The air traffic controllers continued to report for work and receive a paycheck from the FAA for a few years, as the airport’s closing was not in their contract.
If I recall correctly, Meigs had a non-federal control tower and the ATC folks actually worked for the park district. But it wouldn't surprise me if they were kept on the payroll for years.
Were they still responsible for the same airspace as before? About half of the flights over my city's airport just use it as a waypoint, not actually landing unless there's an emergency.
DUDE, i dont care, this island is so cool without a long strip on it. it looks so much better. airport can be buiilt elsewhere but the way they did it is messed up.
I've crashed many pipers at Meigs on my MS FS back in the 90s! Get set up for approach and then the lag period screwed it up and when I tried to correct it, it overeacted. I don't know if this big sign in Chicago Union Terminal is still there, but it had a picture of Meigs and a caption that over a million planes crashed there (with MS FS mentioned, of course). Ah, sweet memories!
No kidding I had flight simulator 2000 I think. These were the comments I was looking for. I had more fun turning the wind to max and watching it blow the Cessnas away lol
@@AvussonSC FSX had it in their anniversary update too. But for both maps, the airport had already been destroyed. The last version with a 'canonical' inclusion is Flight Sim 2004...
One interesting little piece of Meigs' history: There is a big Boeing 727 on display at the Museum of Science and Industry, and to get it there, they landed it at Meigs Field and then put it on a barge to float it closer to the Museum. It's probably the biggest aircraft to ever use Miegs Field.
There's a video of that somewhere on youtube. The 747 was totally gutted for weight and the pilot flew past sever times to run the fuel down as low as possible.
Used to love to fly mt Piper into Meigs for dinner and blues in downtown Chicago. Closed in secret....illegally, in the middle of the night. Haven't been to Chicago since.
Last time in 1995 I visually referenced N7611W PA 28 180. My Father once owned her and I never forgot the tail number. AND I also saw the B 727 land there .
Destroying a runway without notice is incredibly reckless in terms of air safety. There would be flight plans filed using it as an alternate and emergency aircraft could have attempted to use it.
It reminds me of a Sean Connery line in "The Untouchables." 'If he pulls a knife, you pull a gun. If he sends one of your's to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's The Chicago Way.'
As I recall their was a doctors convention going on, and the planes got stuck their until they got permission to take off on the taxi-way from the faa.
As a pilot who only had the opportunity to land there only one time, I'm still fuming. Meigs was the most perfectly located General Aviation airport within a major city.
This is something that I think is glossed over in all of this. While Midway probably now handles most or all of the GA traffic going to Chicago, it's probably not optimal. I'm not a pilot, but I sure wouldn't attempt going to ORD in a GA aircraft unless my passenger held a gun to my head or I had an in-flight emergency and it was the closest airfield. Meigs served a purpose, Daly ignored that...
@@brj_hanWhich means for so many people visiting it’s just better to drive which wastes a lot of time and fuel. Also, like most every big city, the inhabitants can no longer afford aviation as a mode of transport. Also, the time needed to take lessons makes them impractical for those who can afford it. The skies now belong to the very rich and those who love to fly so much they spend all their money and/or time to do it.
Its closing should have been determined by public referendum, a concrete plan for its renovation and a bond issue to pay for it not the petulance of a power-hungry mayor. From what i can see, the park looks like an abandoned eyesore with little patronage other than a concert once in a while. In other words, Daley probably knew he would lose.
@@CargoElf Yeah, I agree, but we all know how things are done in our Windy City. LOL< that's kinda why I still love it more than any other major city in the world. Cheers
The park is anything but an eyesore, it’s an awesome concert venue and a gorgeous nature preserve and bike trail right in the middle of the city. Don’t listen to another hot take from someone who’s never visited Chicago.
I had a friend who was a private pilot back then. He said A LOT of local pilots used the trip to Meigs field as part of their qualifications - big city airport - FAA controlled airspace - but still relatively easy for a novice pilot to make their way to, and land. O'Hare and Midway were (and are) too busy for a learner to deal with. Also, Daley waited until there was finally a Chicago Democrat in the Governor's mansion before doing it. He was scared to anger a Republican governor, and had to resort to a cowardly act to destroy it. I'd be willing to believe there was a large some of money involved as well...
Meigs also kept tabs on general aviation traffic flying along the lakefront. Once, I flew with a friend from the southwest suburbs to Waukegan. Midway Tower guided us out to the lakefront. Meigs Tower guided us from 55th St and the Lake to roughly the Hancock Building.
@@fortress1133 Not only did it allow small planes to stay clear of the big ones for their own sake, but mixing traffic that lands at 50 knots with traffic that lands at 150 knots is a recipe for traffic jams. Small airports like that are called "reliever" airports because they relieve some of the congestion at the major airline hubs. Now, in order for me to fly my Cessna to Chicago, I would have to land at either O'Hare or Midway, and would take the landing slot of five or six airliners due to the speed difference and wake turbulence requirements.
I remember when the Tuskegee Airmen would take kids up in planes from Meigs field. My daughter was too young to go, and by the time she was old enough to, Meigs was no more. Broke my heart.
@@jeffa847there were a couple survivors still alive and making the rounds at airshows. I have a picture of me with a Tuskegee airman in front of his P51 at Oshkosh in 2008. Nicest guy you’ll ever meet.
"It's quite difficult to take sides in this dispute." I don't think it is! Even if closing the airport was a good thing decades later the way it was accomplished was reckless and self-centered. The stereotype of the corrupt Chicago politician didn't come from nowhere!
The same is true in several cities. Detroit, Philly, LA and NYC to name just a few with horrible reputations. NYC had Tammany Hall. The more things change the more they don't as people are still involved.
Somebody in Los Angeles is wishing they had the power to pull a Dick Daley on the Santa Monica Airport, as it stands SMO is scheduled to close in 2028.
Like small town I used to live in that decided they wanted to cut down a tree everyone loved in middle of night. Then they got angry when we saw to it everyone who was in local government at the time got voted out and everyone worked for them got fired and replaced, including the Sheriff and his three deputies.
I remember that day and the utter confusion it caused as many of the people who stored thier planes there were unaware of the plan to destory the runways.
Thanks…interestingly, I wish Chicago still had Meigs Field….Oddly We got to see some dramatic Aviation, etc. ( some 24 years ago We were visiting the, 17 TH Floor (?) of a downtown building , and viewed some tie AIR & Boat Shows , namely: STEALTH Aircraft leaving Meigs , etc. It was interesting to see these Aviation stuff,& how close We are to Canada, etc.
I used to love Chicago (and Meigs Field). Now the town is a sh*thole that I avoid, and despite having one of the most restrictive gun laws in the US, has one of the highest rates of murder. Very sad.
I can't see who would corrupt a politician to turn a prosperous airfield into a not very appealing nature area. Sorry, that statement makes no sense: the other way around would have, though.
Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport has been modernized and is awesome, especially for those working in the finance industry. Somehow it thrives on the islands next to downtown, sharing space with parkland, and few noise complaints due to a strict daytime window of operations. Chicago could and should have followed suit.
On the day Porter Airlines started a protester was crowing that it was the first day and already the planes were behind schedule. The plane had taken off but it was a new quieter type and the protesters didn't notice.
Toronto Island residents still complain about noise and traffic, and it's hardly without its critics. The Q400 will eventually need replacing, and who knows the future of passenger turboprops. I just hope Porter doesn't go full-in on jets that aren't permitted at Billy Bishop. I've flown through there since the early 80s and Air Canada won't continue going there if there isn't competition, as they've done several times in the past.
@@jtsholtod.79 I hope the runway is extended and trans-atlantic flights to London City using A220 are FINALLY offered as per the vision of the whole program... A jet capable of trans-atlantic flights but also agile enough to take off and land on 5000' runways... Plus it's even quieter than the Q400 so should WANT them instead of Q400's...
