Scroll down the article to read the history, scroll right on the top photo to see all 98 photos.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/...eline-htmlstory.html

ORD became our main hub after we moved to IA in Dec 93. We still start at MLI, but since we fly United 99% of the time we change at ORD. It is real handy going non-stop to places like Shanghai or (in three months) Amsterdam.

I grew up in the flight path of what was once the longest runway at O'Hare, 14R/32L, now closed. The planes flew so low over the house that I could almost count the rivets. I always loved that airport. I probably wouldn't recognize it now.

Cool! Thanks for posting this.

I spent many hours of my life working at that airport and still consider them the best controllers I have ever worked with. Bar none.

Growing up in Chicago I lived close to Midway Airport. My father used to take me to watch the turboprops take off. The whine of the engines was something else again. I thought the Lockheed Constellations were really cool. For a long time, Midway airport had the title of world's busiest airport.

Thanks for posting.

Lot's of memories there! Grew up about 10-15 miles south of there. When we were teens in the 60's, we used to go there to "people watch" taking our 35mm cameras with us to get photos of the various and sundry people we saw. Try that today and wind up in the slammer or beaten to death. Quite certain the oddities we saw then were nothing like you see today.

My thoughts of Ohare are not so kind.
I live a few miles away, my family has owned this property since home construction in 1936 long before the airport.
We used to have minimal aircraft noise, that is until the City forced through runway reconfiguration. Now we have runways in line with our house. When the wind blows the wrong way for us we have aircraft low flying about every 45 seconds or worst. In the warmer months you can't have a conversation outside because of the noise.
Non of the politicians take blame of course for this, but you know they all voted for it.

Ohare is a CASH COW for all the politicians to pay back there supporters and family members.
Now they want another 6.5 billion for remodeling. Always another few billion to give away, from a State, County and City that are broke, all proclaiming that no tax payer funds are going to be used, Ya RIGHT!

I remember, as a kid, when the terminal (there was only one, then) had an observation deck. I went with my Dad and my Grandfather to see one of the first 707s to land at O'Hare,

I lived in the northwestern-most corner of Norridge. We used to cut out of high school and go to Ohare to hang out and girl-watch. We called it "shot city" (as in beaver shot) (the waiting areas). This was like 1970-71.

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
I lived in the northwestern-most corner of Norridge. We used to cut out of high school and go to Ohare to hang out and girl-watch. We called it "shot city" (as in beaver shot) (the waiting areas). This was like 1970-71.

I think I remember seeing you there, I was the kid with the mirrors taped to my shoe toes.

I remember going up to the top of the Hyatt because they had the rotating bar, this was my first "class act" when I was old enough to drink. Had a Apartment at Lamplighter Towers, used to lust after the stewardesses that lived there ( back when stews were HOT!).

We were practically neighbors, I live in Old Norwood Park on Circle.

This has some technical info and runway layouts. I counted nine:

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KORD

Oops, make that seven off the official FAA diagram, shortest is 7,500, longest 13,000.

http://155.178.201.160/d-tpp/1805/00166AD.PDF

When I met my wife, her folks lived in Des Plaines off Oakton. There were always planes overhead.

Very cool! Flipped through the early year pictures those bring back memories as my first flights from ORD were in the early '60s.

May have missed it, but I didn't see mention of the name the airport began with, which is the reason the airport code has been ORD all these years, and for whom it was renamed.

From Wikipedia

quote:

After considering various proposals, the board decided upon the Orchard Field site, and acquired most of the site from the federal government in March 1946. ...In 1949, the City renamed the facility O'Hare Field to honor Edward "Butch" O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II.

There was a nice plaque honoring Mr. O'Hare last time I went through.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: joel9507,

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:

...There was a nice plaque honoring Mr. O'Hare last time I went through.

Now there's a restored Wildcat:

https://travelforaircraft.word...017/03/23/backstory/

https://foursquare.com/v/butch...5c8d31bd7cfe5/photos

quote:

Originally posted by LtJL:
I remember, as a kid, when the terminal (there was only one, then) had an observation deck. I went with my Dad and my Grandfather to see one of the first 707s to land at O'Hare,

I had an Uncle in Park Ridge when we lived in Green Bay. When we visited, He used to take us there too. Probably about 1960 or so.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:

quote:

Originally posted by mikeyspizza:
I lived in the northwestern-most corner of Norridge. We used to cut out of high school and go to Ohare to hang out and girl-watch. We called it "shot city" (as in beaver shot) (the waiting areas). This was like 1970-71.

I think I remember seeing you there, I was the kid with the mirrors taped to my shoe toes.

I remember going up to the top of the Hyatt because they had the rotating bar, this was my first "class act" when I was old enough to drink. Had a Apartment at Lamplighter Towers, used to lust after the stewardesses that lived there ( back when stews were HOT!).

We were practically neighbors, I live in Old Norwood Park on Circle.

I'm near Devon and Canfield. Ya gotta love them new runways. Especially the night flights.

Good news. Finally. We use this getting from International (Terminal 5) back to the "regular" United terminal.

https://www.chicagotribune.com...vhxq3xas4-story.html

O’Hare ‘people mover’ to reopen, nearly 3 years behind schedule

By SARAH FREISHTAT
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
OCT 29, 2021 AT 3:06 PM

O’Hare International Airport’s popular “people mover” is scheduled to reopen to the public, nearly three years after work to update and expand the airport train was supposed to be largely finished.

The train is set to reopen within the month, Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Christine Carrino said. She declined to provide further specifics until an announcement event Tuesday.

Work on the train, officially called the Airport Transit System, has been going on for more than six years, and the system has been shut down completely since January 2019. With trains out of service, passengers have relied on shuttle buses to get between terminals and to and from parking lots, a process some travelers said they found confusing or frustrating

The project was supposed to be substantially complete by December 2018, and service interruptions were supposed to be kept “to an absolute minimum” during construction, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation. The project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes between the city and Parsons Construction Group, the main contractor on the project, the Tribune found.

Work on the train, officially called the Airport Transit System, has been going on for more than six years, and the system has been shut down completely since January 2019. With trains out of service, passengers have relied on shuttle buses to get between terminals and to and from parking lots, a process some travelers said they found confusing or frustrating

The project was supposed to be substantially complete by December 2018, and service interruptions were supposed to be kept “to an absolute minimum” during construction, the Tribune found in a 2019 investigation. The project soon devolved into delays, finger-pointing and contract disputes between the city and Parsons Construction Group, the main contractor on the project, the Tribune found.

The shuttles cost roughly $81 million to operate between November 2018 and the end of February, Carrino has said.

The project is funded through a variety of fees, including passenger and car rental fees and general airport revenue bond proceeds.

Recently, trains have been running along the tracks for testing, Carrino said Friday, but the system has not been open to the public.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com

I complained about O'Hare jet noise a couple years ago in this thread.
It's worse now than before. a couple new runways have opened, with one I'm lined up so the Jets fly directly over my house with the end of the runway 4 miles away.
The Politicians have managed to ruin the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.
They say they had to re-configure to speed up the operations and turn around times for the Airlines.
I wonder how much time they have actually saved at the cost of BILLIONS of dollars and the ruin of many neighborhoods.
The City of Chicago responds to the complaints by saying "if your bothered by the noise, call 311 or send a text to complain". You can almost here the laughter on the phone when you call 311 and complain.
Just when you think this city can't get anymore fucked, the politicians find a way.