New Midwest Airshows Strengthen Aviation Community: The Jesse James Fly-In/Airshow and Smithville Lake Airshow

By The Aero Experience Team

The Aero Experience was on site for two new events held in western Missouri Saturday, August 1st. The Jesse James Fly-In & Airshow was held first at Midwest National Air Center in Excelsior Springs, MO, and then the same performers flew a show later in the day over nearby Smithville Lake.  We were privileged to cover both performances and had our first chance at photographing performing aircraft from boats in the lake during the show. We would like to thank Lee Crouch for putting this great event together, which for such short notice was well attended. Thank you also to the volunteers and the law enforcement community who supported our coverage of the day's events.

Heartland Airshows provided their professional brand of production and commentary for the day's events keeping everyone "in the loop" (pun intended) on the aerial action.  The weather cooperated and the performers were on point with their flying, which made for a great Saturday of aerial excitement. 

The Aero Experience coverage features the performances from both the ramp side and the action-packed airshow line from Midwest National Air Center.  We then proceeded to Smithville Lake, where we captured the lakeside airshow.

Jesse James Fly-In & Airshow, Midwest National Air Center 

Performers included Team Vortex, featuring Brian Correll and Bob Richards flying their solo routines along with their combined routine that includes opposing maneuvers and high- power aerobatics.  It was really a treat to see them again a month removed from their performance in Cameron back in late June.

  

Lee Crouch also took to the sky in his beautiful new red Super Stearman, which really puts out some smoke. He provided us with several nice low passes.  

























  

Sam Graves was also back in his beautiful P-40 Warhawk. He showed us what a well maintained WWII fighter could do in skilled hands, including a small glimpse of what it might have looked like at Midway as he brought it down low over Smithville Lake (see next section).

 

The KC Flight Formation Team performed with 4 RV's, showing us several different formations and the smooth transitions the small RV's can make.

Greg Colyer flew his T-33 "Ace Maker" in a dynamic demonstration showing the speed and grace that the T-33 possesses, making high arching passes and high speed, low passes that awed those in attendance.

 

The boating community was also able to view the airshow two hours later when the performers launched again from Midwest National Air Center and flew over Smithville Lake.  The Aero Experience was there to provide this coverage:

 

 

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015: Liberty University Offers Aviation Degree, Flight Training Affiliate Program and New Product Partnership

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience is delighted to begin our year-long coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, made possible by our sponsors, Air Associates of Missouri and Air Associates of Kansas.   We are proud to continue our association with these great Cessna Pilot Centers, whose serves also include maintenance, aircraft rental, and support services.  Our third year of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh coverage will prove to be our most comprehensive to date, with more in-depth reporting on a greater variety of topics coming throughout the year until July 2016.  It is appropriate to add a second part to our most recent story by featuring a follow-up visit with the Liberty University School of Aeronautics Top Hawk Team at their exhibit on the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 grounds. 

CFI Jonny Hewitt (L), A&P/IA Phil McLanahan

The Aero Experience visited again with CFI Jonny Hewitt and A&P/IA Phil McLanahan from the Liberty University School of Aeronautics at their exhibit, located in the Aviation Gateway Park.  Liberty University is a partner school for the Cessna Top Hawk Flight Training Affiliate program.  The Flight Training Affiliate Program gives students who do not attend the school's Lynchburg, VA campus an opportunity to earn their Bachelor of Science Degree from Liberty University Online while taking flight training at Cessna Pilot Centers like Air Associates of Missouri.  This arrangement is also available to students receiving federal financial aide and service veterans receiving GI Bill benefits.   As mentioned in the previous story, Liberty University's degree program/flight training affiliate combination has already "taken off" in the Midwest and other parts of the country within these first few months since its initial offering.

During our visit with Hewitt and McLanahan at the Liberty University School of Aeronautics exhibit at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, The Aero Experience was pleased to hear about a product offering that will increase the effectiveness of the Top Hawk tour going forward.  "We have the honor of getting a Stratus system donated to us for the Top Hawk tour," CFI Jonny Hewitt explained.  "It was a big help to us navigating weather.  It helped us avoid a few sticky situations [that could have developed] if we didn't know that weather was out there."  A&P/IA McLanahan added, "It gives us our weather, it can interlink and give us traffic, it gives you all the GPS information and an artificial horizon in case our instruments go out."  This information is displayed on an iPad.  The product is a collaboration of Appareo, ForeFlight Mobile and Sporty's Pilot Shop.  Hewitt and McLanahan credited the Stratus device with assisting them in avoiding a significant storm system on their flight from St. Louis following the event at Air Associates of Missouri in July.  Their Facebook post from July 17 illustrates the effectiveness of the device.

(L-R) CFI Jonny Hewitt, A&P/IA Phil McLanahan and Appareo Aviation

Business Unit Manager Tony Grindberg holding the Stratus

receiver with the Liberty University Cessna Top Hawk 172