Gunn, a current student in the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program at St. Louis Community College, and moderator Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President, Multimodal Operations at Bi-State Development.

Fueling the noteworthy growth is an estimated 49 aerospace manufacturing businesses that combined account for more than 17,700 employees who make an average annual salary of $137,848. More than 321,000 additional individuals are also employed in industries secondary, tertiary or supportive to aerospace manufacturing in the region, further illustrating the vital role of this ecosystem. The growth trend is expected to continue across the aerospace manufacturing and service sectors as they are in the process of adding nearly 1,000 new jobs in the St. Louis region over the next few years due to expansions underway by Boeing, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and West Star Aviation.

 

“The St. Louis region’s aerospace and aviation sector is in a period of tremendous expansion, as an estimated $5 billion is invested in recently completed projects and those to be delivered over the next five to 10 years,” said Mary Lamie, Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises for Bi-State Development and head of the St. Louis Regional Freightway. “Beyond the jobs being added to help build aircraft and their components and handle maintenance and repairs, we will see demand growing for construction workers to deliver the new facilities, airport operations personnel, and the many positions in other industries that will be impacted by the ripple effects of this growth.”

 

Anthony Ray, Vice President and General Manager, St. Louis Completions at Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., told the audience it is an exciting time for Gulfstream’s operations at St. Louis Downtown Airport in St. Clair County, Illinois, where the company is further expanding its completions and outfitting services at its maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility.

 

“I'm pleased to announce that the $28.5 million expansion investment we announced last year is well on its way to being completed in the first half of 2025. It’s truly exciting to see the new facility additions and enhancements,” said Ray. “We're also over halfway through hiring the 200 new employees that we announced as part of this expansion.” Ray added that, in October alone, they onboarded almost 30 new employees locally to fill positions ranging from avionics employees, interior installers, painters, upholstery technicians, cabinet makers and various other technical positions that are key to Gulfstream’s growth at St. Louis Downtown Airport. “Our recruiting efforts are going phenomenally well,” said Ray. “This region continues to impress us with its available talent.”

 

Gulfstream is engaged in a variety of initiatives that help contribute to their successful recruiting efforts. Among those is a youth apprenticeship program in partnership with Cahokia High School, Belleville School District and the Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence. Through this work-based learning program, students have the chance to work at Gulfstream and receive hands-on industry experience. Last year Gulfstream had 12 apprentices participate and all were offered full-time jobs upon graduation. Ray expects to have more than 20 apprentices this year. Additionally, Gulfstream launched its Student Leadership Program in St. Louis which welcomed 60 high school sophomores in its first year. This multifold program supports career exploration and is designed to provide local high school students with the skills they need to explore opportunities beyond the classroom. Ray also noted Gulfstream’s Build A Box program which helps students learn how to build cabinetry and gain wiring, avionics, and other basic aircraft manufacturing skills.

 

Brian Bauwens, General Manager at West Star Aviation, discussed the recently completed $20 million expansion that was the catalyst for the launch of the West Star Aviation Academy in January 2023 to build the workforce needed to keep up with the growth. Interest has been high, with several hundred individuals applying for the first spots. Bauwens said they narrowed the initial applicant pool down to approximately 100, before starting the interview process to select about 30 individuals who were offered the opportunity to join the Academy. That process includes a tour of the facility and various tests, including a hands-on test to understand what candidates can do and a competency test.

 

“We've dedicated both a hangar and a classroom environment for this program and we're partnered with Southwestern Illinois College on the classroom role. Under their 147, they do all the instruction for us,” said Bauwens. “Students will be in that program for about seven and a half months. Six and a half months of that is worked with SWIC. One month is worked with West Star Aviation with our in-house trainer learning what we do. We call that the West Star Way training.”

 

West Star has donated a plane for use in training the students, so they get to go through the basics that they are going to need when they hit the shop floor. Students learn how to do the proper sign offs based on Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

 

“We assign mentors to each of the students, and when SWIC isn't in session, we’ll take those students off to the floor and they get to spend the day experiencing what's going on, how to do things, where you get the parts, things of that nature,” said Bauwens. “So, when they come into the workforce, it's not just like a new hire right off the street.”

 

While the Academy really tailors to the mechanic side of the industry, preparing students to secure the airframe license, Bauwens highlighted the many other positions also available, from painting the airplane, building cabinets, recovering or upholstering seats and side panels and cutting carpet to the avionics install. The West Star Aviation Academy graduated 25 technicians for the first time this past summer and the second cohort is now about 10 weeks into the program.

