BELOVED NEWS MAN, DAVE SCHALL.
AND THE FILM FROM - - NEXT FROM
THE VAULT.
I'M MATT METCALF.
- - IS ONE OF 10 AIRPORTS IN
THE STATE OF ILLINOIS BUT ONLY
TWO THAT RUN BY A UNIVERSITY.
1989 HE SAW AN EXPANSION.
REPORTER TAKES US TO SAVOY FOR
THE DEDICATION.
WHEN YOU FIRST WALK INSIDE
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THIS IS
WILLARD AIRPORT.
IT'S THREE TIMES LARGER AND
1000 TIMES BETTER THAN WHAT
WILLARD PASSENGERS ARE USED TO.
I DON'T THINK WE COULD HAVE
BEEN OPTIMISTIC TO DREAM WE
MIGHT BE STANDING HERE TODAY.
IN THIS SETTING.
PASSENGERS CAN ENJOY JET
WAYS, AND OTHER TYPICAL
AMENITIES.
THE FORMER PRESIDENT, SAID HER
UNCLE WOULD BE AMAZED.
I'M TRYING NOT TO THINK
ABOUT IT BECAUSE I CHOKE UP.
HE WOULD BE SO AMAZED.
HE HAD THIS DREAM THAT AVIATION
WAS THE COMING THING IN THE
UNIVERSE SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
TODAY'S DEDICATION WAS THE
HOPE.
SINCE THE GROUND WAS BROKEN,
CHINOOK AIR FORCE BASE WAS
TARGETED FOR CLOSURE.
BOTH EVENTS HAVE INCREASED
PRESSURE ON AIRPORT OFFICIALS.
WE WILL WORK HARDER TO
INCREASE MORE JET SERVICE.
IT WILL OPEN OCTOBER 8 AND
WILL ACCOMMODATE - -
PASSENGERS.
MORE PASSENGERS MAY HAVE TO
COME FIRST BEFORE MAJOR
CARRIERS CONSIDER STOPPING AT
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA'S NEWEST
GATEWAY.
Matt: CM I FORMALLY HOUSED
THE INSTITUTE OF AVIATION WHICH
IS PART OF PARKLAND COLLEGE.
THE CHANUTE AIRFIELD OPENED A
CENTURY AGO IN 1917.
THE BASE WAS A FIXTURE FOR
YEARS AND ONE HOME TO THE FIRST
FIGHTER SQUADRON THE TUSKEGEE
AIRMEN.
CHINOOK FIELD, AUGUST 1917.
BUILT IN 90 DAYS AT A COST OF
$1 MILLION.
SELECTED RANTOUL, ILLINOIS AS
THE SITE OF A NEW AIRFIELD TO
TRAIN FIGHTERS ON THE WAR OF
EUROPE.
EARLY AVIATION PIONEERS.
EACH YEAR, MORE THAN 25,000 AIR
FORCE MEN WENT THROUGH ITS
GATES TO ATTEND SPECIAL
SCHOOLS.
IT HAS TRAINED MORE THAN 1
MILLION MEN.
IT IS THE KEY LINK IN TRAINING
AIR FORCE
ONE OF THE BIGGEST IN THE
WORLD.
THESE ARE THE MEN OF - - OF - -
AIR FORCE BASE.
THIS WEEK, IT IS CELEBRATING
ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY.
A MILESTONE IN AIR FORCE
HISTORY.
OVER THE PAST HALF-CENTURY,
WHAT WERE ONCE CORNFIELDS HAVE
BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A FIRST
RANKED MILITARY INSTITUTION
WORTH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
EACH YEAR, IT TRAINS MORE THAN
25,000 MEN TO PLAY IMPORTANT
SUPPORTING ROLES IN OUR NATIONS
MILITARY SYSTEM.
AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MEN WHO
KEEP THE B-52 BOMBER IN THE
AIR, WHETHER OUR OBSERVERS AND
FORECASTERS FOR WEATHER
INSTALLATIONS AROUND THE WORLD
AND SPECIALISTS TRAINED IN THE
HAZARDOUS TASK OF FIRE
FIGHTING.
IT HAS BECOME ONE OF ILLINOIS
BIGGEST INDUSTRIES AND AN
IMPORTANT COMMUNITY IN ITSELF.
THE PAYROLL NUMBER OR SOME
15,000 INCLUDING EMPLOYEES.
EACH YEAR, IT ADDS $80 MILLION
TO THE ECONOMY.
Matt: THE BASE CLOSED IN 1993
AS THE GOVERNMENT CONSOLIDATED