They need to expand the runway at Billy Bishop to land jets if that airport is going to survive much longer. Problem is the rich NIMBYs that park their yachts in that harbor won't allow it, because the flight path would exclude large ships getting in there.
ONE guy decides he doesn't want something... Tears it down in the middle of the night. The party of democracy strikes again. I remember the field as a kid. Daley was a complete d-bag.
Well now your first mistake was assuming democracy. After Daley was elected in 1989 I don’t remember another mayoral election until 2010s when he retired.
Democrats and Chicago type Democrats in general never believe the plebs should make any decisions, they are better than you, know more than you, and they will have their way. If they need to gaslight you into agreeing with them, they have zero moral apprehension in doing so. That said, I saw several concerns at that venue and it is a gorgeous place to enjoy a concert but I’m sure the airport was much more helpful to the city than that, but the wealthy who live along the lakefront got their way.
I used to fly to Detroit International in the late 1970's from Meigs on Ong Airlines. Extremely convenient! Daley should have been forced to pay for destruction of Public Property! He clearly lacked legal authority.
You forgot to mention it's inclusion as the default airport in Microsoft Flight Sim. It was the flight simmers who made a big part of the noise when it got destroyed.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A quote from 19th century English historian Baron Lord Action from 1887, this is what happens to politicians. Politicians realise this and they know they’ll never be held accountable for their action so they do it not for what is good, but, for what is good for them.
You should have mentioned that the Adler had a very popular webcam at the time which faced the runway. People would watch planes take off all day long on it. Boss Hogg initiated his attack (at midnight on a Sunday - perfect time for public works projects) by having a police car park in front of the Adler shining a spotlight directly on the webcam so it was blinded and you couldnt see what was happening. (tbh I am surprised he was that smart.)
During that time period, I was working as a Paramedic for an air ambulance service. Whenever we had to fly into Chicago, we used Meigs field. It was very convienent and enabled us to get in and out of Chicago without having to deal with the amount of air traffic and large planes flying in and out of Midway and O'Hare, not to mention, closer to the hospitals our patients were going in and out of. It was a shame Daly destroyed the airport literally overnight.
My father-in-law had the MS95 version and I would use it and he did too, taking turns. The FS was really good but the PC was fast enough for the aircraft inputs, ergo a lot of crashes! Cheers, Bob
I remember when Meigs Field was a spot mentioned on the Weather Channel as a place where they collected the tenperature from the lakefront. It was very iconic.
As a businessman, a pilot, and aviation enthusiast, I am incredibly distraught with the loss of meg field. It is, however, not only the loss of the aviation aspect that wrinkles. It is the heavy-handed and unilateral decision and action taken by an elected official without sufficient authority to do what he did. Such a flagrant violation of the Democratic principles on which the country was based has likely never before been seen, perpetrated as it was by the elected officials of the area concerned. If I had a vote, I would apply for funds from the current administration’s infrastructure programs to rebuild Meigs field - and to do so in a way that celebrates aviation and Chicago’s place within that world. it would be a wonderful place to commemorate the pilots who flew in all the major wars, as well as the development and history of the world of powered flight.
The island's first use was for the 1933 world's fair, "Century of Progress" which got extended to 18 months. Took more than a decade for the airport to be added.
@@bert_towle One key part of history that was not in this video & I haven’t seen mentioned was that during WWII Naval aviator trainees out of NAS Glenview would use the island as a aircraft carrier stand-in for practicing landing & takeoff. This was the second phase of their training before moving on to practicing on an actual carrier. My great uncle was a graduate from the flight school at NAS Glenview in 1943 & was absolutely furious when Daley did this especially because the military history was virtually ignored. Another aspect that has also been ignored was that FEMA had extensive plans for the use of Meigs field in the event of a disaster or Terrorist attack on Chicago.
@@rucksack3755 - There were "training" aircraft carriers in Lake Michigan used by NAS Glenview pilots. There's still a few aircraft in the lake. Among those stationed at Glenview over the years were Butch O'Hare who got an airport named after him, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford who got pretty good jobs, and Neil Armstrong who spaced out. The Blue Angels used the base when in town and Glenview got its own little show when they came to town.
But the plans were on display It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.
As a lifelong resident of the suburbs of Chicago (with deep ties to the heart of it) I can tell you that every time I heard of the closing of that airfield it was in a negative context. A lot of people were very unhappy with that closure. Not only because of the sneaky underhanded (albeit true Chicago politics) way Daley handled it, but because the airfield was still a major hub for private pilots, and was used for the air and water show every summer. If Daley had done things by the book and allowed people time to process the change I think people may have felt differently. But I never heard anyone say they were happy the airfield closed down.
Several years later, Daily visited Toronto and met with then Toronto mayor David Miller and convinced Miller that he needed to shut down Toronto Island Airport for safety concerns. Miller then spent the rest of his term fighting Toronto Ports Authority (a federal agency) that owned the airport to close it. Thankfully, Daily's efforts to close another island airport failed.
Used it at least dozen times back in the day, very handy for GA pilots wanting to get downtown. As with most pilots I was pretty POed about Daly destroying it at the time. Funny thing is though, recreational and corporate flying is dying pretty fast, if they kept it open back then, it still would be looking at closure today because of dwindling use. Then again, the park still isn't used either.
Born and raised in Chicago. Left there in the mid 70s, and moved to a western state. Always loved Meigs Field, especially as a kid. When I heard what Daley did, I wasn’t at all shocked by his dictatorial-like handling of the utter destruction of Meigs. Though, maybe a bit surprised, and rather sad.
To be perfectly honest the destruction done was criminal damage whether who owned it or didn't own it. To do it under the cover of night shows corruption as very few airports shut at night and almost certainly had security. That amount of construction traffic on a man made island would've been careless as someone could've got hurt or construction vehicles lost due to blindlessness of 1 individual. The fact that it happened and the city acknowledged it's fines eventually means they knew it was an illegal act and that the system was protecting a corrupt individual. A simple conversation of can a portion of the area be converted into a nature area and as the airport closes more can be done as and when safely can be done. I'm sure the airport was a noisy place and it affected residents, but the construction vehicles would've made more noise over night than the airport ever created. That noise must have been deafening and for construction workers to work without lighting and do a precise job is an amazing feat to say the least. All I heard and saw was a mindless individual just 1 individual being a spoilt little individual and knew he wasn't getting his own way and decided to throw his toys out the pram. There's no argument for it there's no side to pick other than the side of lawful tenure and contractual agreements. All that individual did was destroy an economic system which helped the rest of the economic systems in Chicago to thrive and survive. Any company or business that failed after that incident is purely down to 1 individual that wanted what he wanted and said screw it to the rest of the people. It's undemocratic and illegal to do what he did, it was criminal what happened and that the same mindlessness is what put Chicago into further depression. Yes it's done a world of good now and yet the point of if the planes could still continue to land that Chicago would be a bustling place of commerce with 1000s of jobs. Many of the businesses and companies would be huge thriving industries and employ many more than they ever thought. Chicago would literally be a huge tourist attraction due to the airport and would have a much larger footfall now than ever before. The ultimate shame sits on 1 individual believing they're untouchable and will do as they please without repercussions and allow others to pay for the mistakes that 1 individual did. Truly just a shame that was done as with today's technological developments that airport could've been an epicentre of tourism and being in the city as well would have did soo much good its uncalculatable of the what if.
It's "wilderness" in the sense that it has been restored to the natural grassy low sand dune terrain of Chicago's natural lakefront. There are off-trail places especially between the dunes where the city is completely blocked from view and is indeed the closest it gets to wilderness downtown.
