Monday, March 25, 2024

StandardAero Gives Supply Chain Update at GSLBAA Quarterly Luncheon

By Carmelo Turdo
The Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association held their quarterly luncheon March 15 at the Centene Corporation hangar, St. Louis-Lambert International Airport. The event was a great opportunity to visit with association members and learn about new products and services from industry exhibitors and an expert guest speaker. The food was also a great reason to attend! 


  












A valuable part of the quarterly luncheon is the business aviation showcase featuring exhibits from local area aviation companies. Here we have a brief look at the lineup at this first luncheon of the year. 






The expert guest speaker for the luncheon was David Pearman, VP/General Manager at StandardAero in Springfield, IL. StandardAero provides comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for business, commercial and military aviation customers worldwide, with over 200 employees working at the 265k square-foot Springfield facility. The effects of the recent labor and component shortages are still plaguing the industry, and the solutions are slowly making their way through the supply chain. Pearman noted that  StandardAero has used multiple sourcing strategies and economies of scale to alleviate some of the wait time for parts and service, though the increase in demand for business aviation will continue to affect the system for years to come. For specific inquiries, contact StandardAero for more information. 




An added bonus for the quarterly luncheon was the beautiful Gulfstream on display in the Centene hangar. During breaks at the meeting, anyone in attendance could get their photo taken with the jet, a service sponsored by The Aero Experience. Photos will be delivered this week on an individual basis. Here we take a tour and feature our friend, Kimberly, striking a pose! 
























The Aero Experience thanks the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association, StandardAero, the industry exhibitors and everyone who attended the quarterly luncheon. We look forward to the next one, scheduled for June 21. In the meantime, we encourage you to get registered for the upcoming 48th Annual Business Aviation Association Memorial Open, with all proceeds benefitting the Association's Educational Foundation and Wings of Hope.  




















Sunday, March 24, 2024

Spring STEM Career Fairs Held in the Greater St. Louis Area in March

By Carmelo Turdo
Spring STEM career fair season is in full swing for high school students across the greater St. Louis area, and here we highlight three events held over two days in mid-March. The Aero Experience partnered with the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation to participate in two of the three events, generating strong interest for the Intro to Flight program. We thank the STEM career fair sponsors and participants for providing these opportunities for the Foundation to share the vocational opportunities available in the aviation industry.

On March 13, the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation attended their third consecutive annual O'Fallon Township, IL High School Skilled Trades and Career Fair. The Foundation was joined by a wide variety of vocational training schools, labor organizations, first responders, military recruiters and aerospace product manufacturers eager to meet with the next generation workforce. Held in the school's Panther Dome, the event was available to students who rotated through at regular intervals between 10:00 A.M and 1:00 P.M. to visit with exhibitors. 





 













































Also on March 13, an AIAA St. Louis Section event, STEM & the Navy in St. Louis, was held at the Boeing James S. McDonnell Prologue Room. Hosted by Dr. Kelly Remijan, the program included an outstanding panel of speakers from Boeing, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the U.S. Transportation Command at Scott AFB and special guests from the U.S. Naval Academy. Six Midshipmen were part of the Academy contingent, and it was a nice surprise to see them again the next day at the third STEM career fair featured in this post. 


































Our third event, on March 14, was STEM314 Day at the Legacy Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing enrichment programs for students and continuing professional development for educators in the St. Louis area. Students from four area middle schools attended the event, which included exhibitors from youth organizations and local businesses providing STEM activities pertaining to their career fields. As mentioned above, the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen were there to guide the students through some fun science demos, and the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation attended their second event of the week. A special feature of this event was the hands-on drone flying sessions hosted by Yolandea Wood representing the Hugh J. White Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen, Intl


















































The remaining spring months will provide more opportunities to participate in STEM events, including the upcoming SOAR Into STEM sessions and Career Fair running March 30 through April 27 at Wings of Hope. Full coverage coming soon on The Aero Experience.