 

Details about the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program, which was launched in 2007 to help Boeing create a sustainable pipeline to replace retiring employees, were shared by panelist Sean Guess, District Director, Workforce Solutions Group for St. Louis Community College. Guess explained that Boeing and St. Louis Community College came to the table to put together a program that didn't contain Boeing's proprietary information, but just a general skill set that the company needed. The program has two different tracks: the sheet metal assembly track, and the composite mechanic track.

 

“This training is 85% hands on, so the students actually are physically doing things that they will do on the shop floor if they get hired by Boeing,” Guess said. “When they complete the program, they're guaranteed an interview with Boeing. And when that happens the individuals basically are coming into a trade where they're making $21 an hour.” 

 

Guess added that Boeing provides new hires with a 65 cent raise every January and July plus additional bonuses. They also get great benefits. Once an individual has been employed at Boeing for 30 days, they're eligible to apply for tuition reimbursement should they desire to go back to college for further education. To enter the program, applicants must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and be able to pass a security clearance should they be hired by Boeing.

 

“Since the start of the program, we've had over 1,400 individuals become Boeing employees,” Guess said. “Eighty percent of the individuals that take the Boeing Pre-Employment program end up getting picked up by Boeing. But what about the other 20%? Well, they've acquired some great skill sets that are transferrable. And so those individuals are usually picked up by some of Boeing’s subcontractors and other aerospace manufacturers in the area.” 

 

Asher Gunn is a current student in the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program. With a preexisting interest in manufacturing, he said several things drew him to the program.

 

"I thought it would be a great point of entry into the manufacturing world and a way to fulfill my interest in hands-on work. It is taught by experienced Boeing employees. Some have 30 years of experience. It's invaluable to be around people like that,” said Gunn. “Additionally, it's free of charge. Boeing is financing it, and the intention is that students who pass the program will be prepared to enter Boeing, which I think is also just great."

 

Gunn said he’s currently four weeks into the program and has already received comprehensive in-depth lectures on soft skills as well as aircraft terminology, how to read blueprints and, most importantly, aircraft sheet metal assembly and fastening procedures.

 

“This also requires knowledge of stress and strain on the aircraft and how our work has consequences to the aircraft's structural integrity,” said Gunn. “So, it really puts a lot of importance on us doing our job very well.”

Gunn is also pursuing a degree in computer engineering and plans to utilize the guaranteed interview with Boeing upon completion of the program, with the hope he can continue to further his interest in manufacturing and identify ways computer technologies can be leveraged to improve the efficiency and capabilities of manufacturing and assembly workforces.

 

David Maag, a recent graduate of West Star Aviation Academy, recently started as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician I at West Star Aviation. He had some experience working on helicopters with the Illinois Army National Guard before joining the Academy to learn how to be become a mechanic and receive his airframe license. Maag said he particularly appreciated that participating students were paid the entire time while going to school. He also was impressed with the depth of instruction, which included classes like physics and mathematics, as well as being taught about the different materials that make up an aircraft, flight controls, environmental and electrical systems and the landing gear. He said the program included great opportunities to gain a lot of hands-on experience on the Falcon 10, and being able to connect what was learned in class to a physical aircraft was helpful for students’ success.

 

“I have the privilege of working on multimillion dollar aircraft every day. With my airframe license, I can work across the entire airframe. Some days I might spend hours removing panels to access areas where we need to inspect. Or other days I might be removing corrosion or greasing flight controls. Whatever the task I might be doing, the main focus is to maintain the aircraft, keep it airworthy, and to keep it in top condition,” said Maag. “For those considering starting a career as an airframe mechanic, I would highly recommend seeking a program or a school like this academy. It allows you to apply everything you learn in school directly to your job, which will be waiting for you upon graduation.”

 

Lamie also provided updates on the latest investments and milestones at the region’s five busiest airports, including St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Spirit of St. Louis Airport in eastern Missouri, and three southwestern Illinois airports -- St. Louis Downtown Airport, MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and St. Louis Regional Airport. All the airports continue to invest in additional improvements to their facilities, while St. Louis Lambert International Airport recently cleared a major hurdle for the plan to consolidate the airport's two passenger terminals into one new terminal with the FAA’s determination that the planned $2.8 billion revamp will have no significant environmental impact.

 

“This year’s Take Flight Forum provided great insight on the tremendous career opportunities available in this vibrant, regional ecosystem, where the concentration of aerospace manufacturing jobs is nearly four times the national average, a major competitive advantage,” said Lamie. “That advantage is augmented by the fact that the aerospace manufacturing workers in the St. Louis region are nearly 5% more productive. There’s no question this is a great location for aerospace companies to grow and for individuals to embark on life changing careers in this ecosystem.” 

