The Aero Experience

Friday, June 14, 2013

Solar Impulse Departs St. Louis for Cincinnati

Solar Impulse took off from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport shortly after 4am today for its flight to Cincinnati, Ohio as it continues its Across America tour. Pilot Andre Borschberg is scheduled to land this evening, and Solar Impulse should be ready to continue on to Washington, D.C. tomorrow morning.

Special thanks to Lambert St. Louis International Airport management for making our coverage of the Solar Impulse visit to St. Louis possible. Photos by Mark Nankivil.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Redbird MCX Flight Simulator Lands at Air Associates of Missouri

By Carmelo Turdo

Pilot training in the St. Louis area will soon take a giant step forward with the addition of an advanced Redbird MCX flight simulator at Air Associates of Missouri, a Cessna Pilot Center located at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, MO. The Redbird MCX is a full-motion, fully dual-control simulator offering an exceptional level of realism to the pilot training environment. One of only thirteen in operation, the Redbird MCX at Air Associates of Missouri retains dual crew training capabilities as well as optional features that can be tailored to specific training objectives. The Redbird MCX will be employed as part of the comprehensive training program, and it will be available for inspection at the Redbird Seminar and Discover Flying Challenge on June 22.

The Aero Experience was privileged to receive a preview of the Redbird MCX in action during several recent training sessions conducted at Air Associates of Missouri. A simulated flight around the St. Louis area in a twin-engine Baron with Office Manager and rated pilot Michael Matthews made a great impression. The experience of flight was enhanced by the wrap-around visual references, stunning instrument displays and the full-motion performance of the Redbird MCX. The feeling of being pushed back in the seat during turns and climbing maneuvers lent a layer of realism that is usually reserved for actual flight. Another demonstration of the capabilities of the Redbird MCX was conducted by Assistant Chief Pilot Scott Thompson and Student Pilot Joel Weiss.

Student Pilot Joel Weiss, who has logged training flights in the Air Associates aircraft and now in the Redbird MCX, was impressed with the realism of the experience and the value of learning more complex skills in the simulator before the next training flight. The flight lesson in the above videos focused on stall recovery and touch-and-go landing practice. "There is really no difference between being up in the air or in the simulator - you feel the same way...It's realistic because you're moving," Weiss told The Aero Experience. Even with this level of realism, there is a way for the instructor to take advantage of those teachable moments - the Pause Button. When a student is having difficulty in a training scenario, the instructor can stop the event at any time to discuss the proper pilot response before continuing the lesson. After further practice in the simulator, the student pilot develops a sense of confidence based on training received under realistic conditions in the Redbird MCX.

You can learn more about the Redbird MCX at the Air Associates Redbird Seminar and Discover Flying Challenge on June 22. Space is limited, so please register by calling Air Associates of Missouri at (636) 536-1341.

Monday, June 10, 2013

Aviation History Comes Alive As EAA Ford Trimotor Returns to St. Louis Area

By Carmelo Turdo

Midwest Aviation in St. Louis has experienced examples of more than 80 years of aeronautical progress in the last few days with the arrival of two very significant aircraft - The Solar Impulse, using state-of-the-art solar-powered motors, and the EAA's 1929 Ford Trimotor, the stalwart airliner that still had to share the transportation duties of the day with passenger trains. The great thing about today's arrival of the Ford Trimotor is that in the next few days you also can experience a flight at St. Louis Regional Airport in nearby Bethalto, IL. The Aero Experience was privileged to fly in the old bird today on the first tour flight following her arrival, one day before the 87th anniversary of the first flight of a Ford Trimotor in 1926. We encourage everyone else in the St. Louis area to do the same Tuesday or Wednesday before the Trimotor departs for Quincy, IL.

This particular Ford Trimotor, 4-AT-E serial number 146 of 199 built from 1926-1933, was first delivered to Eastern Air Transport in 1929. In 1930, it was leased to Cubana Airlines and was later used by the government of the Dominican Republic. After returning to the U.S., it was used for barnstorming, crop dusting, aerial firefighting and transporting smoke jumpers. After returning to the airshow scene in the 1960s and 1970s, it was nearly destroyed in a storm at the EAA's 1973 Fly-In. Never defeated, the aircraft was again destined to serve as an aviation time machine after a 12-year restoration by the EAA Aviation Foundation, and it proudly represents EAA AirVenture Museum around the nation.

Our Aero Experience was a 20-minute flight around the Mississippi River northeast of St. Louis, piloted by Mr. Ashley Messenger. With all eleven seats filled for the flight, the Trimotor lifted off the runway after a short roll and slowly climbed up to about 1500 feet for most of the flight. There was little perception of speed as the aircraft lumbered along over the communities near the great river. The low rumble of the three engines was a reassuring sensation - more felt than heard - as the old bird cruised along and then started her gentle turn back towards the runway and the end of our flight back in time. As the Trimotor came to a stop on the ramp, it seemed that everyone on board, from the senior citizens reliving their childhood memories to the children taking their first flight, was moved by this Aero Experience.

Here are some scenes from today's EAA Ford Trimotor flight, hosted by EAA Chapter 864 at St. Louis Regional Airport:

The Ford Trimotor Arrives

The Flight Briefing and Aircraft Boarding

The Flight

Now it's your turn to experience a flight on the 1929 Ford Trimotor - go to St. Louis Regional Airport Tuesday or Wednesday this week!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Visit: Cold War Draws to an End

By Fred Harl

The Aero Experience visit to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force series draws to a close as the Cold War draws to an end in the late 1980s and the Gulf War is quickly engaged and concluded. Aircraft in service for decades, such as the McDonnell Douglas F-4G Phantom II and the General Dynamics F-111F were nearing the end of their service lives while others like the Lockheed F-117A, Rockwell B-1B and Northrop B-2A were yet untried in combat. The rest, as they say, is history. We still have many of the Cold War weapons systems (though internally updated) soldiering on to the present, as new systems price themselves out of mass production. Here is a final look back on the end of the Cold War Era.