@@KOOLBadger the inland terrain of Chicago is naturally very flat and swampy, but the lakeshore is naturally sandy, and the lake current and natural sand dynamics made the lakeshore a series of shifting sand bars and low dunes as they were continuously built and eroded, ultimately depositing the sand into high dunes at the south end of Lake Michigan in places like Indiana Dunes National Park. The nature preserve at Northerly Island is a recreation of that low dune terrain but protected by seawalls so it will not erode and shift as it naturally would. Development of the lakefront has also depleted that natural flow of sand so while our beaches continue to be eroded there is not enough incoming sand flow to replenish them and we have to truck in sand from inland to keep our beaches. Another example of the natural shifty lakefront is when the Army showed up to build Fort Dearborn they found the river mouth blocked by a new sandbar that wasnt on their map.
@@Greezy42 My family has been in Chicago for 150 years. I had no choice but to learn Chicago history.. I have been to the dunes in Indiana and the Warren Dunes. Also, I went to camp up by Musgegan, Michigan which is four hours north of Chicago with all those dunes. Chicago was just a huge swamp. It was filled in and made larger with all the debrie from the Chicago Fire. Look up Pleasant Home, Oak Park, Illinois. That is my ancestoral home. My grandmother lived there and my great grandfather is Herbert S.Mills. St. Edmunds Church was built for my great grandmother Leoni Mills.
@@KOOLBadger That's an over-simplification. I don't mean to argue but this is an interesting subject and there's more to it. You are referring to the inland plain of Chicago which is flat and swampy with poor drainage because it got scraped flat by glaciers and was a lake bed when the water levels were higher. The lakeshore is a different terrain type because of wave, current, and wind action interacting with the sand. The south tip of Lake Michigan is not the ONLY place that accumulates high dunes but it is the predominant direction of erosion in the southern half of the lake. The direction does reverse near that part of the opposite shore in Michigan you mentioned. But if you've been to Indiana Dunes then you've stood upon sand that was once part of or flowed past Chicago's lakefront. The part about debris from the Great Fire is partially true but it wasn't enough material to fill a city. It was primarily dumped into the lake to create landfill. The famous "Raising of Chicago" occurred in the two decades before the fire.
As someone who got held up in traffic forever for the President to travel from Ohare to Soldier Field, the preferred option would have been for VIPs to land directly there. What a waste and inconvenience 🤦🏻♀️
Milwaukee also had an airport along Lake Michigan, Maitland Airport, which was eventually converted into a Nike Missile installation. It's now the Summerfest grounds.
Chicago never needed another park. Chicago was already one of the greenest cities on Earth. Meigs field was a South Side institution. For the South Side kids, it was a way of escaping to far away places. At night we would go to the lawn between Adler Planetarium and the airport and watch the planes land and take off. It was also a favorite romantic spot for couples. The place was one of the most unique spots on Earth. On one side you had a large boat harbor. On the other side of the lagoon was the airport and alongside that was 12th street beach, Above that, the Adler Planetarium. Going west lied the walkway to the Shedd Aquarium and beyond, Lake Shore Drive leading to Soldiers Field and Grant Park. A unique, complex and uncommonly beautiful urban creation which had an amazing synergy which the then Mayor Daley completely destroyed. The South Side kids and couples loved this place. Daley was born and raised on the South Side. To this day I don't see how he could have done it. Mayor Grinch. Chicago needed another park like Saudi Arabia needs more sand.
I don’t understand anyone wanting to shutdown a money making entity. Landing fees , vendors- the convenience alone for General AVIATION and keep it out of MDW and ORD ? Will never understand
That mayor should be in prison for life for what he did! He went and willfully destroyed an active runway of a popular airfield. At night if a pilot had come to land he would have no idea that that landing would likely be his last! Nothing he says can justify his actions in anyways!
I always heard Daley tried to land a deal with the Gary, Indiana Casino Boats…. Have them move to Chicago because he felt it was Chicago’s lost revenue.
The airport added economic value to the city in the surrounding area. Even the executive traffic was high at one time. The fact that Boeing has their main headquarters in Chicago they would be using the airport as well. Sad to see it go it was a plus.
I remember driving through Chicago that morning and hearing on WLS that a fleet of bulldozers had just arrived at Meigs Field and were destroying it. That was about 3 in the morning… totally shady but then again so was Mayor Daley!
The Meigs Field 11:33 airport was a bonifide asset to the city. Many, myself included, believe Daley did so to bolster his pursuit of a third major airport near the far South Side of the City. There was O’Hare out west and Midway, mid city. His constituency however , it was speculated, had monetary investments in that other part of the area. A new airport there could not be approved by the FAA due to conflicting flight paths existing from Meigs field. 😮 So in the stealth of the night a solution was utilized against the majority wishes of most Chicagoans. Ahhh Chicagoland-- the city that works!!!!
Let's get this straight. It was not a "single runway." It was a single airstrip. Each airstrip has two runways, one running each way: 36 and 18, both 3,900 feet long in this case.
Agree...that is at least up till a few weeks ago....for years/decades this was a giant goose poop pen, but lately they are transforming the area...nice prairie area and trails and grassy ( not poopy) area....also you can park for free for 15 minutes right by the airport structure...its actually a nicer place to visit now ( until everyone re discovers this little gem)
I was 8 years old when this happened and it is probably the 2nd event/news story I even remember. The first being 9/11. It was a MAJOR deal for Chicagoans.
I once took Chicago Helicopter Airways from Midway Field to Meig's field. I'm not surprised that Mayor Dailey essentially used force to grant his own wish rather than to proceed through channels.
Every pilot I know has a hatred for Richey Dailey. What an awful person. He had no business doing what he did. He ruined one of the most iconic airports in America. I will never forget nor forgive him for what he did.
it would be great to bring the simple airport back..but probably no turning back...the real problem ( up till about 3 weeks ago) is that the 'wilderness" was reduced to a giant goose poop pen...however 2 weeks ago i noticed an effort to properly maintain the property and it has a nice prairie area...and best of all you can park right in front of the old airport building and enjoy the harbour and view of city... you can park for "15 minutes" (or so) for free and relax on the fishing pier...its a nice reprieve ...one of our favorite places in chicago ( in addition to the "solidarity" drive and planetarium and the gorgeous 12th street beach)
Illegal as heck. No notice to the FAA. Aircraft on the ground were stranded. I used to fly into Meigs in my general aviation airplane when visiting Chicago. It was so cool. It felt like landing on an aircraft carrier or as close as civilians could come. It was unique. Such a loss.
I used to fly into Meigs a lot for day trips. I do no understand the noise complaints as you had to be gone by 10 pm or stay the night once you crossed riverside drive, all one could hear was the city traffic, horns and gunfire. Ironic to me that those who paved over an entire city would complain that there is no wildlife either!
Correct :) I had to turn many planes back to parking for the night, until 6am, if they were not wheels up by 10pm. The only aircraft that could use it after 10pm was the on field fire and rescue helicopters.
I used to ride my bike to the lakefront, The end point was Miegs Field. I would buy a can of coke and sometimes I would see an aircraft take off or land. Great fun. The third most popular public event in Chicago was the open day at Miegs. This was paid for and manned by volunteers.The tax payers did not have to pay a penny. The airfield was wrecked at the same time that Millinual park opened. Was Daley afraid of competition?The airport was build because the area was overrun by hobos and bums. I visited the place a few tears ago. They are coming back. The field is an isolated place and is hard to visit. In winter,it is very cold This is a terrible place for public events, but would make a great airport. (More coming)
@@19MAD95 Volunteers worked at the open house for free, not the airport employees. Unlike the St Patrick day parade where people are paid to take part.
As non American I do like your vids about American history. Fascinating.👍 No. A lot of mayors are ruining cities, traditions and lifes these days. Sind 911 it has gotten in a lot of places.
I landed at Meigs when I was a private pilot in a Piper Warrior. Returned a few years later when I was flying charter in King Airs and Citation jets. It was a neat airport. If you want a similar experience today you’ll need to fly to Burke Lakefront airport in Cleveland.
As a lifelong Chicago suburbs resident, currently 36, I was fully expecting this to be a story that occurred in the late 70s or early 80s.... Because I have no memory of this at all.. then he said "then 9/11 happened" and I went 😮. I do not remember ever seeing this airport with my own eyes despite having been to the city and the lakefront many times before it was gone. Wild.
