  Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1722 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 141.217.81.166 |
Here's the latest on a very limited service in and out of City Airport. I don't know how much of a destination Cleveland or Detroit are, but apparently someone thinks they can make a buck: http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.d ll/article?AID=/20060724/UPDAT E/607240400 | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 158 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 69.136.155.244 |
The article mentions the flights are aimed at bringing casino-bound Ohioans to Detroit, so maybe they have some market research to support this initiative. City Airport was a convenient alternative to Metro when Southwest and several other airlines flew out of there in the late 80s and 90s. Besides SW, I used to fly out of there regularly on a Canadian airline to Oshawa, ON. The commuter airline's name was Skycraft, but some of us regular commuters affectionately called them "Skycrash". | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2482 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.105.56 |
I too took some flights from City Airport about 20 years ago. I loved the convenience. And casinos may be the perfect fit for City Airport. A quick convenient plane ride to a small airport with casino busses waiting to take visitors for a quick 10 minute ride to the casinos. It sure beats the massive mangle of people at Metro (plus a 35 minute ride downtown). And it would be a perfect complement to scores of busses going to the Detroit casinos every day. Once the casinos have their permanent structures with hotels, it will make this option even more attractive. Just remember, convenient cheap flights is what made Las Vegas the destination that it is (not that Detroit will ever become a Las Vegas). Sounds like it could be a win-win situation for casinos, tourists and business folks who hate the time consuming inconvenience of Metro Airport. | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10353 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.246.37.236 |
Damn man, I can't believe it's taken somebody this long to jump on this! Make some cheap flights, around $100, and really market them to the gambling crowd. Work with the local casinos and run a shuttle service to one or all three casinos, to and from the airport. This would be awesome if they expanded this to a few other close cities such as Indy, Chicago, and perhaps Pittsburgh. | ||
Thecarl Member Username: Thecarl Post Number: 882 Registered: 04-2005 Posted From: 69.14.30.175 |
i don't hate the "time consuming inconvenience of metro airport," per se...but i loathe the prevalence of workers that loaf and gab while giving you a drowsy glare in the midst of deciding whether or not it's convenient to help you... | ||
Ray Member Username: Ray Post Number: 744 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 69.209.182.243 |
It's probably cost-prohibitive, but it would be great if Davidson freeway could extend out to the airport and then link up with 94. If the airport served say 30 cities, which would be a lot for its size, it would be a catalyst for high-tech/light industrial development on the east side, especially with the freeway extension. The proximity to an easy-in-easy-out airport would be a powerful draw. I don't really know the area, but I was envsioning, it it were somehow possible, a few square miles of high density but still campus-like technology parks with 2-3 story buildings. Anyway, maybe it would be too hard to assemble the land. | ||
Commodore64 Member Username: Commodore64 Post Number: 224 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.65.11.254 |
The area is a complete wasteland around the airport. I am sure they can buy people out or make people leave Riverfront style. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4123 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
Ray, Davison. Built in 1942, America's oldest expressway. jjaba. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1726 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 134.215.223.211 |
Most of the folks in the neighborhood around City Airport are opposed to it expanding and opposed to it reopening as a high-volume airport of any sort, be it passenger or freight. I doubt the city could easily buy everyone out. | ||
Mjb3 Member Username: Mjb3 Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 24.145.154.7 |
Most of the folks in the neighborhood around city airport aren't opposed to it. Most of the opposition came from Warren and Grosse Pte based groups. They tried to move graves from Gethsemene(where my grandfather rests) to extend the runway. I think they should extend but go west(buy out houses). I still don't know if you would ever get Southwest to come back. They really went to bat for city airport and got shafted. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 1689 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 208.44.117.10 |
When the expansion discussion was last held seriously by the city, 15-20 years ago, the demographics, population, and residency of the area around the airport was much different. The neighborhoods that were beginning to crumble in the mid-80's, were still for the most part populated and intact. That just ain't the same today. The nieghborhoods surrounding the airport do not have to political capital to stop an expansion at this point. The cemetaries are another argument. That all being said, the demand just does not exist for expnasion - or even regular commercial travel (outside of potential commuter, midwest airlinks). | ||
Crash_nyc Member Username: Crash_nyc Post Number: 633 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 24.193.161.193 |
Anyone remember "Pro Air"? I flew Pro Air in & out of CIty Airport numerous times from NYC during the late 90's. With my family on the East Side, it was sooo ideal!: I could leave the house, and be on a plane within an hour. Too bad Pro Air went belly-up. I got screwed in the last days of their existance. My last scheduled flight with them was cancelled at the last minute, and I took another flight out of Metro, with assurance from Pro Air that I would be compensated. However, when I checked back with Pro Air, there was no Pro Air. They had just filed for bankruptcy, and I got nothing. | ||
