Chicagoan Pioneers Aerial Forest Service

The first use of an airplane by the Forest Service was on June 29, 1915 when Chicago aviator Logan "Jack" Vilas began using his plane to spot forest fires in Wisconsin.

Jack Vilas on Trout Lake WI in the Curtiss Model E he used to spot forest fires in 1915. 

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Mob-Related Hangar Fires

Were a series of hangar fires in 1930 related to Capone's smuggling?

Chicago Municipal Airport was rocked the night of June 25, 1930 with an explosion in the Gray Goose hangar used by its subsidiary Stout Air Services. The resulting fire quickly spread to the adjacent hangar occupied by UATC, United Air Transport Corp. By the morning both hangars and 27 planes were destroyed in the conflagration. Most of the planes were tri-motors used by the airlines, along with some smaller ones housed in the hangars.

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Buy Your Airplane at Marshall Fields

For your shopping convenience, starting in fall of 1946, you can buy an airplane at Marshall Field's Department Store.Chicago Tribune article about Marshall Field's selling Ercoupes 

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Wings Over Water Tribute

As a tribute to all who have served in times of both war and peace, I'd like to share this video Wings Over Water: How Chicago Shaped the Outcome of WWII. It was created by Wesley, a student in the Chicago Public School system.

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