Group Notes The 10th Anniversary Of The Airport's Midnight Destruction

On the night of March 30-31, 2003, then-mayor Richard M. Daley illegally ordered bulldozers to rip X's in the runways at Meigs Field, Chicago's downtown airport. Over a dozen aircraft were still on the ramp, and were left with no way to depart the airport. Current Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has said there are no plans to re-open Meigs as an airport, and has put forth plans for improvements to the public park and concert venue now occupying the island on the Chicago lakefront.

As the 10th anniversary approaches, the "Friends of Meigs Field" are planning events to remember Meigs Field and the act that destroyed it.

A missing man flyover of the airport is planned for the afternoon of March 31, 2013.  Volunteer pilots of the Tuskegee Airmen Chicago "DODO" Chapter and EAA Young Eagles program will perform the classic "missing man" maneuver over Meigs Field in the afternoon.

There will also be an event on the ground outside the Meigs Field terminal building (now mostly closed to the public).  The Friends of Meigs Field will be creating a memorial visible from the air for aerial photographs to create a lasting image for the airport.

Later, as an opportunity for long-time Meigs supporters to gather and reminisce, a reception is planned at a local restaurant near the former airport. That event will be held from 3:00 to 6:00 pm Sunday and requires an RSVP.

FMI: Reception Details