Descend for a landing at Midway, and you feel as if the plane is going to clip chimneys in the seconds before the wheels hit the runway. Economics and politics, together with aviation technology, have conspired to ensure Midway’s continued operation at 55th and Cicero.
“The airport originally was built to handle air traffic of a size and nature that at the time was state-of-the art. … Airplanes like the 737 … can operate safely on shorter runways. It’s just that it takes more vigilance from pilots …”
Greg Feith
[ former investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board ]“The airport was ‘closed’ for many years. … It has been a great nucleus for the rebirth of the South and Southwest Sides.”
Mayor Daley,
[ talking Friday about Midway’s economic rebirth ]“You start throwing in the ‘what ifs’: What if it’s a wet day, a rainy day, what if it’s sleet? That changes the margin of error. The runway then becomes too short–not just in theory.”
Grant Brophy
[ director of flight safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. ]
