Free Republic

The most Chicago thing ever happened 20 years ago — an airport was bulldozed overnight Then-Mayor Richard M. Daley boldly showed how he ran the city the night he ordered the destruction of Meigs Field on Northerly Island. When the sun came up over Chicago on March 31, 2003, it shone down on six large Xs that were bulldozed overnight into the runway of a small downtown airport. Under the cover of darkness, then-Mayor Richard M. Daley made it clear who ran the city when he ordered the destruction of Meigs Field on Northerly Island without alerting the City Council,...

Ten years ago, Chicago and the Aviation world woke up to see Meigs Field destroyed. Mayor Richard Daley took it upon himself to circumvent the law, the rules, and the rights of the citizens and pilots of the world to destroy a landmark. Many will remember waking up the next morning and watching the news in complete shock. Meigs field had a deep history in the Chicago area. While it wasn’t the everyday home to aircraft, it was just for transient traffic visiting the downtown Chicago area. It was used frequently and was a treasure to many people who lived,...

Harrison Ford has come under fire from the mayor of Chicago after wading into a debate about the city's former airport, with the politician calling the actor "elitist."...More at abc4

Feb. 11 — AOPA's claim that the city of Chicago violated federal law and aviation regulations when it shut down Meigs Field last March has merit, says the FAA, and will be investigated. AOPA filed a formal complaint following the destruction of Meigs's runway on Mayor Richard M. Daley's order, claiming the city failed to provide adequate notice, as required by the FARs. The complaint will not result in the airport's reopening but can lead to the mayor and the city being punished for their actions. "AOPA intends to push for the appropriate penalty to be imposed on the city,"...

Boston Globe Trashes General Aviation Yesterday, the Boston Globe published a poorly informed and inflammatory editorial, entitled "Terror from small planes." The piece praises Mayor Daley for his unlawful attack on Meigs Field. In a conversation with the writer of the piece, he indicated that he believes "little planes" to be an imminent threat to population centers everywhere. He makes no distinction between local and federal management of the aviation system, and believes that it is appropriate--apparently even for local officials--to permanently tear up runways, close airspace, and (according to our conversation) perhaps even shoot down "suspicious" aircraft and otherwise...