Did you mention Meigs was right next to McCormick Convention Center, largest in North America. We would fly in from Cleveland, take a shuttle to the convention and be there in 15 min.
The FAA should have grounded all of the City of Chicago aircraft as payback including helicopters 🚁 & government owned planes ... if they owned OHare it too should have been shut down or forced to sell any city government interest
You left out the part about several commuter airlines that flew regular scheduled flights in and out of Meigs from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, Terre Haute, and other regional cities. I worked for two of these airlines. One in Fort Wayne and one in Indianapolis, both quite successful.
Don't blame me, I voted for Harold Washington in the primaries when I lived there. Friend of mine took me up in his little tail dragger from there once, trip of a lifetime. When I was doing my own flight training in the 90's, always chose Meigs Field for simulation work, hoping to land/take off there on my own for real some day. One thing that made Meigs challenging is the prevailing winds in the area are out of the west, whereas the runways run north-south, essentially guaranteeing a cross-wind take off and landing, which are basically a lot hairier than going directly into the wind. Midway airport offers better choices from that perspective, and glad they kept it.
To slightly clarify this poster's text about this one example of Chicago's legendary corruption; "Don't blame me, I voted for the other democrat..... in the primary that is".
I was born the year Old Man Daley became Mayor. Much of my life, living in Chgo it was run by Dad Daley or his son who tore up Meigs. Chgo Dems never learned and just kept blindly re-electing. (With a few interim twists) Nothing is new under the sun with Chgo voters. Anyhoo, rumor has it that Ritchie is in the throes of dementia and just like with Sniffy, not an ounce of sympathy will be forthcoming for either of these crime family members Democrats, from this ex-chgoan. P. S . Come to think of it, both Sniffy and Ritchie have some similarities: trouble pronouncing words and being a shameless smart-a**.
As someone who had the first Flight Simulator on the original IBM PC, I have taken off from Meigs Field many times, as it was the place the simulation began. Sad to see it no longer serves its purpose. Good luck getting a small airport that close to a major downtown like that again. There's progress, and then there's this. It's one thing to return the salt ponds of the San Francisco Bay back to marsh land. The loss of cheap salt to Cargill is nothing compared to the opportunity cost of not having that airport with a high end clientele, who obviously benefited from it being there. Do I think Daley was heavy handed? Of course he was. After all, his father was notorious and was the one who said "vote early, vote often". As a target for terrorists, the airport would seem to be low on the list of potential targets if you look at potential losses, so the security excuse is lame.
@@visionist7 Right? I keep seeing comments about "the noise" and "the eyesore", but the marina right there would be creating just as much noise, and be just as much of an eyesore. And as loud as a downtown urban area tends to be, I'm amazed that anyone who wasn't listening for it could even tell that there was an airport there.
The air traffic controllers continued to report for work and receive a paycheck from the FAA for a few years, as the airport’s closing was not in their contract.
If I recall correctly, Meigs had a non-federal control tower and the ATC folks actually worked for the park district. But it wouldn't surprise me if they were kept on the payroll for years.
If that is true that is truly amazing ! I hope they got to pursue other ambitions or second careers
Were they still responsible for the same airspace as before? About half of the flights over my city's airport just use it as a waypoint, not actually landing unless there's an emergency.
good
Really? Interesting...
The history of Meigs field and Mayor Daley destroying it in the middle of the night is soooooo Chicago.
My thoughts exactly. Only in Chicago...
it’s right on brand. This happened when Chicago was on its way to peak corruption
Exactly, it was a dirt move by a dirt politician in what will continue to be a dirt metropolis until they realize what they’ve all done.
Also the fact that the new department of airports head delayed her start date until the day after Miggs closed is so Chicago.
@@billsmith5993 Absolute Facts
Anything you need to do in secret in the middle of the night, is almost 100% of the time, something you shouldn't be doing.
My mom always said nothing good happens after midnight
Theres 0 benefit to an undersized airport
DUDE, i dont care, this island is so cool without a long strip on it. it looks so much better. airport can be buiilt elsewhere but the way they did it is messed up.
Especially feeding Gremlins. Don't do it. Really.
@@kgb4187idk which is more ridiculous - her telling you that or you repeating it here
The biggest change as a result of this, is that MS Flight Simulator no longer starts at Meigs Field
I've crashed many pipers at Meigs on my MS FS back in the 90s! Get set up for approach and then the lag period screwed it up and when I tried to correct it, it overeacted. I don't know if this big sign in Chicago Union Terminal is still there, but it had a picture of Meigs and a caption that over a million planes crashed there (with MS FS mentioned, of course). Ah, sweet memories!
Flightsim 2020 actually brought the airport back as a bit of nostalgia so we can fly there again.
I took off and landed many a Cessna 172s (?? Don't recall which model) there. Played Sim II on an IBM PC Jr!
No kidding I had flight simulator 2000 I think. These were the comments I was looking for. I had more fun turning the wind to max and watching it blow the Cessnas away lol
@@AvussonSC FSX had it in their anniversary update too. But for both maps, the airport had already been destroyed.
The last version with a 'canonical' inclusion is Flight Sim 2004...
I'll forever remember Meigs as the default airport in Microsoft Flight Simulator
And SubLogic's Flight Simulator before that. I crashed many simulated aircraft at Meigs learning to fly!
@@Kae6502I began crashing there on my Commodore 64 using the Sub Logic Flight Simulator.
It was featured in the Microsoft Midtown Madness too!
Me too. I was 6th grade when flying flight sim 2.
Me too, that was a blast. I tried landing the 747 there many times on Simulator. LOL
One interesting little piece of Meigs' history: There is a big Boeing 727 on display at the Museum of Science and Industry, and to get it there, they landed it at Meigs Field and then put it on a barge to float it closer to the Museum. It's probably the biggest aircraft to ever use Miegs Field.
There's a video of that somewhere on youtube. The 747 was totally gutted for weight and the pilot flew past sever times to run the fuel down as low as possible.
Yep, I watched it land...amazing job by the pilots
Used to love to fly mt Piper into Meigs for dinner and blues in downtown Chicago.
Closed in secret....illegally, in the middle of the night.
Haven't been to Chicago since.
I'm glad they closed it. I remember traffic was getting worse, it was becoming louder.
Last time in 1995 I visually referenced N7611W PA 28 180.
My Father once owned her and I never forgot the tail number. AND I also saw the B 727 land there .
Destroying a runway without notice is incredibly reckless in terms of air safety. There would be flight plans filed using it as an alternate and emergency aircraft could have attempted to use it.
It reminds me of a Sean Connery line in "The Untouchables." 'If he pulls a knife, you pull a gun. If he sends one of your's to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's The Chicago Way.'
As I recall their was a doctors convention going on, and the planes got stuck their until they got permission to take off on the taxi-way from the faa.
The planes were still on field so the planes had no way to go anywhere. I’m surprised that FAA & other transportation agencies didn’t get involved.
@@frankchan4272 they did.
@stephenp448 , the FAA issued "slap-on-the-wrist" fines as I recall.
As a pilot who only had the opportunity to land there only one time, I'm still fuming. Meigs was the most perfectly located General Aviation airport within a major city.
This is something that I think is glossed over in all of this. While Midway probably now handles most or all of the GA traffic going to Chicago, it's probably not optimal. I'm not a pilot, but I sure wouldn't attempt going to ORD in a GA aircraft unless my passenger held a gun to my head or I had an in-flight emergency and it was the closest airfield. Meigs served a purpose, Daly ignored that...
L
what about Burke?
@@mikeL5183GA is pretty much handled in Gary's airport in Indiana.
I doubt *any* small craft using Midway or O'Hare....
