For those of you that know it, Meigs field is a fairly historic airstrip, prety much in the centre of Chicago, made famous by Microsoft Flight Simulator, who always use it as their default field!
Well the mayor of Chicago doesn’t seem to like it very much, check out:
http://www.aopa.org
Quite an outcry it seems!
By: EGNM - 16th April 2003 at 23:19
Hi all, just got back – whats the latest on Meigs?
By: FLYLADY - 9th April 2003 at 08:10
… and if that wasn’t enough … here’s more!
AOPA talks to FAA chief legal officer about Meigs Field destruction
Apr. 8 — Moving forward with the AOPA 12-point plan for the restoration of Meigs Field airport in Chicago, AOPA General Counsel John Yodice and Associate Counsel Kathy Yodice yesterday met with the acting FAA chief counsel and a senior attorney from FAA’s airports legal division.
AOPA pressed FAA to review all legal options that may be available to the agency to preserve Meigs Field.
… AND A LITTLE MORE! ….
Sen. Inhofe blasts Daley’s arrogance
Apr. 8 — Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), chair of the Senate committee that determines how much federal money will be designated for various public works projects in Illinois, came out swinging against Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley yesterday.
“I’m a little ashamed of Chicago right now,” Inhofe told a public hearing in the Windy City. He called Mayor Daley’s midnight raid on Meigs Field “an act of arrogant recklessness reminiscent of the 1920s, not the 21st century.”
And Inhofe intimated that Daley’s destruction might have an impact on federal funding for other Chicago projects. “Tearing up a runway is destroying infrastructure,” Inhofe said during the hearing. “If you willfully go out and destroy infrastructure, the way that the mayor did, then it is a little inconsistent to came back and have a hearing to see what kind of infrastructure needs there are in Illinois.”
Later, in an exclusive interview with AOPA, Inhofe reemphasized the point. “How can Mayor Daley expect me to be sensitive to Chicago’s infrastructure needs when he goes out in the middle of the night and tears up millions of dollars of infrastructure?”
… OK .. does that satisfy your appetite? 🙂
By: FLYLADY - 9th April 2003 at 08:05
Ok … you wanted more …
BRIEF:
Boyer to take Meigs, GA’s case to Congress
Hear testimony live on the Internet
(go to
Apr. 8 — AOPA President Phil Boyer will take general aviation’s concerns directly to Congress on Wednesday, when he testifies before the House aviation subcommittee.
First and foremost in his testimony will be the destruction of the runway at Merrill C. Meigs Field in Chicago.
FULL STORY:
Boyer to take Meigs, GA’s case to Congress
Hear testimony live on the Internet
Apr. 8 — AOPA President Phil Boyer will take general aviation’s concerns directly to Congress on
Wednesday, when he testifies before the House aviation subcommittee. First and foremost in his
testimony will be the destruction of the runway at Merrill C. Meigs Field in Chicago.
“With blatant disregard for the airport’s importance, city officials destroyed the lone runway at Chicago’s Meigs Field under the cover of night for ‘homeland security reasons,'” reads Boyer’s advance statement that will be submitted for the record. “The Department of Homeland Security never indicated such a risk existed after an analysis of intelligence information.
“It is vital that the federal government reaffirm its authority over security matters affecting our
national air transportation system. Our nation’s airports and airspace face a patchwork of restrictions and closures via local and state power grabs that further endanger the continued viability, safety, and welfare of the aviation system.”
Visit the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Web page at 2 p.m. EDT to hear Phil
Boyer’s testimony live.
The subcommittee is taking testimony on the FAA reauthorization bill, which will outline Congress’s
priorities for the agency and dictates how the FAA should spend its money over the next six years.
During his presentation to the subcommittee, Boyer will also stress two other issues of vital concern
not only to general aviation, but the entire aviation industry: the privatization of both air traffic control (ATC) and aeronautical chart publication.
The Office of Management and Budget has reclassified each as a commercial activity that could be contracted out. AOPA contends that air traffic control is a safety-of-flight issue and is therefore a national security concern, and as such is an inherently governmental function. Aeronautical charts directly support the ATC operations and, therefore, should also be treated as an inherently governmental function.
