J-3 Cub - Chicago shoreline to Oshkosh - missing Meigs

[Rick Rademacher]

I was leading a flight of three J-3 Cubs flying to Oshkosh. Because the weather was good, we decided to take the quick and smooth route around Chicago from Ohio. A slight headwind did slow us down a bit. The Meigs part of the flight starts at 6 min into video. We were over water for some 50 plus minutes. It was a great way to spend the day!


https://vimeo.com/47426713

[Hal Bryan]

Love this, Rick! I visited Meigs while it was still an airport just once, but in a rental car, not an airplane. Never having flown in or out of there (except "virtually", thanks to nearly 30 years of MS Flight Sim) is one of my greatest regrets.

Regardless, what an amazing view you had for the trip!

[spongebobiwan]

Ugh. I remember when the former Mayor Daley went in and had Meigs bulldozed into destruction under the cover of darkness in the middle of the night because it was such an unpopular move AND because he lacked the proper "legal authority" to do so. But once he had it done, it was done, obviously. I was so upset I ranted much more about it then, than I am here now.

[Jim Rosenow]

Awesome, Rick! I've enjoyed all your video...thanks! Where do I get one of those warp speed/go fasts for the Citabria!?? :-)

[WeaverJ3Cub]

Nice video Rick. Thanks for sharing.

Curious.....what altitude (AGL) were you flying? That looks low enough to attract unwanted attention to me! :)

[Antique Tower]

Don't forget - Daley did what he did in the name of "homeland defense".......

[Brian247028]

Nice video. Thanks for posting. What are you using for a camera to record these?

[Rick Rademacher]

I use a GoPro Hero2 to record videos from the Cub.

My first flight into Meigs was in 1984 when I was flying a 7FC Champion. The tower controllers had no idea what type of aircraft I was flying so they cleared me for a 5 mile final. I told them to let other aircraft land as I was not a jet. I attended many CES shows at McCormick Place when flying a 182 into Meigs. My last flight into Meigs was in 2000 while taking five other people in my 210 to visit the downtown museums.

I really do miss Meigs. I haven’t returned to Chicago since Meigs closed.

[MickYoumans]

Rick, I really enjoyed your video. I would love to make that same flight one day. When I went to Oshkosh we went up through Michigan then went west over the lake into Green Bay Austin Stroble airport.

[Joe LaMantia]

Great Video Rick!,

I flew an Archer to Meigs in 2000 from the NW I was based out of Waukesha (UES) back in those days, nice to see the South shore from the really Low and slow Cub! That Eastern VFR corridor used to get a lot of traffic on the weekends, but without Meigs maybe not so much anymore. Looks like the "new" park created a "brown" space this year, big drought in that area from June to early August. The location of Meigs was just so useful...it's too bad they took it away!

Joe
:(

[Chad Jensen]

Great fun Rick!

I took my girlfriend (who later became my wife) on our first date to Chicago...landed at Meigs a couple of years before the runway was cracked up.

What a great video!