MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Hosts Second Airplane Pull Event
The Dynamic Duo & Crew start the plane pull off at 10 a.m. on April 25, 2026. They scored a time of 13.7 seconds.
By Bruce Darnell
Have you ever pushed a car while it was in neutral? Even with a few people helping, it can be a hard task. Now imagine pulling 13 cars combined—about 52,000 pounds or 26 tons—as quickly as possible and you’ll have a good idea of what contestants had to overcome on April 25 at the Southern Plane Pull in Mascoutah.
They weren’t just pulling the plane for fun, though, it was for charity. To participate in the plane pull, each team raised hundreds of dollars for Special Olympics Illinois and on-site there were tables set up selling merchandise and raffle tickets.
Teams were split into three categories: public safety, athletes, and open division. Assistant Director of Development Taylor Wiscons said teams would be pulling the plane 12 feet. To accurately judge distance, a laser would spot the plane passing the invisible finish line and end the timer it was attached to.
The first team, Dynamic Duo & Crew in the athlete division, stepped up to the rope at 10 a.m. The contest went on until noon, with teams competing in their division for a spot in the final three in the grand championship.
Nicholas Alsup, who goes by Sifu, went into the competition with his team at 10:25 a.m. Alsup owns Five Elements Fitness, a gym in O’Fallon. He was also a contestant on Survivor in 2023 and a contestant in Mr. Beast’s Beast Games last year. Alsup’s team got a time of 7.5 seconds.
The Belleville Police Department, finalists in the public safety division, accept their first place award. They scored a 6.1 second run.
“I think today is a special day,” Alsup said. “Giving back to the athletes and helping out in this way by raising money, it’s selfless man, and it just makes sense to give back.”
About 20 minutes later, the Mascoutah Fire Department made their run and scored a time of 6.4 seconds, placing them in the lead. Dan Houde, the team’s organizer, said it was a bit easier having a group of firefighters to help and also said that having family with special needs gives him a greater appreciation of what events like these can do for the community.
Wiscons said the public safety division had a bit of friendly competition. The Belleville Police Department skirted past Mascoutah with a score of 6.2 seconds, stealing a spot for the grand championship
Then the Parent Teacher Organization for Exceptional Children, or PTOEC, prepared to grab the rope—PTOEC donated $1,200 to the event, the most out of any team. AJ Smith, a member of PTOEC who individually donated $475, competed last year and said the division system was new but said all they had to do was pull the rope faster than the others.
But PTOEC fell behind JC Jets. The final team lineup for the event was 5 Elements for the open division, JC Jets for the athlete division and the Belleville Police Department for the public safety division.
In the end, the Belleville Police Department took the win with a 6.1 second pull. The three finalist groups gathered for a picture in front of the plane.
