View RFD Through the Decades Photo Display

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C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1940s
February 26, 1946 - President Harry S. Truman signed the deed transferring ownership
of the 1,600 acre tract of land that had been the U.S. Army’s Camp Grant during WW I
and WW II to the Greater Rockford Airport Authority.
May 14, 1946 - The first meeting of the Board Commissioners of the Greater Rockford
Airport Authority was held at 3 p.m. in the office of the Mayor of the City of Rockford.
The following were present: Kimball L. Finkenstaedt, Harry Shaw, Glenn Alberstett,
Swan Hillman, and Foster Smith.
Soldiers unload from a train arriving at
Camp Grant.
1947 - For his decisive role in helping the Authority acquire Camp Grant land, Senator
Scott W. Lucas was the guest of honor and broke the first ground at the ceremony
celebrating the Authority’s acquisition of an airport site. Construction plans were to be
completed in six phases.
October 21, 1949 - During the latter part of 1949, the first phase of construction
was completed which included removal of obstructions, grading and paving of three
runways 4,100 feet long by 100 feet wide, and ramp area. Phase I work was completed
just in time for Governor Adlai Stevenson’s aircraft to land for a visit at Rockford.
President Harry S. Truman confers with
Senator Scott W. Lucas.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
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C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1950s
“Rockford is going to grow and so is the airport.”
This statement holds as true today as it did June 26, 1951, when it was made by
Kimball L. Finkenstaedt, first chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Greater
Rockford Airport Authority.
1950 – Commercial airline service established.
September 26, 1950 – Mid-Continent Airlines begins Rockford-Chicago service.
January 5, 1951 – Mid-Continent’s service level goes to 10 flights daily.
Greater Rockford Airport personnel
pose in front of their new crash rig. The
passenger terminal and Ozark Airlines
are pictured in the back (1959).
May 16, 1951– Ozark Airlines begins Rockford-St Louis service.
June 15, 1952 – Mid-Continent and Braniff International Airlines merge, keeping the
Braniff name.
June 11, 1958 – Ozark boards its 100,000th Rockford passenger.
1958 - Completion of a weather station in 1958 gave Greater Rockford Airport one of
the nation’s finest federal facilities. It includes the FAA Flight service station, built in
1950, and the US weather bureau building.
Braniff Airlines aircraft prepares for takeoff.
1958 – Ozark Airlines enplanes 28,000 people, recording it as the best year of travel at
the Rockford airport.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
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C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1960s
1960s– Rockford was the Experimental Aircraft Association’s original home before moving
to Oshkosh, WI in 1963. The control tower chalked up a world record for total operations
(takeoffs and landings) in one day--4, 766 by 2,800 aircraft. The event would continue to grow
throughout the decade before eventually relocating to Oshkosh.
May 1, 1961– Ozark begins first Rockford service to the new O’Hare International Airport in
Chicago.
RFD’s Instrument Landing System goes into service this same year.
Air Traffic Control Tower (1960).
June 2, 1962– Chicago City Council grants permission to Peoria-Rockford Bus Company to
provide Rockford-O’Hare service.
1962– Woodward Governor becomes the first industry to lease airport land to construct its
own hanger.
1963– Among Illinois airports conducting instrument operations, Rockford was ranked fourth.
1965 – Two runways were long enough to serve the largest expected aircraft by 1965. The
north-south runway had grown to 6,000 ft. and the northeast-southwest runway to 5,000 ft.
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s
International Fly-In was held annuallly in
Rockford from 1959 through 1970. After
11 years in Rockford, the fly-in eventually
moved to Oshkosh, WI.
Sept. 12, 1967– Commuter Air Service begins flights
between Greater Rockford Airport and two Chicago
airports, O’Hare and Meigs Field.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
F LYRFD
C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1970s
October 1, 1970 – Ozark begins Rockford-Washington
D.C. service with DC-9 jetliners and would later add
package delivery service. Greater Rockford Airport
Authority’s Washington legal counsel files for CAB
approval of hyphenation with Chicago.
1971 – Runway 18-36 was constructed to
accommodate jumbo jets.
1976 – Gerald Ford becomes the 3rd President to visit
Rockford.
TWA pilots prepare aircraft to be shown
at the open house in 1971.
1976 -The USAF Thunderbirds make an appearance
at the airport, attracting between 30,000 and 50,000
spectators.
The USAF Thunderbirds pose after their Rockford
performance celebrating the nation’s bicentennial in
1976.
April 25, 1976 - Ozark Airlines launches its new Rockford-Denver jet airliner service.
March 12, 1978 – Coleman Air Transport begins Rockford-Detroit service.
May 11, 1978 - Coleman begins service to Minneapolis-St Paul.
TWA flight attendant pins wings on a
child during the open house.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
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C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1980s
May 1, 1980 – Trans-World Airlines begins Rockford– O’Hare service with
Boeing 727 jetliners.
April 29, 1984 – American Central Airlines begins service to Detroit with
three flights daily.
June 8, 1984 – Frontier Airlines begins service to Denver with three daily
flights
July 1, 1986 – Britt Airways replaces Frontier Airlines.
Mississippi Valley Airlines starts service to
O’Hare with four daily flights on June 1st,
1982.
July 4, 1986 - RFD hosts its first AirFest. Over the years, Midwest AirFest
landed some great acts including the Thunderbirds’ second visit to
Rockford in 1988. Midwest AirFest continued for eight years.