@@brj_hanWhich means for so many people visiting it’s just better to drive which wastes a lot of time and fuel. Also, like most every big city, the inhabitants can no longer afford aviation as a mode of transport. Also, the time needed to take lessons makes them impractical for those who can afford it.
The skies now belong to the very rich and those who love to fly so much they spend all their money and/or time to do it.
Its closing should have been determined by public referendum, a concrete plan for its renovation and a bond issue to pay for it not the petulance of a power-hungry mayor. From what i can see, the park looks like an abandoned eyesore with little patronage other than a concert once in a while. In other words, Daley probably knew he would lose.
Daley did things his way and guess what, Chicago thrived under his leadership. Best mayor in Chicago history.
The park is actually pretty nice. I've been snow shoeing there and it was nice an peaceful. That said, it really should have been a public referendum
@@CargoElf Yeah, I agree, but we all know how things are done in our Windy City. LOL< that's kinda why I still love it more than any other major city in the world. Cheers
@@walkthedogs240 The park is white nice and the concert venue is one of the best you’ll find in the county. It’s a nature preserve as well.
The park is anything but an eyesore, it’s an awesome concert venue and a gorgeous nature preserve and bike trail right in the middle of the city.
Don’t listen to another hot take from someone who’s never visited Chicago.
I had a friend who was a private pilot back then. He said A LOT of local pilots used the trip to Meigs field as part of their qualifications - big city airport - FAA controlled airspace - but still relatively easy for a novice pilot to make their way to, and land. O'Hare and Midway were (and are) too busy for a learner to deal with.
Also, Daley waited until there was finally a Chicago Democrat in the Governor's mansion before doing it. He was scared to anger a Republican governor, and had to resort to a cowardly act to destroy it. I'd be willing to believe there was a large some of money involved as well...
according to the FAA a million dollars
I was going to say this but you beat me to it. It was used by ALL private planes to avoid the traffic at O'Hare and Midway.
Meigs also kept tabs on general aviation traffic flying along the lakefront. Once, I flew with a friend from the southwest suburbs to Waukegan. Midway Tower guided us out to the lakefront. Meigs Tower guided us from 55th St and the Lake to roughly the Hancock Building.
@@fortress1133 Including some wealthy people with jets who now spend that money someplace else.
@@fortress1133 Not only did it allow small planes to stay clear of the big ones for their own sake, but mixing traffic that lands at 50 knots with traffic that lands at 150 knots is a recipe for traffic jams. Small airports like that are called "reliever" airports because they relieve some of the congestion at the major airline hubs. Now, in order for me to fly my Cessna to Chicago, I would have to land at either O'Hare or Midway, and would take the landing slot of five or six airliners due to the speed difference and wake turbulence requirements.
I remember when the Tuskegee Airmen would take kids up in planes from Meigs field. My daughter was too young to go, and by the time she was old enough to, Meigs was no more. Broke my heart.
Tuskegee Airmen? Was there a group that flew under the Tuskegee name after the original WW2 airmen?
@@jeffa847there were a couple survivors still alive and making the rounds at airshows. I have a picture of me with a Tuskegee airman in front of his P51 at Oshkosh in 2008. Nicest guy you’ll ever meet.
"It's quite difficult to take sides in this dispute." I don't think it is! Even if closing the airport was a good thing decades later the way it was accomplished was reckless and self-centered. The stereotype of the corrupt Chicago politician didn't come from nowhere!
The same is true in several cities. Detroit, Philly, LA and NYC to name just a few with horrible reputations. NYC had Tammany Hall. The more things change the more they don't as people are still involved.
Somebody in Los Angeles is wishing they had the power to pull a Dick Daley on the Santa Monica Airport, as it stands SMO is scheduled to close in 2028.
He was a mentally challenged individual. Just listen to his speeches. He only got in on his father's coat tails.
I remember this well. My parents used to live a block from the lake, and I would visit frequently. It was there one visit and gone the next.
Being 13 when that happened and living in Aurora, Illinois at the time, all I can say is that a lot of people were pissed off!
If you have to do something in secret, then that is not a good plan.
Like small town I used to live in that decided they wanted to cut down a tree everyone loved in middle of night. Then they got angry when we saw to it everyone who was in local government at the time got voted out and everyone worked for them got fired and replaced, including the Sheriff and his three deputies.
I remember that day and the utter confusion it caused as many of the people who stored thier planes there were unaware of the plan to destory the runways.
The question is, does the economic activity of a park and concert opportunity today, exceed the activity generated by the airport?
I'm going to guess no
Thanks…interestingly, I wish Chicago still had Meigs Field….Oddly We got to see some dramatic Aviation, etc. ( some 24 years ago We were visiting the, 17 TH Floor (?) of a downtown building , and viewed some tie AIR & Boat Shows , namely: STEALTH Aircraft leaving Meigs , etc. It was interesting to see these Aviation stuff,& how close We are to Canada, etc.
Not even a fraction!!!
This is one of your few stories I know well, you did a great job.
As a resident of California I have come to know that almost nothing is off the table when it comes to political leveraged moves.😮
There are some New Jersians that would agree with you
@@irenes3470 Albertans too! The sunniest place in Canada bans solar power? But of course!
I'd say what all those places have in common, but TH-cam will ban me if I do.
Especially h
In Chiraq
Illinois and California represent failures in democracy
Standard corrupt Chicago politician.
Yes. Corruption runs though Illinois
Please stop pretending their is any other kind of politician.
I used to love Chicago (and Meigs Field). Now the town is a sh*thole that I avoid, and despite having one of the most restrictive gun laws in the US, has one of the highest rates of murder.
Very sad.
I can't see who would corrupt a politician to turn a prosperous airfield into a not very appealing nature area. Sorry, that statement makes no sense: the other way around would have, though.
@@postflightcry more
Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport has been modernized and is awesome, especially for those working in the finance industry. Somehow it thrives on the islands next to downtown, sharing space with parkland, and few noise complaints due to a strict daytime window of operations. Chicago could and should have followed suit.
On the day Porter Airlines started a protester was crowing that it was the first day and already the planes were behind schedule.
The plane had taken off but it was a new quieter type and the protesters didn't notice.
Toronto Island residents still complain about noise and traffic, and it's hardly without its critics. The Q400 will eventually need replacing, and who knows the future of passenger turboprops. I just hope Porter doesn't go full-in on jets that aren't permitted at Billy Bishop. I've flown through there since the early 80s and Air Canada won't continue going there if there isn't competition, as they've done several times in the past.
@@jtsholtod.79 I hope the runway is extended and trans-atlantic flights to London City using A220 are FINALLY offered as per the vision of the whole program... A jet capable of trans-atlantic flights but also agile enough to take off and land on 5000' runways... Plus it's even quieter than the Q400 so should WANT them instead of Q400's...
I won’t rule out a new airport in the vicinity, although would probably be best as a federal and non-profit facility independent of the city.
They need to expand the runway at Billy Bishop to land jets if that airport is going to survive much longer.
Problem is the rich NIMBYs that park their yachts in that harbor won't allow it, because the flight path would exclude large ships getting in there.
I flew in and out of Meigs for years. I miss it, as it was so close to everything. But change is the only constant
ONE guy decides he doesn't want something... Tears it down in the middle of the night. The party of democracy strikes again. I remember the field as a kid. Daley was a complete d-bag.
Well now your first mistake was assuming democracy.
After Daley was elected in 1989 I don’t remember another mayoral election until 2010s when he retired.
@@prettypuff1 I'm certain the term "democracy" was used sarcastically. Recent leadership seems bent on making the Daley Dynasty a shining legacy.
@@aspensulphate I know I was being sarcastic too
Vote for stupid people and win stupid prizes.
Democrats and Chicago type Democrats in general never believe the plebs should make any decisions, they are better than you, know more than you, and they will have their way. If they need to gaslight you into agreeing with them, they have zero moral apprehension in doing so. That said, I saw several concerns at that venue and it is a gorgeous place to enjoy a concert but I’m sure the airport was much more helpful to the city than that, but the wealthy who live along the lakefront got their way.
