Textron Launches Citation Ascend as Latest Edition of the 560XL Series

By Carmelo Turdo

Textron Aviation recently introduced the newest member of their Citation 560XL series, the Citation Ascend, into service. The Ascend received FAA certification on November 5 after the completion of a three-year, over 1,000 flight hour certification program. The first customer delivery was accomplished on December 30. This jet is more than a tweak or a rebrand. It offers an enhanced flight experience for passengers and crew alike, with customer-driven amenities found on the longer-range Latitude and Longitude. Luxury and efficiency can indeed be engineered into a midsize business jet. (Textron Graphic)

The Citation Ascend takes the 560XL family to new heights with updates within the XL airframe. The latest Pratt & Whitney PW545D engines power the aircraft via a dual-channel FADEC system and autothrottle. Three fourteen-inch, high-resolution Garmin G5000 displays give the two-person crew the flight data they need the way they want it presented. For crew convenience and passenger pre-board comfort, the APU can be operated unattended to provide electric power and air conditioning. The cabin layout provides for a flat floor, sideways adjusting seats, charging stations, wireless adjustable lighting and electronic window shades, a concert hall quality music system and wi-fi service from GoGo. The ideal capacity is four passengers, but the jet can accommodate up to 12 passengers. A large aft cargo hold can accommodate golf clubs and suit bags loaded vertically. 

The Aero Experience coverage of the Citation XL series begins with a look at an aircraft managed by Gateway Jets at St. Louis Downtown Airport. We recently visited with Corey Tomczak, owner and President of Gateway Jets, to get a preview of the new hangar and learn about the Citation XL in his management portfolio. In the photos and video below, Tomczak elaborates on opening the new hangar and shows us the Citation XL, the largest jet currently managed by Gateway Jets. Courtesy services such as food stocks and professional detailing, as shown in the video, are included. Aircraft inspections and preventive maintenance are provided by industry leaders such as West Star Aviation. Other services offered by Gateway Jets include aircraft brokerage, flight crews and aircraft hangar rental.

In September, Textron brought their mockup exhibit to Aero Charter at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Aero Experience toured the display and interviewed John Reimer, Senior Technical Marketing Advisor and Citation series pilot, for this feature story and the video included below. He gave an excellent overview of the Ascend and demonstrated the enhancements to the passenger cabin.

"The Citation Ascend fits right between the CJ4 and the Citation Latitude," Reimer told The Aero Experience. "So, as we leave the Citation Four and grow into the Ascend, we gain a lot of the large jet amenities and features to include auxiliary power unit, a true airstair door, thrust reversers, large baggage compartment, single-point fueling - all those things you'd expect in a large jet."

Learn more about the Citation Ascend from our new video:

The Aero Experience thanks Textron Aviation for exhibiting their Citation Ascend mockup in St. Louis and the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association for sponsoring the event. 

St. Louis Area Airport Directors Give Updates at Breakfast Event

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis Airport Directors State of the Union Breakfast, sponsored by the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association, was held October 3 at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. A panel of six airport directors addressed each market niche they serve and provided updates on airport operations, capital improvements, workforce development and economic impact of their facilities. Along with the great contributions of each airport, the airport directors recognized the spirit of collaboration necessary to grow the aviation services sector in the region. 

Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, MO

Spirit of St. Louis Airport was developed as an alternative to (then named) Lambert-St. Louis International Airport for the business aviation sector. The project was spearheaded by aviator and aerospace engineer Paul Haglin, and the airport was officially opened in 1965. Since then, the airport has become a home for corporate flight departments, starting with Ralston-Purina. Today, the airport accommodates a large number of corporate and general aviation aircraft, multiple FBOs, Wings of Hope global humanitarian aviation non-profit service organization, Elite Aviation flight school and aircraft maintenance department, the Red Tail Cadet Program and one of the nation's biggest airshows. 

Airport Director John Bales has been the Spirit of St. Louis Airport Director since 2007. He grew up in aviation as the son of an Ozark Airlines pilot, and he soloed at Spirit of St. Louis Airport on his sixteenth birthday. He has worked at all levels of airport operations management, and he currently serves on multiple boards and committees around the community. Spirit of St. Louis Airport is a National General Aviation Airport providing access to U.S. and international markets. It is a self-supporting enterprise of St. Louis County government, employs about 3,000 people and has an economic impact of over $400M. Bales outlined some priorities in the airport's new master plan, including:

Runway 8R/26L (7485' x 150') reconstruction and addition of an Alpha 7 taxiway;

Widen taxiway Echo, widen and add surface roads; 

Complete Spirit Sky Club state of the art hangar construction; 

Develop the north apron West Terminal for general aviation customers;

Support aviation community groups who use the airport for meetings and activities.  

