If you ever find yourselves in St Louis Missouri, then you have to go to Creve Coeur.
When you get to Creve Coeur, you have to look up Al Stix, he’s easy to find as he seems to run the place. He also is in charge of the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum which occupies 3 hangars behind the airport office/restaurant. (take my advice, go on a Sunday).
Before I went there I had never heard of this museum, now is one of my favourites.
I ran out of superlatives walking around the hangars, Al gives and excellent tour loaded with anecdotes. Most of the aircraft are airworthy and Al has flown quite a few of them/ Here are a few of the many photos I took.
A Curtis Jenny? Actually a JN-4 Canuck
A Standard J1, the only flying one left.
A Taylor Cub, pre Piper. Note the open cockpit
A Curtis 16
N3n on Float(s)
A Sopwith Pup, with a Le Rhone engine and original wings but a metal frames fuselage copied from the original wood.
One for Uncle Melv, a Rearwin Sportster. Very similar but I don’t think he’d fit!
Name that aircraft!!!!
When we walked into this hangar it fair took my breath away, I think I could cound the number of Wacos I had seen before on the fingers of one hand. Now I was in a hangar full of them.
One highlight was this immaculate JYM.
Finally, the only flying Dragon Rapide in North America (so I was told).
A very big thank you Al for taking the time to show us round.
Sometimes you go places that remind you what you really love about aviation. Creve Coeur, for me, is one of those places.
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