Mayor apparently directed police escorted city crews to rip huge X s across entire width of runway in early morning darkness!
Apparently over a dozen planes, including transient aircraft, will have to be removed by ground or water transportation unless given a waiver to take off using the taxiway parallel to the ruined runway.

The destructive closure was so unexpected, the FAA did not receive prior notice of the closure and had to issue a NOTAM about the closeure after the runway was destroyed. Meigs tower crews were denied access to the field Monday morning until the FAA demanded their admitance, as they are responsible for low altitude traffic below approaches to O'hare and Midway from the East.

See the artices and photos at http://www.aopa.org/

Near KORF

• RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,Ben_Chiu, 22:00z, 04-01-03
  • RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,James, 18:48z, 04-02-03
• RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,Stephen, 22:21z, 04-02-03
  • RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,WScofield, 03:02z, 04-07-03
    • RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,Stephen, 15:51z, 04-07-03
      • RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,WScofield, 01:46z, 04-08-03
• RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,jerryrosie, 13:50z, 04-09-03
  • RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,TD, 14:40z, 04-09-03
• RE: Chicago Meigs CLOSED,Guido_Ostkamp, 11:05z, 04-19-03

If this isn't an April Fool's joke, it's very sad.

Ben

-= VPC OffLine Reader 2.1 =-
Registered to: Ben Chiu
-OLR.PL v1.80-

Hi Ben,

Don't think so as some of the photo's kicking about were posted prior to the 1st of the 4th !!!

Regards,

James (CONman) Anderson

-= VPC OffLine Reader 2.1 =-
Registered to: James Anderson
-OLR.PL v1.80-

I've looked at a few of the articles about this at AOPA.org and I echo Ben's comments - if this is for real then it is very sad indeed.

-Stephen.

According to the news reports in the paper over the weekend, this move is being challenged in court, and there will be further proceedings in the next few weeks.

Interestingly, the group challenging the "in the dark of the night" runway closure by Mayor Daley of Chicago apparently includes not only people who fly in and out of Meigs for business, etc., but also people who support keeping the airport open because they are familiar with it through MSFS. Whoever said the link between "virtual" and "reality" exists only in the imagination?

William

It's been reported that Daley believes destroying Meigs is an essential part of protecting Chicago from the (perceived) threat of terrorism to the US.

Daley's excuse that destroying Meigs makes Chicago a safer place and that it's in the interests of "homeland security" sicken me. I'm starting to get slightly annoyed by what politicians in Western "democracies" are now able to get away with on the grounds of "fighting terrorism".

I hope the people challenging Daley's actions make some progress although I get the feeling that they're going to face an uphill struggle.

-Stephen.

> I'm starting to get slightly annoyed
>by what politicians in Western "democracies" are now able
>to get away with on the grounds of "fighting terrorism".

Stephen -

You, and others who read this, should know that there are many earnest Americans and others throughout the world who are concerned about these issues. Obviously, it is difficult in the middle of the current war in Iraq to direct objective and impartial thinking to these difficult issues. But Mayor Daley in Chicago seems to have overstepped the bounds.

William

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

"Keep Meigs Field Open"

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/meigs/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.

***Reality - the refuge of those who can't handle simulation***
Cheers, Jerry (N94)

LAST EDITED ON 04-09-03 AT 14:42z ()

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0304010023apr01,1,5295630.column?coll=chi%2Dnews%2Dcol

And as for the demolition of Meigs for "security reasons", all I can say is

a) It doesn't matter that MDW and ORD are both close enough to downtown Chicago that they also pose a serious security threat

b) Given the size of Meigs' runway, and the traffic it can handle, you are not going to see 747s taking off from the lakefront and then immediately veering to take out the Hancock or the Sears towers. You can't say this about either MDW or ORD.

c) Daley is miserable grubbing bastard who set out to abolish most of the Chicago Housing Authority low-income housing in the city because of the cost, and because a lot of the Projects are now in areas poised for growth and can thus be exploited by his real estate developer buddies. Waterfront parkland can be exploited for a lot of high-rises, and thus a lot of campaign kickbacks.

I flew over Meigs on Sunday coming back from MSP and did not see the Xs. I am stunned at the news. My Meigs Field hat just became a little more precious.

"TD - Virtual FAA investigators are on line 2, AGAIN!!!"

Hi,

> Mayor apparently directed police escorted city crews to rip huge X s
> across entire width of runway in early morning darkness!

I heard this on a German usenet newsgroup as well and could not believe
it. What a shame! The airport has been bulldozed.

It will always be remembered as the starting point in so many versions
of Flight Simulator. Hopefully somebody will offer a patch to get this
airport back in FS2004.

Regards,

Guido

-OLR.PL v1.82-