Addressed To Of The Village Of Wheeling And City Of Prospect Heights, IL

A petition has been launched on the website Change.org by to prevent the closure and removal of runway 6-24 at Chicago Executive Airport.

The petition was posted by Aurthur Gunn. He points out that Chicago Executive Airport (KCEA) wants to demolish the runway and build 5 of 20+ hangars for Jets that may never come. "Once gone, a runway is gone forever," he wrote.

"Airplanes need to land into the wind. With prevailing wind from west, this runway is needed to prevent certain small airplane accidents," Gunn said in introducing the petition.

"The Chicago Executive Pilot’s Association (CEPA) sees runway 6/24 as a very necessary safety valve, a bit like an airbag. You pay for it, hoping you’ll never need it, but you’re sure glad it’s there when you do.

"The KCEA board which does not have a pilot among them, doesn’t understand the issue and refuses to listen to the local pilots association -Chicago Executive Pilots Association (CEPA); CEPA thinks closing the runway is a very bad idea, but to date, the airport board has refused to listen to one word from the pilots who actually use the airport. CEPA sees this as one more nail in the coffin for GA, something the airport board apparently cares little about.

"The KCEA board chairman in December 2019 inaccurately stated that the FAA deems the runway unsafe (if unsafe what is the runway still being used?). Is it another ploy to hurt general aviation piston pilots and potentially drive away flight training from this airport?

"Substantially all airports within 125 miles of executive have east west situated runways, O’Hare 8 miles to the south has 7; the CEA board must think that Executive is in a bubble.

"With the documented need for airline pilots, why would CEA want to hurt a place where pilots learn? Why would the CEA board want to hurt safety?

"Help us send a message to the airport board and the Village of Wheeling and City of Prospect Heights, the two towns that own the airport. Tell them that people who fly want to keep runway 6/24 operational."

(Image from Change.org website)

FMI: www.change.org/p/village-of-wheeling-and-city-of-prospect-heights-il-save-runway-6-24-at-chicago-executive-airport-a-safety-runway-needed-by-small-planes