St. Louis Area Native Set to Dazzle the Crowds at the Airshow of Warsaw Next Weekend

St. Louis area native and Extreme Flight

By Carmelo Turdo

Pitts Special pilot, Patrick McAlee, will be performing his latest high-energy aerobatic show and participate in a Pitts Pass in Review at the Airshow of Warsaw next weekend. The devilishly handsome Pitts S-1 "Blue Demon" will tear up the skies over Warsaw, IN and McAlee will show the crowds why he is on his way to becoming a household name as he builds an impressive record of airshow performances around the Midwest.  Once back on the ground, however, he will reveal his congenial nature and demonstrate his willingness to visit with the airshow audience.  Be sure to be there for this great Midwest Aviation event and look for the "Blue Demon" overhead!

 

Fly Now! The Movie Crew at Sun'n Fun: Fly Jive Fly with "Jive" and "Lunar"

By Carmelo Turdo

The Fly Now! The Movie crew continued their odyssey at the Sun'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, FL today with a visit to the performer's hangar.  Our special guest interview today was with the team from Fly Jive Fly, Jerry "Jive" Kerby (USAF LtCol. Ret.) and L.M. "Lunar" Sawyer, accompanied by Wild Blue, the RV-8A that has become an airshow phenomenon across the country in recent years.  The crew was warmly received by "Jive" and "Lunar" and we gathered around "Wild Blue" to record the interview and get some great candid photos of the visit.  The Aero Experience was proud to assist in arranging the interview and recommending the Fly Jive Fly team for inclusion in Fly Now! The Movie.  

(Bill Aanstad photo)

Jerry "Jive" Kerby, a retired USAF fighter pilot from Lancaster, MO, has been flying since he was a teenager.  He joined the USAF after accumulating thousands of hours and numerous ratings, giving him the advantage to move through military flight training and into the F-15 Eagle fighter.  His last command included bringing the F-4 Phantom II fighter into the USAF Heritage Flight program, letting another generation of Americans experience the mighty Phantom before the recent retirement of the type from Heritage Flights.  He currently still flies high-performance aircraft as VP for Operations at Draken International and of course flies the RV-8A "Wild Blue" at airshows across the country.

L.M. "Lunar" Sawyer, from Swannanoa, NC, is an Public Relations and advertising professional managing the Fly Jive Fly activities (and also married to "Jive"!).  She has over 17 years of experience in the airshow industry and is one of the few women airshow narrators.  "Lunar" has worked to make Fly Jive Fly a must-see entertainment feature of any airshow event.  She accompanies "Jive" to airshows flying in "Wild Blue," and makes appearances like the one in the upcoming Fly Now! The Movie possible.     

(Bill Aanstad photo)

(Bill Aanstad photo)

We have a portion of the interview available here, where "Jive" tells us about the RV-8A "Wild Blue" and gives his advice to our next generation.  This video clip is made available courtesy of Fly Now! The Movie Director Jeff Wilson.

 

The Fly Now! The Movie crew and The Aero Experience wish to thank "Jive" and "Lunar" for participating in the interview and for showing their good nature and candor during our visit.  Look for their appearance at airshows around the country and in Fly Now! The Movie coming later this year.

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014: Kevin Coleman Extra 300SHP

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 featured many different airshow performers, and we continue our coverage with a relative newcomer Kevin Coleman. At 24 years old, Kevin Coleman is one of the youngest airshow pilots.  He soloed on his 16th birthday, and crewed for his brother, Wyche Coleman, and the 2003 Stars of Tomorrow team.  He now flies the Extra 300SHP at airshows across the country.  He has a new look for his plane in 2015, so keep an eye out for the latest at Kevin Coleman Aerosports. 

Aviation Community and Airshow Fans Mourn the Passing of Ace Airshow Pilot Jim Maroney

By The Aero Experience Team

The aviation community and airshow fans across the nation mourn the loss of long-time airshow pilot Jim "Fang" Maroney, whose plane reportedly crashed Sunday afternoon in the Cherokee National Forest in Monroe County, Tennessee.  Maroney was flying his DeHavilland DHC-1 Super Chipmunk aerobatic aircraft to Franklin County Airport in Canon, Georgia on the way to the New Smyrna Beach Balloon & Sky Fest to be held this weekend.  Even though the emergency locator transmitter was operating and was detected, it took until Monday morning for Tennessee Highway Patrol to locate the aircraft.  Unfortunately, Maroney did not survive the crash.

Jim Maroney had a long and distinguished aviation career.  Son of a World War II P-51 Mustang pilot, he soloed as a teenager and became a U.S. Marine fighter pilot in 1981.  Maroney was first in his Naval Flight Training class and also first at Naval Fighter Weapons School, or "Top Gun."  He flew F/A-18 Hornets and later transferred to the USAF North Dakota Air National Guard in 1985 to fly F-4 Phantom II and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters.  Maroney flew combat air patrol over Washington, D.C. from September 11, 2001 to November 2001.  He was an accomplished airline jumbo jet pilot and flew in airshows for nearly forty years.   

The Aero Experience joins the Midwest and national aviation community in expressing our condolences.  We present this pictorial salute to Jim Maroney from several Midwest airshows:

2006 Poplar Bluff, MO Airshow - Leo Cachat

       

2010 Fair St. Louis - Carmelo Turdo

  







2010 Mexico, MO Airshow - Carmelo Turdo