To fly into Meigs Field was the only reason I got my Private Pilot's License. Once I was IFR and had enough flight time and courage, it was closed.
you filed a case ?
I used to fly to Detroit International in the late 1970's from Meigs on Ong Airlines. Extremely convenient! Daley should have been forced to pay for destruction of Public Property! He clearly lacked legal authority.
Had plenty of mob authority tho'
Northerly Island was also the location of Chicago's 1933 World's Fair, A Century of Progress. An aunt of mine worked there in her early 20's.
You forgot to mention it's inclusion as the default airport in Microsoft Flight Sim. It was the flight simmers who made a big part of the noise when it got destroyed.
This was a great violation as it was done totally unilaterally and without FAA oversite
Since it was Daley's decision, he should have spent time in Federal prison for breaking the FAA agreements.
“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” A quote from 19th century English historian Baron Lord Action from 1887, this is what happens to politicians. Politicians realise this and they know they’ll never be held accountable for their action so they do it not for what is good, but, for what is good for them.
When Meigs Field was open, flew by private plane there to visit the Field Museum and the Planetarium, both of which are very close.
As well as the Shedd Aquarium and Soldier Field.
Scared the heck of of me the first time a Lear landed there. Not used to jet airplanes at Meigs...
Yes, it was used often by the rich and privileged. Now it serves the regular people of Chicago.
@@jlon1066 It was a regional airline hub to small area airports. Now it sits unused and abandoned.
@@jlon1066 you mean the homeless as it looks like prime Real Estate for a homeless encampment
You should have mentioned that the Adler had a very popular webcam at the time which faced the runway. People would watch planes take off all day long on it. Boss Hogg initiated his attack (at midnight on a Sunday - perfect time for public works projects) by having a police car park in front of the Adler shining a spotlight directly on the webcam so it was blinded and you couldnt see what was happening. (tbh I am surprised he was that smart.)
"Boss Hogg" 😅🤣😂
During that time period, I was working as a Paramedic for an air ambulance service. Whenever we had to fly into Chicago, we used Meigs field. It was very convienent and enabled us to get in and out of Chicago without having to deal with the amount of air traffic and large planes flying in and out of Midway and O'Hare, not to mention, closer to the hospitals our patients were going in and out of. It was a shame Daly destroyed the airport literally overnight.
Good ol' Microsoft Flight Simulator 5.0/95/98/2000/2002, Meigs still lives on.
I remember departing from Meigs back in FS 4.
My father-in-law had the MS95 version and I would use it and he did too, taking turns. The FS was really good but the PC was fast enough for the aircraft inputs, ergo a lot of crashes! Cheers, Bob
I remember when Meigs Field was a spot mentioned on the Weather Channel as a place where they collected the tenperature from the lakefront. It was very iconic.
As a businessman, a pilot, and aviation enthusiast, I am incredibly distraught with the loss of meg field. It is, however, not only the loss of the aviation aspect that wrinkles. It is the heavy-handed and unilateral decision and action taken by an elected official without sufficient authority to do what he did. Such a flagrant violation of the Democratic principles on which the country was based has likely never before been seen, perpetrated as it was by the elected officials of the area concerned. If I had a vote, I would apply for funds from the current administration’s infrastructure programs to rebuild Meigs field - and to do so in a way that celebrates aviation and Chicago’s place within that world. it would be a wonderful place to commemorate the pilots who flew in all the major wars, as well as the development and history of the world of powered flight.
Sorry, autocorrect strikes again! Wrinkles s/b rankles, and of course it is Mieg’s field, not Meg’s.
@@MichaelFairbairn-pk9qg Can't you edit the post?
thats pretty common in the US though?
The island's first use was for the 1933 world's fair, "Century of Progress" which got extended to 18 months. Took more than a decade for the airport to be added.
At least H.H. Holmes was around
@@adamdurbin6895 - He was active during Chicago's other world's fair - The Columbian Exposition in 1893.
@@bert_towle One key part of history that was not in this video & I haven’t seen mentioned was that during WWII Naval aviator trainees out of NAS Glenview would use the island as a aircraft carrier stand-in for practicing landing & takeoff. This was the second phase of their training before moving on to practicing on an actual carrier. My great uncle was a graduate from the flight school at NAS Glenview in 1943 & was absolutely furious when Daley did this especially because the military history was virtually ignored.
Another aspect that has also been ignored was that FEMA had extensive plans for the use of Meigs field in the event of a disaster or Terrorist attack on Chicago.
@@rucksack3755 - There were "training" aircraft carriers in Lake Michigan used by NAS Glenview pilots. There's still a few aircraft in the lake. Among those stationed at Glenview over the years were Butch O'Hare who got an airport named after him, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford who got pretty good jobs, and Neil Armstrong who spaced out. The Blue Angels used the base when in town and Glenview got its own little show when they came to town.
Should have been left intact for emergency landings & government use .....Chicago loves to waste 🗑💸 money
But the plans were on display
It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.
LOL!
Nice Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy reference...
As a lifelong resident of the suburbs of Chicago (with deep ties to the heart of it) I can tell you that every time I heard of the closing of that airfield it was in a negative context. A lot of people were very unhappy with that closure. Not only because of the sneaky underhanded (albeit true Chicago politics) way Daley handled it, but because the airfield was still a major hub for private pilots, and was used for the air and water show every summer.
If Daley had done things by the book and allowed people time to process the change I think people may have felt differently. But I never heard anyone say they were happy the airfield closed down.
He knew that if it was left up to the people of Chicago, it would never happen. Guy was a snake at heart, IOW, a true politician.
@@aspensulphate a true Chicago politician. And all that that implies.
Several years later, Daily visited Toronto and met with then Toronto mayor David Miller and convinced Miller that he needed to shut down Toronto Island Airport for safety concerns. Miller then spent the rest of his term fighting Toronto Ports Authority (a federal agency) that owned the airport to close it. Thankfully, Daily's efforts to close another island airport failed.
Used it at least dozen times back in the day, very handy for GA pilots wanting to get downtown. As with most pilots I was pretty POed about Daly destroying it at the time. Funny thing is though, recreational and corporate flying is dying pretty fast, if they kept it open back then, it still would be looking at closure today because of dwindling use. Then again, the park still isn't used either.
I bike through the park at least once a week from March- October
Plenty of concerts are there.
Born and raised in Chicago. Left there in the mid 70s, and moved to a western state. Always loved Meigs Field, especially as a kid. When I heard what Daley did, I wasn’t at all shocked by his dictatorial-like handling of the utter destruction of Meigs. Though, maybe a bit surprised, and rather sad.
My dad used to fly In/Out of Meigs Field . I thought it seemed like a cool place as a boy.
It was done on the insistence of Maggie Daley and mayor Daley didn't have the kahunas to say no.
To be perfectly honest the destruction done was criminal damage whether who owned it or didn't own it. To do it under the cover of night shows corruption as very few airports shut at night and almost certainly had security. That amount of construction traffic on a man made island would've been careless as someone could've got hurt or construction vehicles lost due to blindlessness of 1 individual.
The fact that it happened and the city acknowledged it's fines eventually means they knew it was an illegal act and that the system was protecting a corrupt individual. A simple conversation of can a portion of the area be converted into a nature area and as the airport closes more can be done as and when safely can be done.
I'm sure the airport was a noisy place and it affected residents, but the construction vehicles would've made more noise over night than the airport ever created. That noise must have been deafening and for construction workers to work without lighting and do a precise job is an amazing feat to say the least.
All I heard and saw was a mindless individual just 1 individual being a spoilt little individual and knew he wasn't getting his own way and decided to throw his toys out the pram. There's no argument for it there's no side to pick other than the side of lawful tenure and contractual agreements. All that individual did was destroy an economic system which helped the rest of the economic systems in Chicago to thrive and survive. Any company or business that failed after that incident is purely down to 1 individual that wanted what he wanted and said screw it to the rest of the people. It's undemocratic and illegal to do what he did, it was criminal what happened and that the same mindlessness is what put Chicago into further depression.
