The 2024 Spirit of St. Louis Airshow, held this past June 8th-9th, was nothing short of spectacular! Headlining performers included the US Navy Blue Angels, the US Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team, and the US Navy EA-18G Growler & F-35C Lightning II demo teams. The event also featured thrilling flybys from a P-8 Poseidon, C-17 Globemaster III, MC-130 Commando II, B-2 Spirit, A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and an E-3 Sentry. Historic warbirds such as two P-47 Thunderbolts, a P-51 Mustang, and two F4U Corsairs, including “Lope’s Hope,” graced the skies. Civilian acts by renowned pilots Skip Stewart and Matt Younkin added to the diverse lineup. One of the most anticipated demos was Boeing’s F-15 QA Advanced Eagle, showcasing two separate demonstrations – one in a clean configuration and another “dirty” with 12 AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.
Static displays brought together a well-diverse group of aircraft from across the country. These included the Boeing 757 “Catfish,” two F-35 Lightning IIs, an EP-3E Orion, an E-2 Hawkeye, a C-21 Learjet, two F-5N Snipers, two T-45 Goshawks, and two Legacy Hornets. This impressive collection provided attendees with a close-up look at a variety of modern and classic aircraft.
Starting with the Boeing F-15 QA Advanced Eagle demo, Boeing announced a lineup of three airshows, debuting in St. Louis as the only demo in the United States. The other two demos will take place at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and the Farnborough Airshow. Since developing this new advanced platform, Boeing has received approval to sell a modified version of the F-15 to various countries, a goal they are promoting with these airshow appearances. At the St. Louis show, the Tail Slide maneuver performed by the F-15 was remarkably similar to the F-22 Raptor’s display, leaving the audience as well as myself in awe and highlighting the aircraft's impressive capabilities.
Other demos were familiar but still exciting, with two notable exceptions. First, the P-8 Poseidon surprised many by opening its bomb bay doors during one of its passes—a rare and interesting sight. Second was the Navy flight sequence, which began with a solo Growler demo, transitioned into a legacy flight featuring the F-35C Lightning II and an F4U Corsair flying together, and concluded with an F-35C demo. This blend of historic and modern naval aviation was a standout feature of the show.
Overall, the Spirit of St. Louis Airshow was excellent, from the variety of static displays to the engaging vendors and the thrilling aerial performances. Typically scheduled biennially, I eagerly anticipate returning in 2026 to experience more of this top-tier airshow.