St. Louis-Lambert International Airport

St. Louis-Lambert international Airport is the Commercial Air Carrier Hub for the St. Louis region, tracing its roots to the lease of land by Albert Bond Lambert in 1920. The founding of the Missouri National Guard's 110th Observation Squadron came in 1923, and St. Louis businessmen joined Lambert in financing Charles Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight in 1927. The municipal airport grew and became home to such legendary aircraft manufacturers as Curtiss-Wright and later McDonnell Aircraft, McDonnell Douglas and now Boeing. TWA and Ozark Airlines were the main air carriers serving St. Louis throughout the jet age. Expansion continued to include Terminal 2 and the W-1W parallel runway project. Today, St. Louis-Lambert International Airport has become a hub for Southwest Airlines and a growing number of international flights.

St. Louis-Lambert International Airport was represented by Jennifer Kuchinski, Senior Project Manager at WSP USA on behalf of Airport Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge. The airport's master plan focuses on the $3B Consolidated Terminal Program designed to modernize and expand airline service to St. Louis while improving the passenger experience. The airport will retain the signature domes while a significant remodel takes place in and around the original structure. The first phase of this massive undertaking is the initial $350M investment to design and build a new utility plant and airfield maintenance facility while removing the buildings previously used by the Missouri Air National Guard. 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Mascoutah, IL 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is a joint-use airport located adjacent to Scott AFB. The airport was conceived in the early 1990s and opened in 1998. After more than a decade of intermittent passenger and cargo service, the airport has seen a stable growth in commercial airline service and aerospace manufacturing. Darren James, the Director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, attended the breakfast event and gave the presentation on the current status and future plans for the airport.

The airport supports military air operations by providing Runway 14L/32R (10,000' x 150'), aircraft de-icing and other services complimentary to both facilities. He reported that the combined facility generates an economic impact of $3.1B, supporting over 23,000 jobs. Their largest tenant, Boeing-St. Clair, manufactures components of the Chinook combat helicopter, F/A-18 and F-15 fighters, and the new MQ-25 Stingray autonomous air refueling and special missions carrier-based aircraft. First flight of the production MQ-25 is planned for December. 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport also serves as a Primary, Non-Hub Commercial Services Airport. Allegiant Airlines, an ultra-low-cost airline, operates scheduled non-stop flights to fifteen destinations from St. Louis, adjusting their schedule to meet seasonal demands. In May, Allegiant launched their first flight to Gulf Shores with a full Airbus A320-214 departing from Gate 3. A year-over-year 25% increase in total passengers served is projected.  

The airport recently completed a 42,000 Square foot expansion of the terminal while renovating the original terminal space and adding two boarding bridges. A general aviation facility, embedded in a federal inspection station, is currently under construction. A phased opening is planned in January 2026 through early 2027. A 15,000 square yard terminal apron expansion project is still awaiting matching grant funding.   

St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia Heights, IL

St. Louis Downtown Airport traces its history to 1929 when it opened as Curtiss-Steinberg Airport and began the long association with Oliver Parks and Parks College. Today, it is an enterprise of Bi-State Development and host to St. Louis University's Parks College Center for Aviation Science, a large Gulfstream Aerospace finishing facility, West Star Aviation, Gateway Jets aircraft management company, STL Flight Training and other aviation service providers. Charter jets as large as a Boeing 757 use the airport when transporting MLB teams, concert entertainers and racing team owners to downtown St. Louis and Metro-East Illinois venues. Air ambulance services, both helicopter and fix-wing, make frequent fuel stops at the airport along with transient military helicopters on cross-country flights.

Sandra Shore became the St. Louis Downtown Airport Director in February of 2022 after serving as Airport Director at Quincy, IL Regional Airport. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management from SIU-Carbondale and holds several AAAE credentials including Airport Accredited Executive. Shore sees her role as serving the region as well as the airport, focusing on workforce development and increasing the economic impact of the aviation industry in the community. A master plan update and forecast is also being drafted to identify future expansion plans.  