Yes it's done a world of good now and yet the point of if the planes could still continue to land that Chicago would be a bustling place of commerce with 1000s of jobs. Many of the businesses and companies would be huge thriving industries and employ many more than they ever thought. Chicago would literally be a huge tourist attraction due to the airport and would have a much larger footfall now than ever before. The ultimate shame sits on 1 individual believing they're untouchable and will do as they please without repercussions and allow others to pay for the mistakes that 1 individual did. Truly just a shame that was done as with today's technological developments that airport could've been an epicentre of tourism and being in the city as well would have did soo much good its uncalculatable of the what if.
It takes a child to raze a village. 😂
@@MelodyJ_123 (That's what raze means.)
I see no wilderness. It's just a weed patch
It's "wilderness" in the sense that it has been restored to the natural grassy low sand dune terrain of Chicago's natural lakefront. There are off-trail places especially between the dunes where the city is completely blocked from view and is indeed the closest it gets to wilderness downtown.
@@Greezy42no, now its all buildings.. Chicago was a swamp..
@@KOOLBadger the inland terrain of Chicago is naturally very flat and swampy, but the lakeshore is naturally sandy, and the lake current and natural sand dynamics made the lakeshore a series of shifting sand bars and low dunes as they were continuously built and eroded, ultimately depositing the sand into high dunes at the south end of Lake Michigan in places like Indiana Dunes National Park. The nature preserve at Northerly Island is a recreation of that low dune terrain but protected by seawalls so it will not erode and shift as it naturally would. Development of the lakefront has also depleted that natural flow of sand so while our beaches continue to be eroded there is not enough incoming sand flow to replenish them and we have to truck in sand from inland to keep our beaches. Another example of the natural shifty lakefront is when the Army showed up to build Fort Dearborn they found the river mouth blocked by a new sandbar that wasnt on their map.
@@Greezy42 My family has been in Chicago for 150 years. I had no choice but to learn Chicago history.. I have been to the dunes in Indiana and the Warren Dunes. Also, I went to camp up by Musgegan, Michigan which is four hours north of Chicago with all those dunes.
Chicago was just a huge swamp. It was filled in and made larger with all the debrie from the Chicago Fire.
Look up Pleasant Home, Oak Park, Illinois. That is my ancestoral home. My grandmother lived there and my great grandfather is Herbert S.Mills. St. Edmunds Church was built for my great grandmother Leoni Mills.
@@KOOLBadger That's an over-simplification. I don't mean to argue but this is an interesting subject and there's more to it.
You are referring to the inland plain of Chicago which is flat and swampy with poor drainage because it got scraped flat by glaciers and was a lake bed when the water levels were higher.
The lakeshore is a different terrain type because of wave, current, and wind action interacting with the sand.
The south tip of Lake Michigan is not the ONLY place that accumulates high dunes but it is the predominant direction of erosion in the southern half of the lake. The direction does reverse near that part of the opposite shore in Michigan you mentioned.
But if you've been to Indiana Dunes then you've stood upon sand that was once part of or flowed past Chicago's lakefront.
The part about debris from the Great Fire is partially true but it wasn't enough material to fill a city. It was primarily dumped into the lake to create landfill. The famous "Raising of Chicago" occurred in the two decades before the fire.
As someone who got held up in traffic forever for the President to travel from Ohare to Soldier Field, the preferred option would have been for VIPs to land directly there. What a waste and inconvenience 🤦🏻♀️
Milwaukee also had an airport along Lake Michigan, Maitland Airport, which was eventually converted into a Nike Missile installation. It's now the Summerfest grounds.
Mayor Daley’s tenure as mayor could be made into a TV mini series
Chicago never needed another park. Chicago was already one of the greenest cities on Earth. Meigs field was a South Side institution. For the South Side kids, it was a way of escaping to far away places. At night we would go to the lawn between Adler Planetarium and the airport and watch the planes land and take off. It was also a favorite romantic spot for couples. The place was one of the most unique spots on Earth. On one side you had a large boat harbor. On the other side of the lagoon was the airport and alongside that was 12th street beach, Above that, the Adler Planetarium. Going west lied the walkway to the Shedd Aquarium and beyond, Lake Shore Drive leading to Soldiers Field and Grant Park. A unique, complex and uncommonly beautiful urban creation which had an amazing synergy which the then Mayor Daley completely destroyed. The South Side kids and couples loved this place. Daley was born and raised on the South Side. To this day I don't see how he could have done it. Mayor Grinch. Chicago needed another park like Saudi Arabia needs more sand.
I flew in and out of Meigs Field for several years, in M$ Flight Simulator. It’s a “taxiway”, not a “taxi runway”..
I don’t understand anyone wanting to shutdown a money making entity. Landing fees , vendors- the convenience alone for General AVIATION and keep it out of MDW and ORD ? Will never understand
He wanted a casino there.
That mayor should be in prison for life for what he did! He went and willfully destroyed an active runway of a popular airfield. At night if a pilot had come to land he would have no idea that that landing would likely be his last! Nothing he says can justify his actions in anyways!
Daley's reputation should answer your question immediately.
I always heard Daley tried to land a deal with the Gary, Indiana Casino Boats…. Have them move to Chicago because he felt it was Chicago’s lost revenue.
I was upset when they shut that airport down.I felt that was a nice place to have an airport.
Anyone that played early Microsoft Flight sim knows all about Meigs Field
The airport added economic value to the city in the surrounding area. Even the executive traffic was high at one time. The fact that Boeing has their main headquarters in Chicago they would be using the airport as well. Sad to see it go it was a plus.
I remember going to the McKormick Center for car shows and seeing the Xs on the runway. Crazy!
I remember driving through Chicago that morning and hearing on WLS that a fleet of bulldozers had just arrived at Meigs Field and were destroying it. That was about 3 in the morning… totally shady but then again so was Mayor Daley!
Cities grow around airports ; then complain about the noise of the airport; midway built was out in the middle of nowhere
The Meigs Field 11:33 airport was a bonifide asset to the city. Many, myself included, believe Daley did so to bolster his pursuit of a third major airport near the far South Side of the City. There was O’Hare out west and Midway, mid city. His constituency however , it was speculated, had monetary investments in that other part of the area. A new airport there could not be approved by the FAA due to conflicting flight paths existing from Meigs field. 😮 So in the stealth of the night a solution was utilized against the majority wishes of most Chicagoans. Ahhh Chicagoland-- the city that works!!!!
Let's get this straight. It was not a "single runway." It was a single airstrip. Each airstrip has two runways, one running each way: 36 and 18, both 3,900 feet long in this case.
It looks like a swamp now ,👍👍👍
The most wasteful and environmentally destructive things are often done by the so-called environmentalists.
Agree...that is at least up till a few weeks ago....for years/decades this was a giant goose poop pen, but lately they are transforming the area...nice prairie area and trails and grassy ( not poopy) area....also you can park for free for 15 minutes right by the airport structure...its actually a nicer place to visit now ( until everyone re discovers this little gem)
the US, yeah
I was 8 years old when this happened and it is probably the 2nd event/news story I even remember. The first being 9/11.
It was a MAJOR deal for Chicagoans.
I once took Chicago Helicopter Airways from Midway Field to Meig's field. I'm not surprised that Mayor Dailey essentially used force to grant his own wish rather than to proceed through channels.
It could have been like London-City Airport or Washington-National.
I love Washington National so much! It’s fantastic when you can hop right into the subway system & get where you need to go!
It was way too small, and only suitable for private or very small passenger aircraft.
@@standdownrobots_ihaveoldglory"subway"? ....it's called "Metro".....very disrespectful to DC to call it a "subway"
Should have kept it an airport. Chicago has lots of parks
It's now just another open space for muggers to operate.
