Where is meigs field located

Because the airport had a charted instrument approach, it was required to give 30 days notice of closure to the Federal Aviation Authority.

The Parks District did not. The City was also later found to have misappropriated FAA airport improvement program funds later repaid. There was also the small matter of parked aircraft now stranded at the airport.

The response was a mixture of fury and grudging respect. Fury because due process got ignored, grudging respect because Richard Daley made it happen. Richard Daley was an interesting figure. He got things done, but what he did at Meigs was a turning point for him and his power base. The city ignored the corruption, the cronyism, the deals, all that wild spending that would eventually bring the city to the verge of financial ruin at the end of his reign.

By , the airport and its infrastructure got demolished. Richard Daley, now out of office, got his park, now called Northerly Island. The reclaimed land had prairie grasses, a small beachfront, a lake, and hosted concerts. But it falls far short of the verdant parklands and wildlife haven Mayor Daley envisaged. Nobody expects to see United Express jets touch down again.

Instead, its drones, helicopters, and rideshare services like AspenJet , that could use the field in the future. Alas, Willie Wilson did not win the mayoral election. The fate of Meigs Field seems sealed. Mayor Daley always thought the airport elitist. Arguably, the average Chicagoan would rather parkland than a small airport serving the jet-set crowd.

We believe him. Once the Boeing taxied clear, it parked at the ramp in front of the assembled media. The Boeing was then loaded on to a barge. It traveled to Indiana for exhibit preparation and painting back to its original s paint scheme.

The Boeing received its own exhibit hall. It was lifted to the ceiling via crane and opened to the public in Much has changed in the past 25 years. Meigs Field is now a park, much to the chagrin of avgeeks. The shady tactic put an end to the business friendly airfield located less than 2 miles from downtown Chicago. The Boeing is preserved though.

It will inspire museum visitors for generations to come. Following closure from October to February , pressure from the state legislature forced the airport to reopen, and in a deal was reached to renew the airport for 25 years. The airport continued operating after , but on March 30 th , , Mayor Richard Daley took a shocking decision. The decision left dozens of aircraft stranded at the airport since it was still in operation the day before.

However, the demolition ensured that Meigs Field would end operations for good and was subsequently converted into a park. Since then, there have been attempts to reopen the airport, but for the most part, it seems to be destined to remain a park.

Did you ever have the chance to see this unique airport? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Lead Journalist - India - Pranjal is an experienced journalist with a strong focus on Indian aviation.