September 1987– RFD Celebrated that opening of if it’s new 50,000 sq.
ft. terminal. Over 3,000 people attended the grand opening celebration.
British Airways’ Concorde visited the
Greater Rockford Airport October 22 and
October 30, 1985. The airline offered two
non-stop flights to London, only allowing
a total of 200 passengers to enjoy the
experience of traveling twice the speed of
sound.
The new $5.8 million Air Passenger
Terminal was dedicated by the
Greater Rockford Airport Authority
Board, assisted by Kimball
Finkenstaedt, the first chairman of
the Board of Commissioners.
July 1988 – The Greater Rockford Airport Authority hired Fredrick C.
Ford as it’s new executive director. Within a year, an air cargo facility equipped with ground
support equipment was developed, an office was established for U.S customs, commercial air
service was improved, and an application was submitted for a Foreign Trade Zone. (FTZ #176
was approved March 1991.)
April 1989 – Emery Worldwide marks the long-awaited beginning of air cargo service at RFD.
The service would generate about $25,000 annually for the airport, and fuel and loading contracts for two airport tenants.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
F LYRFD
C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
1990s
1986 to 2000 - Northwest Airlink provides air service from Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN to
Rockford, IL. Detroit, MI service was added in 1996 and continued through 2001.
1989 to 1997 - Skyway Airlines provides air service from Milwaukee, WI and Detroit, MI to
Rockford.
Northwest Airlink announces new service
from Rockford to Minneapolis/St. Paul
with three daily roundtrip flights.
July 1990 – Soviet fighter jets perform for the first time in the United States at the Rockford
AirFest. The air show attracted over 60,000 spectators, generating more than a half a million
tourism dollars in the Rockford area.
1990 – American Airlines (American Eagle) provides service from Rockford to Chicago
O’Hare.
December 19, 1993 – United Parcel Service announces they would bring 300 jobs to the
community, with the possibility of creating 500 more in the years to follow.
1994 – United Parcel Service moves to the Greater Rockford Airport creating the second
largest sorting hub in their world-wide network. Emery Air begins providing services to UPS,
including over 16,000,000 gallons of jet fuel per year.
United Parcel Service’s new sorting hub
facility opens at Rockford in October 1994
with four jets.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
F LYRFD
C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
2000s
2000 & 2001 - Northwest Airlink stops their service from Minneapolis/St. Paul & Detroit.
March 25, 2002 - Bob O’Brien begins his first day of work as the executive director of RFD.
July 8, 2003 - Over 2,000 people gathered at RFD to show their support of TransMeridian Airlines’
(TMA) new service.
August 2003 - After two years without passenger service, TMA begins non-stop flights to Orlando
and Las Vegas ( service ended September 30, 2005).
Thousands of supporters showed up
in the rain to welcome TransMeridian
Airlines to Rockford in July 2003. 4,732
“Founders” donated over $270,000 to help
bring passenger service back to RFD.
July 14, 2006 - RFD hosts a ribbon cutting for the new Snow Removal Equipment Building.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was instrumental in assisting RFD in securing federal grant dollars to
fund this project that replaced the original building built in 1946.
February 2004 - Hooters Air starts service to Atlanta, Denver, and Las Vegas. Additional
destinations were subsequently added including Myrtle Beach and Clearwater/St. Pete. (service
ended December 2005)
January 27, 2005 - RFD hosts a ribbon cutting and tour of the International Arrival Gate facility.
Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL 16th) was instrumental in facilitating discussions which directly
lead to the development and funding of this project making RFD an international-grade airport.
February 2005 - SunShip1 provides RFD’s first international flight to Cancun (service ended July
2005). Vacation Express provides connecting service to Mexico and Caribbean through Orlando
(service ended September 30, 2005)
The first Hooters Air flight departs from
RFD to Denver in February 2004.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.
RFD
F LYRFD
C H I C A G O / R O C K F O R D I N T E R N A T I O N A L A I R P O R T ( R F D ) www.FlyRFD.com
2000s
March 2005 - RFD completes series of terminal enhancement projects including: expansion of
passenger hold area, parking, new baggage carrousel, and the addition of two additional jet
bridges.
May 2, 2005 - Northwest Airlines begins service to Detroit (service ended January 2006).
August 2005 - RFD hosts its first air show in 10 years. AirFest 2005 attracted over 30,000
attendees.
September 2005 - Over $45 million dollars of merchandise was reported to have passed
through FTZ #176 the previous year.
November & December, 2005 - Allegiant Air begins service to Las Vegas and Orlando,
replacing the service once offered by TMA.
Bob O’Brien and Board Chairman Mike
Dunn “kiss the nose” of the United Airlines
jet in celebration of new non-stop service
to Denver in March 2005.
February 11, 2006 - Apple Vacations starts non-stop service to Cancun.
March 3, 2005 - United Airlines begins non-stop service to Denver.
March 2, 2006 - Festival Airlines hosts a press conference to announce that this new Chicagobased airline will be offering numerous nonstop vacation destinations from RFD to begin in fall
2006.
August 17, 2006 - RFD hosts a 60-Year Anniversary celebration in the Terminal. Hundreds of
supporters attend the event.
Celebrating 60 Years of Air Service: 1946-2006
RFD - It’s the way Flying Should Be.