When Bill Lear had his avionics business in Chicago, Meigs was his home field. He used his aircraft to test fly his many ideas.
Every pilot I know has a hatred for Richey Dailey. What an awful person. He had no business doing what he did. He ruined one of the most iconic airports in America. I will never forget nor forgive him for what he did.
9:06 I love that bottom plan! Extra parking, bridge, plus a reef?!?
Nice research -and apparently still done from Poland. Bravo!
Daley was rumored to want to give the preceding improvement contract to a family company.
Flew into Meigs field several times, is was quite convenient, it's a bitch to get anywhere from O'Hare.
Blue line is right there my guy
it would be great to bring the simple airport back..but probably no turning back...the real problem ( up till about 3 weeks ago) is that the 'wilderness" was reduced to a giant goose poop pen...however 2 weeks ago i noticed an effort to properly maintain the property and it has a nice prairie area...and best of all you can park right in front of the old airport building and enjoy the harbour and view of city... you can park for "15 minutes" (or so) for free and relax on the fishing pier...its a nice reprieve ...one of our favorite places in chicago ( in addition to the "solidarity" drive and planetarium and the gorgeous 12th street beach)
Illegal as heck. No notice to the FAA. Aircraft on the ground were stranded. I used to fly into Meigs in my general aviation airplane when visiting Chicago. It was so cool. It felt like landing on an aircraft carrier or as close as civilians could come.
It was unique. Such a loss.
He should be in prison
Please, allow an aging Boomer to put it this way. Meigs was COOL!
What should the title be "Police Department knows their committing a crime and does it anyway" OR "Mayor turns into a terrorist and gets away with it"
I used to fly into Meigs a lot for day trips. I do no understand the noise complaints as you had to be gone by 10 pm or stay the night once you crossed riverside drive, all one could hear was the city traffic, horns and gunfire. Ironic to me that those who paved over an entire city would complain that there is no wildlife either!
Correct :) I had to turn many planes back to parking for the night, until 6am, if they were not wheels up by 10pm. The only aircraft that could use it after 10pm was the on field fire and rescue helicopters.
Never knew that was even there… how cool must that have been to land right next to the stadium
Not only Soldier Field, but the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum...
I used to ride my bike to the lakefront, The end point was Miegs Field. I would buy a can of coke and sometimes I would see an aircraft take off or land. Great fun. The third most popular public event in Chicago was the open day at Miegs. This was paid for and manned by volunteers.The tax payers did not have to pay a penny. The airfield was wrecked at the same time that Millinual park opened. Was Daley afraid of competition?The airport was build because the area was overrun by hobos and bums. I visited the place a few tears ago. They are coming back. The field is an isolated place and is hard to visit. In winter,it is very cold This is a terrible place for public events, but would make a great airport. (More coming)
What are you talking about? Of course it cost taxpayer money. You think people just worked there out of the goodness of their hearts?
@@19MAD95 Volunteers worked at the open house for free, not the airport employees. Unlike the St Patrick day parade where people are paid to take part.
As non American I do like your vids about American history. Fascinating.👍
No. A lot of mayors are ruining cities, traditions and lifes these days. Sind 911 it has gotten in a lot of places.
Rish people only thinking of their own, not thinking about all the people making a living from the airport.
I landed at Meigs when I was a private pilot in a Piper Warrior. Returned a few years later when I was flying charter in King Airs and Citation jets. It was a neat airport. If you want a similar experience today you’ll need to fly to Burke Lakefront airport in Cleveland.
the 727 that is at the Museum of Science and Industry landed at CGX
Yes. As stated in the video.
As a lifelong Chicago suburbs resident, currently 36, I was fully expecting this to be a story that occurred in the late 70s or early 80s.... Because I have no memory of this at all.. then he said "then 9/11 happened" and I went 😮.
I do not remember ever seeing this airport with my own eyes despite having been to the city and the lakefront many times before it was gone.
Wild.
Mostly wilderness? It looks like dead dirt and some grass
Did you mention Meigs was right next to McCormick Convention Center, largest in North America. We would fly in from Cleveland, take a shuttle to the convention and be there in 15 min.
The FAA should have grounded all of the City of Chicago aircraft as payback including helicopters 🚁 & government owned planes ... if they owned OHare it too should have been shut down or forced to sell any city government interest
I would have framed it as a terrorist attack on the airport
You left out the part about several commuter airlines that flew regular scheduled flights in and out of Meigs from Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, Terre Haute, and other regional cities. I worked for two of these airlines. One in Fort Wayne and one in Indianapolis, both quite successful.
Don't blame me, I voted for Harold Washington in the primaries when I lived there. Friend of mine took me up in his little tail dragger from there once, trip of a lifetime. When I was doing my own flight training in the 90's, always chose Meigs Field for simulation work, hoping to land/take off there on my own for real some day. One thing that made Meigs challenging is the prevailing winds in the area are out of the west, whereas the runways run north-south, essentially guaranteeing a cross-wind take off and landing, which are basically a lot hairier than going directly into the wind. Midway airport offers better choices from that perspective, and glad they kept it.
To slightly clarify this poster's text about this one example of Chicago's legendary corruption; "Don't blame me, I voted for the other democrat..... in the primary that is".
I was born the year Old Man Daley became Mayor. Much of my life, living in Chgo it was run by Dad Daley or his son who tore up Meigs. Chgo Dems never learned and just kept blindly re-electing. (With a few interim twists) Nothing is new under the sun with Chgo voters.
Anyhoo, rumor has it that Ritchie is in the throes of dementia and just like with Sniffy, not an ounce of sympathy will be forthcoming for either of these crime family members Democrats, from this ex-chgoan.
P. S .
Come to think of it, both Sniffy and Ritchie have some similarities: trouble pronouncing words and being a shameless smart-a**.
Very interesting story!
"the pen is mightier that the sword" guy got smart and brought a bulldozer instead.
Maybe that question would be better answered by the the people who lost their jobs overnight. Literally overnight
The first airplane landed in Grants park.
_If it landed there today? It would be _*_STRIPPED CLEAN_*_ before the engine was shut down!_
Yeah. By the trees as it came down.
There's a big market in Chicago for airplane hub caps!
😂😂
No it would have to take 15 minute drive first. Obviously never been here.
New York and London have airports that are essentially in the city center, as does DC and Boston.
As someone who had the first Flight Simulator on the original IBM PC, I have taken off from Meigs Field many times, as it was the place the simulation began. Sad to see it no longer serves its purpose. Good luck getting a small airport that close to a major downtown like that again. There's progress, and then there's this.
It's one thing to return the salt ponds of the San Francisco Bay back to marsh land. The loss of cheap salt to Cargill is nothing compared to the opportunity cost of not having that airport with a high end clientele, who obviously benefited from it being there.
Do I think Daley was heavy handed? Of course he was. After all, his father was notorious and was the one who said "vote early, vote often". As a target for terrorists, the airport would seem to be low on the list of potential targets if you look at potential losses, so the security excuse is lame.
I'm surprised he didn't screech about the adjacent marina as another "rich man's toy" in his own words
@@visionist7 Right? I keep seeing comments about "the noise" and "the eyesore", but the marina right there would be creating just as much noise, and be just as much of an eyesore. And as loud as a downtown urban area tends to be, I'm amazed that anyone who wasn't listening for it could even tell that there was an airport there.
Funny how "terrorism" has destroyed so much infrastructure without a single terrorist.
Hey, back here in Rio we still have SDU, which is Rio’s major domestic airport ! Not an island, but quite similar in some sense and right in downtown
Little Richie did it because Maggie wanted another park...
She was so medicated she probably saw Unicorns. Glazed eyes and permanent grin. Too out of it to stand up, I only ever saw her sitting in a chair.
@@smorgasbroad1132 Maybe because she was battling cancer ? Little thing like that?
I remember hearing back then that she hated it therefore it had to go by hook or crook.
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