Tenant growth, especially with the expansion of the Gulfstream facility, is fueling the demand for a skilled workforce in the St. Louis-Metro Illinois area. Preparatory work on the $24M project to reconstruct the parallel Taxiway Bravo, moving the centerline 25 feet to the north, has begun and a $3.6M airport terminal reconstruction project is planned for the coming year. The airport will keep the aviation community informed on each new project as they progress. 

St. Louis Regional Airport, East Alton, IL 

St. Louis Regional Airport opened in 1946 as Civic Memorial Airport after serving as a World War II training airfield. The airport grew and added a terminal and control tower in the 1960s, and the name changed in 1984 to better reflect the location near the St. Louis area. Today, St. Louis Regional Airport serves general aviation and corporate customers and was designated as the 2024 Reliever Airport of the Year by the Illinois Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics at the Illinois Public Airport Association fall conference held last October.

               

Airport Director Daniel Adams is a St. Louis University Aviation Management and Flight Science graduate. He has been the Airport Director since April of 2022 after serving as Airport Operations Coordinator and Operations Supervisor at the Columbus, Ohio Regional Airport. The airport is operated by the St. Louis Regional Airport Authority with support from the Bethalto Chamber of Commerce, the River Bend Growth Association and the Leadership Council of Southwestern Illinois.  

Airport operations have increased over the last several years to over 40,000 annually, mostly due to jet flights in and out of West Star Aviation and Piston Aviation flight training operations. Since last year, three public parking lots (10,000 square yards) were repaved as part of a $1M Rebuild Illinois project. A Taxiway Bravo reconstruction project is now in the design stage, replacing 1,200 feet of asphalt with concrete and costing about $2M including federal and state funding. A new 10,000 gallon above ground fuel tank is also planned, and the lease for the grounds has been signed for the airport's new Sustainable ATC Tower. St. Louis Regional Airport hosts a contract air traffic control service with specified hours, and the controllers are looking forward to working in a state-of-the-art tower. 

The airport is home to West Star Aviation, a heavy maintenance and overhaul business servicing the most popular corporate jet aircraft at locations throughout the Midwest and South. Last year, West Star Aviation expanded their already impressive facility by adding the 75,000 square foot Hangar 67 on the south apron. About 700 West Star employees currently work at the airport. Piston Aviation held their public grand opening at St. Louis Regional Airport in March 2024, bringing flight training back to the airport after a lengthy absence. In less than six weeks, Piston Aviation turned the former 6,000 square foot airport restaurant facility into a luxurious training center and lounge. A site manager and dedicated CFIs serve the growing student population, and visitors are welcome to drop in and explore their flight training options. 

St. Louis Regional Airport hosts numerous events throughout the year. The most visible community outreach event is the annual September Wings-N-Wheels Fly-In and Car Show weekend.  EAA Chapter 864 provides Young Eagles Flights for youth aged 8-17 in a general aviation aircraft. In June of 2026, the airport will host the launch of the Air Race Classic all-female cross-country event. 

St. Charles County Regional Airport (Smartt Field), Portage Des Sioux, MO

St. Charles County Regional Airport began life during World War II as a U.S. Navy auxiliary airfield with eight runways arranged in an octagonal shape called Neubeiser Field, named after the original owner of the grounds. It later became known as Smartt Field in honor of Ensign Joseph G. Smartt, killed in action on December 7, 1941 while serving with Patrol Squadron 11 at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Ensign Smartt took flight training at Naval Reserve Air Station, St. Charles Auxiliary Field, and a marker sponsored by the Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is located near the wing's hangars. 

Today, the St. Charles County Parks Department operates the General Aviation Regional Airport covering 312 acres with 92 T-hangars and several more under construction. Runway 18/36 (3800' x 75') and Runway 9/27 (2000' x 75') provide options in cross-wind conditions. Over 63,000 aircraft operations were recorded in 2024. Airport Director Dennis Wiss and his facilities manager are the principal employees on site with support from the Parks Department on capital projects. St. Charles Regional Airport is home to St. Charles Flying Service, a flight school and maintenance business operating since 1968 at the former St. Charles Municipal Airport. Piston Aviation, the very active EAA Chapter 32 and the Missouri Wing of the CAF are also based at the airport.    

