Nostalgia FTW! 
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I’ve probably crashed more aircraft around Meigs Field than any other place.
The towers, the observatory, accelerated stalls on takeoff, power-off stalls on final, etc., etc.
Wonder if there’s a non-Steam version of this? I still play the old skool FSX cuz Concorde X.
[edit: Nope. “Steam-edition exclusive.”]
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Nice find Beach. 
Having read too many times about what happened to Meigs and how underhandedly it was done can still raise the blood pressure…
Will this one work for you Einstein?
Wheels
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I have FSX Steam on the rig I’m typing on and bought Meigs add on over the Christmas sales a bit cheaper, works great Like many here Meigs is where I did my first virtual flying in the various simulations over the years from MS, so many touch and goes for another loop, used to enjoy just that as it was often the most detailed part of the early simulators … I think it was FS2 I started on, on an Amiga 500.
Nostalgia indeed.
Aerosoft bought out a Meigs Field add on a few years ago for regular FSX, not installed it for ages though, but it seemed great at the time too.
Adding to this, looked up Meigs on Google earth again recently and dont know how old those images are? but its not even x’s on the runway any-more, just a big construction site to make a park I think? did read up on the politics behind it at the time though, shame really for us aviation fans both real and virtual.
ORBX have this on release for regular FSX and P3D version up to v3 too now.
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This is a no BS Meigs story. When I was 20 (maybe 21) I was given a left seat checkout in a new King Air C90B. Quite a thrill when you are too young to even rent a car. Next up was a night trip to Meigs with a brand new co-pilot (the son of the company president, no less). He was a great kid but, like me, he had much to learn. I had never been to Chicago before but the weather was fine and I had been told that they kept the drama at a minimum so long as you stayed away from O’hare.
But as we go closer, the weather turned MVFR. Meigs had no instrument approach and the MVA must have been just a little too high to vector us below the clouds. So instead we were told to plan an ILS into 31 at Midway and if we felt comfortable cancelling we could proceed visually from there. Midway is no O’hare but if you are as inexperienced as the two of us were, going in there at night for the first time is a little hair-raising. So we studied and briefed and dialed and flew. At around 1500, we broke out to see the most amazing array of lights my young, red-neckish eyes had ever seen. I was entranced for about 2 seconds before Midway tower brought me back into the moment with, “Say intentions!” Neither of us even bothered to consider what we would do once we broke out. We were so stressed about Midway that we forgot that the biggest step was still ahead. That’s when my Atari 800 version of Flight Simulator saved the day (night). Sims were about as sophisticated as hardtack back then but FS2 had just enough detail to show the Handcock building, Sears tower, Soldier field and, most importantly, Chicago’s excellent grid layout. I knew that splitting the grid into a due 0-4-5 would get us close enough. After landing we tried to make the high five as discrete as possible so that our pair of passengers wouldn’t notice. 30 minutes later took on an even bigger challenge trying to find Miller’s Pub with the courtesy car. Neither of us had ever driven in a city bigger than Charlotte, NC. Sims rule. Being young is priceless.
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Ahh, a piece of childhood come back again. Nice.
Awesome read.
Great story smokinhole. 
Wheels
That’s worth $20.
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Awesome story @smokinhole!
Meigs was my first simulated home field as well. Flew out of there on my C=64 and SubLogic Flight Simulator. Vector graphics and a classic on/off joystick. It was like flying with just the trim… Still remember my first successful landing.
For many years, progression in flightsims was measured in how much detail could be added to Meigs and the general Chicago area.
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For years on end every new aircraft I downloaded got tested at Merril C Meigs field. Didn’t matter the size or weight. Full throttle and go!
I’ve spend so much time flying helicopters through downtown chicago from Meigs!
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Yeah…I knew all of Northern Illinois better than I know my home base here in Charlotte probably. I actually lived in Chicago for five years when I was growing up (Ft. Belvoir) so when it became THE featured place in flight sims in those early versions…I was over the moon!
Found this freeware version for X-plane: Aerobridge-Meigs Field - DSF Scenery Packages - X-Pilot
Haven’t tried it yet but it looks pretty.
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Nice find!
After reading the post, I see that it gave off the vibe of some musings of an old man. I think I may have been drinking a bit when I wrote it. (The “hardtack” reference is particularly cringe-inducing.)
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I love how you came back here, 10 months later, to say that. That is one heck of a binge.
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That’s dedication, that is!
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