Demolition crews advanced upon Meigs Field early Tuesday morning, despite pleas from the aviation community for a moratorium on destruction. "The day we had all feared has arrived," lamented AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Meigs is no more." But the undaunted Friends of Meigs does not so easily give up. "The city seems to be running scared," said FOM President Rachel Goodstein, still fighting for a plan that would create a combination park/airport at the site. So far, the city has not responded to the FOM's proposals. Thousands of visitors to EAA AirVenture last week signed the FOM's petition postcards, and the rallying cry has changed from "Save Meigs" to "Reopen Meigs." After all, if an airport can be demolished to create a park, couldn't the reverse happen ... ? In an effort to prevent future closures elsewhere, the "Meigs Legacy" (scroll for Sec. 421) portion of the FAA reauthorization bill would slap $10,000-per-day fines on any airport sponsor who shuts down an airport with less than the required notice, AOPA said.
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