St. Charles County Regional Airport self-funds their master plan development and is looking to provide improved air access to the surrounding county. The airport has received a $3M matching grant to address local flooding concerns and a four-inch runway overlay is planned for next year. 

The airport hosts several hi-visibility events each year, including the CAF Pumpkin Drop and Hangar Dance, Airfield Mobility Liaison Officer Airfield Training Exercise with Scott AFB, First Robotics competition and Pedal for the Cause fundraiser.  

The Aero Experience thanks the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association for hosting the event and the airport directors for giving their briefings.

Students Receive Training and Mentorship from St. Louis Area Aviation Service Providers

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis aviation community continues to support the next generation of college students and young adults currently working toward careers in the aviation and aerospace fields. Last week alone, there were four such examples of student involvement, mentoring, and educator orientation, including the SOAR Into STEM Career Fair held at Wings of Hope and the Soaring Into Aviation K-12 educator professional development day held at St. Louis Regional Airport. Here we recognize two additional examples of how student interaction with industry professionals enhances the learning experience and raises the quality standards of the workforce.

On Thursday, members of the St. Louis University Flying Billikens met with Gateway Flight Training's CFII Ann McLoughlin and Operations Manager Brian Borton for a detailed review of the Beechcraft Sundowner, similar to the one they will encounter for the preflight inspection competition at the NIFA SAFECON nationals this week. During the review session, McLaughlin and Borton pointed out the aircraft's unique design features and components so the students will be able to recognize anything out of place. We will post the results of the competition when they are available.

On Friday, the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association (GSLBAA) held a Student Mentorship and Town Hall Meeting in the Aero Charter hangar at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. GSLBAA Board members Guy Matthews and Keith Mueller welcomed those interested in becoming Student members, a status that requires being a high school student at last sixteen years old or pursuing a bachelor's degree in an aviation field. The session covered the academic and professional opportunities currently available in the aviation and aerospace industry and GSLBAA events and programs that help student members achieve their career goals. As an added bonus, an Aero Charter pilot was available to show off a Citation CJ2 jet and answer questions about the business aviation field.

The Aero Experience thanks everyone involved in the recent events and outreach programs made possible by the generous support and sponsorship of the St. Louis area aviation community. We look forward to providing more coverage of more student/mentor opportunities coming this summer.

Twelfth Annual Aviation Trivia Night Team Cup Challenge Benefits St. Louis Service Organizations

By Carmelo Turdo

The Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association (GSLBAA) held their Twelfth Annual Aviation Trivia Night at Wings of Hope on Saturday, November 2. The event has become a fall staple, attracting teams from the local corporate and air charter operators, flight schools, Civil Air Patrol units and collections of individuals who join together to enjoy a fun evening for a great cause. All proceeds raised from the event sponsors, participant donations and the online silent auction benefit the GSLBAA Education Foundation and Wings of Hope, the global humanitarian nonprofit organization whose mission is "Changing and Saving Lives Through the Power of Aviation." 

The GSLBAA Trivia Event Committee worked hard to provide new material for the ten rounds, with each round containing ten questions relating to a particular theme. Fifteen teams participated this year, and the top five teams achieved 80 or more points out of 100. Round winners were also recognized, and a people's choice centerpiece award was given along with a 50/50 raffle prize. Great food and attendance prizes added to the party atmosphere.

The top scoring teams were:

Winner: Socata Club/Elite Aviation (89)

Second Place: Civil Air Patrol (85)

Third Place (Tied): AVMATS 1 (81) and St. Louis University Aviation (81)

Fourth Place: St. Louis Flying Club (80)

2024 Winner: Socata Club/Elite Aviation

    

2023 Winner: Centene Corporation

2024 Centerpiece Winner: AVMATS

2024 Emcee Jim Georgen

The Aero Experience coverage includes this pictorial review of the GSLBAA Trivia Night event at the Wings of Hope hangar:

The Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association thanks everyone who participated in this great fundraising event. Special thanks go out to the sponsors, Elite Aviation, Aerotek, Emerson Electric, Honeywell, Centene, Aero Charter, West Star Aviation, Signature Aviation, JetBrokers, Phillips 66, Plane Clean, Spirit of St. Louis Airport and The Aero Experience. GSLBAA welcomes feedback on how to improve the Trivia Night experience, and we look forward to another edition next year!