The Aero Experience is a celebration of Midwest Aviation and aerospace achievement. We invite you to join us as we tell the story of Midwest Aviation through first-hand, immersive media presentations. Check in with The Aero Experience frequently to see where we land, and then go out and have your own aero experiences!
The Aero Experience was back in the air recently during the second day of the annual Wings Over St. Louis event held May 28-29 at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force offered living history ride opportunities in their Grumman TBM Avenger and North American B-25J Mitchell Show Me, and we were aboard Show Me for the last flight on Sunday afternoon. Five riders, including our friend Matt O'Day, took the approximately 30-minute flight that would create memories to last a lifetime.
This 1944 B-25J Mitchell medium bomber, serial number 44-31385, was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces in January of 1945 and remained stateside as a TB-25J training aircraft until it was retired in 1958. It was sold to the first of several civilian operators the following year. The Missouri Wing of the Commemorative Air Force took ownership of the aircraft in 1982 named her Show Me in honor of the Missouri State motto. The Missouri Wing crew can be seen at airshows and special events throughout the Midwest each season, usually along with the wing's TBM Avenger or Aeronca L-3 Lil' Show Me.
As with most flight events, the wing brought a ground crew to handle registration, merchandise sales and flightline security. This time, one of the crew trucks was also parked on the apron.
Between rides, Show Me was on display for ground tours and the flight crew was available to answer any questions about the classic bomber. The B-25J, the most-produced variant of the Mitchell, incorporated many of the improvements needed since the early B models used in the Doolittle Raid in 1942. The J model, produced at the Kansas City Fairfax plant from December 1943 to October of 1945, was equipped with twelve 12.7mm machine guns and carried 3,000-4,000 pounds of bombs. Various modifications were made to the nearly 4,400 B-25Js, including additional nose machine guns, radar, updated bomb sights, more armor protection and cabin heat among other improvements. Show Me faithfully represents the conventional B-25J model in the livery of the 345th Bombardment Group, the Air Apaches, when deployed to the Pacific Theater of Operations.
Our flight was the last one of the weekend, boarding at 3:30 P.M. and departing Spirit of St. Louis Airport about ten minutes later. Fittingly for the upcoming Memorial Day, the flight made a pass over Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery to salute the veterans who lost their lives dating back to the Civil War. The flight continued with a pass along the west side of the City of St. Louis and the Gateway Arch before returning back to the airport.
Flying in a plane designed eighty years ago to fight a war spanning across both of America's oceans and literally around the world is a privilege not lost on any of the riders and crew. The B-25 is the archetypical warbird - it has two radial engines, big three-bladed propellers, machine guns bristling everywhere, glass nose for the bombardier/nose gunner and a bare-bones interior that reveals the cables, pullies wires and other mechanisms attached to the uninsulated structure. Everything shakes as the engines roar to life, and the body soon gets in tune with the combination of vibration, noise and general excitement that pervades the experience. It's noisy. It gets hot inside when on the ground. Movement to the nose and tail requires a bit of crawling only to arrive in a very confined space. It's noisy. It's bumpy. It belongs to another age. It's a privilege to be aboard!
Our veteran crew briefed us on how to get strapped in, where the emergency exits were and how to get around the aircraft when given the all-clear sign. Our pilot and aircraft commander, Matt Conrad, and co-pilot Matt Throckmorton, were familiar faces from our years of covering previous events with the wing. Our friend, Matt O'Day, requested, and received, one of the seats in the front behind the cockpit (there are distinct front and aft seating sections). We start our coverage of the flight with his impressions and photos from his perspective.
I always wanted to go up in a old warbird. I thought it was the right time and perfect day. With no vacation in 2 years with covid and money saved up, it was the perfect opportunity. The flight itself was a lifetime experience. I mean, how many people can actually say they have been up in an 70 year old vintage warbird? Climbing up in the nose of the bomber was the best. The view was Awesome! I don't know how those airmen survived 6 hour missions. I'll admit I almost got sick in the end - it was a pretty bumpy ride - and we encountered no flak!
The experience from the waist gunner station directly behind the wing and engines was no less impressive. There are machine guns right there at your seat pointing out of large windows. After takeoff, we received the signal to unstrap from our crew chief, Bill Wehmeier, and, one by one, ventured to the tail gunner position. Whether exploring the view from the tail - it's very bumpy back there - or appreciating the view of Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery and the Gateway Arch from the side windows, the thrill of flying in the B-25 Show Me only increased throughout the flight and remained long after engine shutdown. Here we share some views from the rear-facing seats along with a video from the flight.
The Aero Experiencethanks the Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing crew for providing our community with this living history flight. Flying in the B-25 Show Me or the TBM Avenger torpedo bomber (to be featured in another story) is an unforgettably wonderful experience. Contact the Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing for the next available living history ride event.
An Eagle Scout Court of Honor was held on June 1 at Kirkwood Road Christian Church for Ethan Peterson, a member of the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Troop 352. Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America, and it is in itself an impressive achievement earned before the age of 18. Ethan accepted his Eagle Scout medal in the presence of family and friends with a quiet modesty that belies the fact that he has also earned his Private Pilot Certificate and an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy while maturing into an excellent musician and athlete.
Ethan's Eagle Scout Medal was presented by two family member Eagle Scouts, Rolf and Matt Peterson. Here we show the awarding of the Eagle Scout Medal and a family gathering including Ethan's brother and fellow Scout, Deven Peterson.
The ceremony opened with a prayer from Kirkwood Road Christian Church Pastor Glenn Hart. Then Ethan's fellow Scout, Jack Villanueva, officiated as the Master of Ceremonies.
