This video was produced in 1996, prior to the first closing of Meigs Field, Chicago's downtown airport. Partly with the help of this video, the Friends of Meigs Field, the general aviation community, Illinois' then-governor Edgar, and the Illinois legislature worked to overturn the actions of Chicago's Mayor Daley and the Chicago Park District in closing Meigs on 9/30/2006. The airport reopened on 2/10/97, for a period supposedly of 5 years ('til 2/10/2002). Late in 2001, an agreement was struck by then-Governor Ryan with Daley to keep Meigs open until 2024 as a part of larger deal to expand O'Hare and build a new airport in south suburban Peotone, IL. The airport remained open past its scheduled closure date, but was demolished by Daley and his bulldozers, illegally, without notice, at midnight under armed guard the night of 3/30-31/2003. The claimed reason was to "prevent terrorism" (remember the Iraq war had just begun). The real reason was to put a park in Daley's neighborhood, barely 1/4 mile from the Meigs site. For more information, visit www.friendsofmeigs.org
