Vintage Aircraft: Looking Back on the Antique Airplane Association 2015 Fly-In, Part 1

By Mark Nankivil

The Aero Experience was again part of the celebration of vintage aircraft at the 2015 Antique Airplane Association Fly-In at Antique Airfield near Blakesburg, IA. The annual summer event attracts a wide variety of vintage aircraft, many of which carry an impressive pedigree. We saw a great mix of vintage aircraft that included the iconic St. Louis Robin, which set endurance record of over 420 hours in 1929 through the use of primitive aerial refueling. Also present were Ryan SCW-145, Meyers OTW, Boeing Stearman, and a selection of Stinson, Piper Cub, Fairchild, Beechcraft and Cessna classics. Here is a sampler of the beautiful machines that graced Antique Airfield.  

       

Fly-In Flashback: 2015 St. Louis Regional Fly In Attracts A Variety of Aircraft

By Leo Cachet

The 2015 edition of the St. Louis Regional Airport Fly-In provided a huge turnout of aircraft, cars and people and provided a great day of free entertainment. The ramp was full of aircraft, including general aviation aircraft from light sport to Bonanzas and some warbirds, including two Nanchang CJ-6's and the Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing's TBM Avenger. There were some antique aircraft on the ramp as well, including Mark Harter's WACO and the one that really caught my eye, a Meyers OTW-145.

This is an event I have attended several years in a row, and at this year's event I wanted to do something a little different than just document everything that was there. The sky conditions were favorable for some artsy photography, so I decided to just take my wide-angle lens and create something visually more dynamic than just typical ramp shots with the available aircraft.  Hopefully I portrayed not just how exciting aviation is, but also how beautiful these flying machines can be if you look a little deeper than just wings, fuselage, tail and engine.

Thank you to the entire staff and organizers at the St. Louis Regional Airport for this great event every year.