It seems places that no longer exist can still have weather. Weather.com has the current conditions and forecast for Chicago’s Meigs Field! I took this screen shot this morning.
I have not seen what the city of Chicago has done with the site of the old airport (it’s a park now from what I understand) but I’m sorry they did away with Meigs. My first trans-city passenger flight when I was just 13 had Meigs as its destination. While living in the South Loop area of Chicago a dozen years ago, I thought it was great having the little airport right there. I flew in and out of it several times and it was fun seeing planes taking off or landing right over my head when I would do my daily (fair weather) walks out to the planetarium.
Landing at Meigs made me imagine what it must look like landing on an aircraft carrier. Water, water, land, quick touchdown. I think it’s a shame Mayor Daley felt a need to get rid of it. And the way he did it, breaking the law by plowing up the runway in the middle of the night. What an ass. I miss Meigs.
4 comments:
I love this picture.
I am 44 years old and grew up in airplanes, at airporta and EAA conventions. This picture hits a soft spot for me.
"A bishops wife"
We need more airports located right in the heart of cities with skyscrapers!
Then again that's not why it was eliminated.
JeromeProphet
I'm unaware of any incidents where planes from Meigs and the skyscrapers failed to peacefully co-exist. In fact, take-offs and landings were all done over the lake making it safer than O'Hare or Midway in regards to any danger from falling planes. Add to that, planes flying out of Meigs were of a smaller variety and therefore not much of a threat to anyone.
Miegs was great - I flew out of it often, and it couldn't have been more convenient or pleasant. It also had the best view in the city.
What Richie Daley didn't like about Miegs was that Jim Edgar liked it a great deal, and Richie never quite forgave it for that.
Further, with Richie, there's always the fact that he wants to keep his contractor buddies rich and keep his trade union buddies working. That means stuff has to be constantly destroyed so other stuff can be built. Believe me, if there was a park and amphitheater there to begin with, he would have torn that down and put up an airport.
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