Ryding High: Golfers, CEOs Touch Down at DuPage Airport

Ryder Cup luminaries flying into DuPage Airport are expected to have a $130 million economic impact on region.

As the world’s most prestigious golf event rolls into suburban Chicago this week, it’s the DuPage Airport that will welcome many of the golf luminaries and corporate sponsors into town for the 39th annual Ryder Cup. Located just 15 miles from Medinah Country Club, the west suburban airport will see increased traffic for what is predicted to be the largest-grossing event in golf’s history. Airport executives expect to accommodate traffic that includes Ryder Cup players, among them the most elite golfers from the U.S. and Europe, as well as thousands of spectators and reporters. The biennial event is expected to bring an estimated $130 million economic impact to the region. “Our Flight Center has been working closely with the PGA and the …

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Vintage WWII Aircraft Visited St. Charles Area

A B-29 Superfortess and P-51 Mustang were among the pieces of living history that took to the skies from DuPage Airport last weekend.

If you saw something overhead last weekend that looked like it came out of one of John Wayne’s World War II movies, you weren’t hallucinating. Among the regular air traffic in the area — you know, Boeing 747s, McDonnell Douglas MD-88s and Leer Jets, for example — you also might have noticed a P-51 Mustang or a much larger Boeing B-29 Superfortress. They were among the aircraft on display as DuPage Airport served as the stage last weekend for these pieces of living history, which took to the skies and cruised overhead during the annual Community Days weekend. The two-day event on Saturday, Aug. 11, and Sunday, Aug. 12, drew thousands — families, veterans, and aviation enthusiasts of all ages, according to a release from the airport. The …

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Nearby DuPage Airport Will Be Hub for 2012 Ryder Cup

Elite golfers from the U.S. and Europe, as well as thousands of spectators and reporters, will be flying our friendly skies.

DuPage Airport is preparing to accommodate the 2012 Ryder Cup, a global sporting event taking place Sept. 28-30 at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago. The airport expects increased traffic during the event to include Ryder Cup players, among them the most elite golfers from the U.S. and Europe, as well as thousands of spectators and reporters. “Our Flight Center has been working closely with the PGA and the Ryder Cup planners to provide a full service transportation hub for the best golfers in the world and the crowds and media that are expected to attend," said David Bird, Executive Director of the DuPage Airport. “The airport has the state-of-the-art facilities and professional staff to handle this major international sporting …

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DuPage Airport Expands Runway

West Chicago project has a price tag of $3.5 million and is expected to take four months to complete.

The DuPage Airport is extending its second-longest runway. Construction on the $3.5 million project, which took five years to receive Federal Aviation Administration approval, began this month and is expected to take four months to complete. The runway will be extended 1343 feet and will span 6350 feet upon completion, making it capable to accommodate the largest corporate jets. David Bird, executive director of the county airport located in West Chicago, just east of St. Charles, said the lengthened runway will proide the airport with further operational flexibility and added safety. "This construction project allows us to use our extended secondary runway as a backup when maintenance is being performed on the primary runway," Bird said …

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Helicopters at DuPage Airport Are Getting Ready for President's Visit

Those helicopters you see flying around are in fact at DuPage Airport, getting ready for the president's Wednesday visit.

The helicopters you've seen flying overhead the past couple days are, in fact, here to escort President Obama to his Wednesday fundraising visit in Chicago. Mark Doles, director of operations for the DuPage Airport Authority, confirmed Monday morning that the helicopters our alert Patch readers saw Sunday were at DuPage Airport to make sure the president arrives safely. He said the helicopter pilots are practicing a "dry run" as this is written, about 9:20 a.m. Monday. Doles said he can't officially confirm or deny that the helicopters are for presidential transportation, but it's hard to keep the lid on something as obvious as a small squadron of military helicopters. "We can't hide them," he said. This is the second time the president …

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Weather Experts Say Expect Plenty Of Snow This Winter

Meteorologists report that we could get as much as 58 inches of the white stuff—twice the average annual amount.

Get a new spark plug for the snowblower and change the oil. It looks like it'll get plenty of use this winter, if the weather predicters are right. The national forecasting service Accuweather.com predicts the Chicago area could see as much as 58 inches of snowfall, twice what we get in an average winter.  The snow removal team at DuPage Airport says it's ready and waiting for Old Man Winter to bring it on.  "We're ready for the coming winter, thanks to efficient snow-removal operations, additional vehicles and the most effective de-icing materials on the market," airport Executive Director David Bird said.  He said the airport's main runway, which is the longest in Illinois outside of O'Hare, can be cleared away in less than 45 minutes.  …

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St. Charles on the Web

B-29 Bomber 'Fifi' Swoops into DuPage Airport During the Weekend

YouTube videos caught the bomber in flight.

A big slice of history flew into the St. Charles area during the weekend. Witnesses of the B-29 Superfortress "Fifi" that flew into DuPage Airport on Saturday have already uploaded videos of the World War II-era bomber. The fly-in was part of the airport's Community Days event, which ran all weekend, according to an article in the Daily Herald. In the YouTube videos, you can see the massive, four-engine plane fire up its engines and land in the airport. DuPage Airport is located just west of St. Charles in West Chicago.

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