Leg 10 - Grand Rapids to Meigs Field, Chicago, IL

I've been looking forward to this leg since the start of the trip; Meigs Field is of course the original "home base" of flight simulator up until version 9.

Leg 10. Early morning Christmas Eve at Grand Rapids - heavy snow falling.
A White Christmas, but not so good for me.
Hoping for a reasonable break in the gloom, I filed an IFR plan to Meigs.


General scene around the airport boundary


Waiting on the ramp for the snow to stop.




Well the snow actually stopped, and so I taxied out into the gloom.
The forecast for Meigs is supposedly reasonably fine!
Note some happy soul on short final off the ILS, no doubt very pleased to see the airport.



Waiting for the green light.



Lining up, 26L. Hmm, looks desolate.




Away, with Grand Rapids city just visible at right of pic.




Turning over Jackson, shortly to begin the crossing over Lake Michigan.



Starting the crossing. The weather is improving.



Enroute across Lake Michigan.
Note the other traffic (red labels) heading to Chicago.




Chicago appearing on the skyline; the weather's clearing up nicely.



ATC handoff screen


Getting close now. Under ATC vectors to RWY 18.



Beginning the turn to final.



The Chicago skyline.




Final approach. Sure is a big city!



At last, there it is... a wintry Meigs Field!



Short finals, watch the yacht!



Welcome to Meigs!
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110013569282561347279.000440cea7f6c1f3d0d08&ll=41.459195,-79.519043&spn=12.015904,20.566406&z=6&om=1

Leg 9 - Toledo to Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids

In 1880, the country's first hydro-electric generator was put to use on the city's west side^[2]. With the new century, the people of Grand Rapids numbered 82,565. In 1916 the citizens of Grand Rapids voted to adopt a home rule charter that abolished the old aldermanic systems and replaced it with a commission-manager form of government, one of the first in the country. That 1916 Charter, although amended several times, is still in effect.

Grand Rapids was a home to the first regularly scheduled passenger airline in the United States when Stout Air Services began flights from Grand Rapids to Detroit (actually Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan) on July 31, 1926.

Leg 8 Cleveland to Toledo Express, Ohio

I've arrived at Toledo, and winter will be upon me soon.
A pretty cloudy run, originally planned for 4,500', the cloud meant a lower run around 3000'.