Boyer will offer some creative alternatives for funding airports. The federal government currently funds 90% of the cost of many airport improvement projects through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP), with the remaining 10% split between the state and local governments. In order to help more
small airports (50 or fewer based aircraft) take advantage of AIP funding, AOPA is proposing that five percent of the cost (half of the state/local match) be waived for those small airports.
AOPA will also suggest that grants for non-primary airports be increased from $150,000 to $250,000
per year, and that any unused non-primary grant money be given to the states for them to use on
airport improvements at their discretion, rather that having the money returned to the federal pot.
The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EDT on Wednesday. To listen live to Phil Boyer’s testimony, visit the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Web page.
By: EGNM - 8th April 2003 at 19:45
Pembo – brought this back up front for you to continue the new topic on Meigs – hope its useful reading for ya!
By: FLYLADY - 7th April 2003 at 04:02
Boy … AOPA is all over it. This was posted today on the AOPA site. Expensive!!!
————–
AOPA blasts Daley with full-page ads in Chicago newspapers
Apr. 6 — Chicago residents woke up this morning to
find full-page ads from AOPA in their Sunday
newspapers. The ads, which run today and Monday in the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, the city’s two largest newspapers, are billed as an “open letter” to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley on the “destruction of Meigs Field.”
“We played fair with you,” begins the letter from AOPA President Phil Boyer. Recalling the decade of lobbying, legislation, and legal action to preserve Meigs, Boyer reminded the mayor he had promised to keep the airport open for at least 25 years.
“We took you at your word,” the letter continues, but “you opened fire on us by bulldozing the airport in the middle of the night. Not to protect the city from terrorist attacks. No, Mr. Mayor, you wantonly destroyed Meigs Field under cover of darkness because you knew that deception and lies could get you what free and open debate could not. And that you could get away with it.
“I would say, ‘Shame!” But it is obvious that you have none.
“Now, the time for playing fair is over.”
—–;)
By: flyingfemme - 6th April 2003 at 15:02
Security, nothing!
The Mayor has had it in for Meigs for years. All his previous efforts to close it down have been fought off by AOPA, the FAA, Friends of Meigs etc. He was recently forced to give guarantees that it would be kept open (till 2026, I think).
The sixteen aircraft that were caught there have now departed, using a taxiway as a makeshift runway.
In doing what he did the Mayor violated so many laws you can barely count them; he was only able to act since the City own the land.
Now Chicago is left with nowhere for emergency air services (medevac, lake rescue etc) to operate, no dedicated ATC for the downtown area (that makes it safer?) and no executive airport for the many US business people who travel to Chicago for exhibitions, shows and conferences.
There is already a movement to boycott Chicago for business reasons and even to boycott flights that stage through the major Chicago airports. Hopefully Daley will be forced to backtrack or leave office.
But it had NOTHING to do with security……
By: mongu - 2nd April 2003 at 22:46
“Security” has changed everything.
Because of “security” all airport security measures must not be analysed nor improved, anyone with an attractive partner should be arrested, Iraq must be bombed and the government must be allowed to do whatever they want because of the “security situation”.
Airlines should also be able to raise any prices they want to, even inflight dutyfree jigsaws and call it a “security measure”
By: Saab 2000 - 2nd April 2003 at 20:40
Hmmm, this is disgraceful. As an FS flier I have fond memories of my first Cessna flight from Meigs and my first attempted 737 landing :p
How long have they planned to close Meigs? Seems a poor excuse that it is a threat to security….I’m sure many people will start a petition.
By: EGNM - 2nd April 2003 at 12:32
It seems bang out of order that it was done undercover – what is going to happen to those aircraft that are sat on the Arpon at present and need to be shipped out?
By: Ren Frew - 2nd April 2003 at 11:15
I must say I thought the whole thing was a wind up until I saw it on the BBC news website as well.
By: Mark L - 2nd April 2003 at 11:06
I presume it was because of it’s proximity to the city, anyone could just turn up and fly a plane into a building.
But if that attitude was adopted everywhere there would be no airports left!
Very misguided thinking by the mayor in my opinion.
By: SOFTLAD - 2nd April 2003 at 01:09
Why though ? Was it costing too much to keep open ?
By: EGNM - 1st April 2003 at 22:50
welcome on board mark – what a joke!
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April 1, 2003 at 9:19 pm