Ethan's uncle, Matt Peterson, read the traditional 100 Scouts poem that eloquently describes the disposition of the Scouting population. It is said that 30 will drop out of the program in their first year, while 4 will reach the rank of Eagle Scout. Other statistics mentioned in the poem show that the overall positive effects of Scouting include service to country, church membership, use of life saving skills and adult volunteerism. "Only one in four boys in America will become a Scout, but it is interesting to know that of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, three out of four were Scouts." The metaphor of the Scout as a pebble dropped into the sea, radiating in ripples over a great distance to affect mankind, is an apt one.
Ethan's former Scoutmaster, Steve Kaufmann, gave first-hand testimony on his encounters with the new Eagle Scout. He related how Ethan was the strong, quiet type who endured difficult circumstances and remained committed to completing the task at hand. "Ethan always did exceptionally well in what I believe is one of the hardest things to do in leadership, and that's lead by example...Ethan learned many things in Scouting, one of them was that he could handle different situations with people effectively." These leadership skills will serve him well at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Lisa Balbes, Council Advancement Coordinator, documented Ethan's progress through his Scouting career. He graduated from Cub Scouts and joined Troop 352 in February of 2015 at age 11. He quickly advanced through the ranks and proved his ability to persevere and complete all assigned tasks. Ethan earned 30 merit badges, completed fifty nights of camping and endured 30 miles of hiking. "His Eagle Scout Project was leading a team to put in a meditation garden for Kirkwood Road Christian Church...On November 11 of 2020, Ethan sat for his final Board of Review and earned the rank of Eagle Scout along with a Bronze Palm."
Bret Heinrich, President and CEO of Wings of Hope, worked with Ethan over the last few years at various STEM programs hosted at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. Their first encounter was when Ethan was in fifth grade and he interviewed Heinrich for a school project. Heinrich and Ethan's father met regularly at the church for Bible study over the years, and later Wings of Hope became a place where Ethan nurtured his love of aviation and service to mankind. Ethan attended the 2019 class of Soar Into STEM, which included a Discovery Flight opportunity and led to his eventual flight training at Elite Aviation. "When we first me Ethan at Wings of Hope, it was clear that this young man had a pathway ahead, that he was engaged in a study that he didn't even begin to understand where it would take him. It was my great honor to be part of his journey...to a successful application to the United States Air Force Academy. The part we played is small. Ethan was on a God-ordained journey, and Ethan has a great path ahead."
Tim Townsend of the Townsend Music School spoke about Ethan's musical talent. "It was my pleasure to teach piano lessons to Ethan for over ten years. Over that course of time, he had played at many recitals and progressed to a fairly advanced level. He was always a dedicated student who was very respectful and listened carefully to any direction and suggestions that I would offer. I am convinced at this point that if he decided he wanted to, he could play almost any difficult, complicated music that he set his mind to. He is extremely talented."
Jeff Rapp, representing the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association, reviewed Ethan's aviation activities. He met Ethan in 2019 at a STEM aviation fair at Kirkwood High School. Rapp invited Ethan to apply for the upcoming SOAR Into STEM Program at Wings of Hope, which he attended that April. Inspired by this experience and an internship at Wings of Hope, he entered pilot training at Elite Aviation and soloed in August of 2020. Ethan was awarded the AOPA Foundation You Can Fly High School Flight Training Scholarship and the GSLFIA Discovery Flight Award while training for his Private Pilot Certificate. "Your next step is, like we say as pilots, always learn." Rapp is also an Eagle Scout, and he closed his comments with the Oyster and the Eagle fable illustrating the difference between a life under a shell and one surviving in the skies over the unpredictable world.
2019 SOAR Into STEM Class
Ethan soloes at Elite Aviation (CFI John Mueller)
Lt. Colonel Natalie Onuoha represented the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force for the presentation of Ethan's appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. "This appointment is clearly going to a very deserving young man, and is the equivalent of a four-year, full-ride scholarship at a top-tier university. The Air Force Academy only accepts the best of the best. This year, of the over eight thousand applicants, only twelve hundred twenty were appointed to enter the academy. So, you can see how truly outstanding Ethan is. He will join the long, blue line, becoming an outstanding leader of character in the world's greatest air and space force." He will enter the Academy later this month for summer training and will major in aeronautics.
Scoutmaster Scot Copeland, also Ethan's first Cub Scout Den Leader, gave the Scoutmaster Minute - a traditional summary of the meeting before adjournment. He quoted Robert Baden-Powell "'Try to leave this world a little better than you found it, and when your turn comes to die, you can die happy in feeling that at any rate you have not wasted your time but have done your best.'" He continued, "I truly do wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and we are honored, as Troop 352, to list your name on that plaque with all the previous Eagle Scouts that have come through our troop. It's been an honor. Hopefully we will see you again, and please continue your role in Scouting as an adult."
The Aero Experience salutes Ethan, the Peterson family, the Court of Honor participants and all who have contributed to making this day possible.
EAA Chapter 1635 held a Young Eagles rally on Saturday, May 28, at Perryville, MO Regional Airport. Youth aged 8-17 were given a flight around the local area by EAA Young Eagle pilots in a variety of aircraft. The EAA Young Eagles Program offers first flights without cost during chapter events as well as post-flight benefits such as Sporty's Learn to Fly Course, first flight lesson and flight training scholarships. Local EAA chapters can be found in the national directory.
Here are some views of the EAA Chapter 1635 Young Eagle rally:
.png)
.JPG)