 

About St. Louis Regional Freightway

A Bi-State Development enterprise, the St. Louis Regional Freightway is a regional freight district and comprehensive authority for freight operations and opportunities within eight counties in southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri, which comprise the St. Louis metropolitan area. Public sector and private industry businesses are partnering with the St. Louis Regional Freightway to establish the bi-state region as one of the premier multimodal freight hubs and distribution centers in the United States through marketing and advocacy for infrastructure development that supports the movement of freight. To learn more, visit thefreightway.com.

 

For more information, contact:

Patti Beck, Bi-State Development                            

Senior Director of Media & Public Relations                                           

314-486-9091 (C)

Wings of Hope Medical Relief and Air Transport Program Connects Families with Critical Care

By Carmelo Turdo

Wings of Hope, the global humanitarian aviation nonprofit organization based at Spirit of St. Louis Airport, continues to serve those in need around the world and here in the Midwest. For over sixty years, Wings of Hope has provided aircraft and supported aviation programs to sustain and improve the lives of people in Central and South America, Africa and Asiana through partnerships with local non-governmental organizations, churches and healthcare providers. Here in the U.S, the Medical Relief and Air Transport (MAT) Program provides a critical airlift mission for those needing regular treatments at specialty facilities in 26 states within 800 miles of St. Louis without charge to the patient.

The first MAT Program flight was made in 2003 using the single-engine, high wing Cessna 206 aircraft shown below in the Wings of Hope hangar. This aircraft type is frequently used in humanitarian operations around the world due to its high useful load and ability to operate out of smaller airstrips. The current aircraft fleet consists of two Piper Senecas and a Piper Navajo, twin-engine aircraft flying with two pilots, a flight nurse and/or doctor along with the patient and accompanying family member. Patients are usually ambulatory, but they can also be transported on a medical bed in the aircraft if necessary. Each volunteer flight crew brings a wealth of commercial flying experience and servant's spirit to every MAT flight.

Current and new patients can apply for flights by contacting the Wings of Hope Flight Operations Department. Most treatment plans require repeated flights to specialty cancer, orthopedic or cardiology centers over months or years, and the MAT Program covers the transportation and lodging for each trip. Flight schedules vary from week to week, with some days launching two flights. 

During a recent visit to Wings of Hope, we captured the departure of an MAT flight carrying a two-year-old patient to his new home in Cincinnati, OH. Here we show the pre-flight check and fueling, patient boarding in the hangar and the takeoff.

The Aero Experience thanks Wings of Hope for providing the Medical Relief and Air Transport Program.  We also thank those donors, large and small, who make this service available to patients and their families at no cost to them. Please consider donating to Wings of Hope and become part of their life-changing mission to "Change and Save Lives Through the Power of Aviation."

Elite Aviation Is St. Louis Region's Cessna Pilot Training Center and Aircraft Maintenance Provider

By Carmelo Turdo

 Elite Aviation is the St. Louis area's premier flight training center, conveniently located in the Spirit of St. Louis Airport West Terminal. They offer experienced instructors, a structured Cessna Pilot Center ground school program, a modern aircraft fleet and advanced Redbird MCX full-motion flight simulator training through Alpha Flight Simulation. Elite Aviation also provides aircraft rental and maintenance services, and they are an FAA-approved written examination testing station. 

Elite Aviation now offers a growing number of Cessna 172S Skyhawks along with a Piper Turbo Saratoga and Tecnam P2006T multi-engine trainer. Their in-house experienced service team maintains the fleet and customer aircraft from around the region. 

Elite Aviation is more than a flight school, or even an aircraft rental and maintenance center. They are a family business that treats their customers and staff like family, extending that invitation to the community through numerous educational and charitable endeavors. Elite Aviation is a major sponsor of the St. Louis Red Tail Cadet program, now having graduated the fourth class of high school student participants. A growing number of former Elite Aviation CFIs have moved up to fly with jet charter companies and the major airlines. 

During a recent visit, we caught a few of the Skyhawks departing for afternoon training flights, and later a beautiful sunset on the north apron.

Elite Aviation provides general aviation aircraft maintenance services, including annual and periodic inspections, airframe and sheet metal repairs, engine cylinder and accessory replacement and avionics diagnostics. The training and rental fleet aircraft receive frequent standard inspections, and a Cessna 172 undergoing an engine change is a common sight in the Elite Aviation hangar. Here we feature post-maintenance engine run-ups and a customer aircraft being positioned in the hangar.

Alpha Flight Simulation offers the full-motion Redbird MCX configured in the Cessna 172 (steam gauges and G1000 panels) and the Beech Baron G1000. The MCX is ideal for Instrument training/approaches and ATP-level Crew Resource Management. Contact Alpha Flight Simulation for a visit and demonstration. 

Contact Elite Aviation today for more information about flight training, aircraft rental and maintenance services. The Aero Experience thanks Elite Aviation for being our longest-running sponsor of Midwest Aviation coverage.