Lurker Member Username: Lurker Post Number: 1679 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 65.196.220.198 |
Pro Air was great stuff. You could just walk up to the counter with $80 cash and get on the plane. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 1691 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 208.44.117.10 |
Flew pro air 1-2 times a month for 2 years. I was on their intitial flight out of City to BWI. It was great having guests flying into city -- I could be at Honest John's until 8:50 and still get to the Airport in time to pick up somebody who was coming in on the 9:00 pm flight. Alas, it was kind of scary when they were originally grounded, and it came out that the planes had not gone through the correct maintenance procedures in the 2 years they had been flying. Kind of makes on thankful that nothing tragic happened | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1730 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 134.215.223.211 |
Mjb3, the Warren Connor Development Corporation, Morningside and several other community groups are very opposed to the expansion or increase in traffic at City Airport. They've got enough clout to put a stop to any major plans. | ||
Bibs Member Username: Bibs Post Number: 529 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Flew ProAir to Atlanta. Parked in lot adjacent to the terminal. Walk to the ticket counter only took two minutes. Took me about four minutes to get my ticket. When I landed, I could see my car from the plane. Very convenient. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 46 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 63.85.13.248 |
I had a terrible experience flying pro-air both to and from chicago. Flying out we were over two hours late, flying back we were three hours late and they let folks on that did not havve boarding passes. I was left holding a boarding pass but did not have a seat. This was a result of a bum rush to the door of the plane once it finally arrived. They offered me a free ride back to Chicago, but I would have to wait for a flight the next day (would cost me $200 in room and food)so we had a stand-off. The flight crew was really mad at me, but they did not give me an alternative that was reasonable; as I had boarding bass #2 and did not have a seat! They had to check passengers against a manifest, have them reshow ID and tickets. After a half an hour of delay, they found someone who had snuck aboard. I took their seat, and the other passenger thought I was being a jerk, but hey I was there first and if Pro-air was doing their job I would have been seated first. I was not about to incurr personal costs and take a day off of work just because some slacker at pro-air did not check boarding passes or call people in an orderly fashion onto the plane. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2483 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.105.103 |
Detroitplanner, in the post 9/11 period, I don't think your nightmare experience will be repeated. The time to get from the City Airport terminal/parking to I-94 is less than 5 minutes, so I don't think there's much of a business case for expansion of the Davison. However, Conner Ave. could be widened if necessary. Parts of Conner have a broad band of parkland next to the road, probably due to the fact that future expansion to a freeway was anticipated (a long time ago). Is McNichol's Ave (6 Mile) still closed by the airport? Or has that been reopened. That closing (during the CAY years) really hurt a lot of retail businesses in the area. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 7568 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 198.208.159.19 |
Seems a bit high to me. I hope it works but the prices make me skeptical. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2484 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.105.103 |
I guess I should have read the article first... OUCH!! That's a steep price. They're not going to get much casino traffic on their planes at that price. My guess is that this will appeal to high end Business Class folks who value the time saved over going thru Metro. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4124 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
In a comprehensive survey of The Forum, we stand squarely with DETROITPLANNER. The airline was wrong to let anybody on a plane without a ticket. Praise be to Allah that nobody got hurt with that maintenance record. Oy veyesmere! jjaba, frequent flyer. | ||
Islandman Member Username: Islandman Post Number: 306 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 68.42.171.59 |
When I worked in Cleveland, as soon as I told anyone I was from Detroit, they would go on and on about the casinos. This could work, but those prices are a bit high. It was always a bit creepy taking off from there and seeing the cemetery. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4126 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
That's not the onliest thing "creepy" about Detroit's Eastside. jjaba, LOL. | ||
Ed_golick Member Username: Ed_golick Post Number: 338 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.246.55.51 |
Gistok, 6 Mile is still closed by the airport. | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4128 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
And Six Mile is still E. Mc Nichols too. jjaba. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 116 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44 |
Hopefully if this is successful, other airlines will follow. Back in the mid-90's Spirit Airlines were supposed to start flying out of City around the same time as Pro Air. However the city dropped the ball on some last minute details and the plan was scrapped. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 52 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
huh? whats that Jjaba? People generally agree with me? Man I thought my job here was to be thought provoking, making folks think a bit out of the box... BTW, my mom worked at the Penny's and my Aunt the Federals, they had you surrounded! I grew up shopping at GR/Greenfield. Before fairlane opened that was all we had, well that and Plymouth/Evergreen. Okay and we had Grand River/Oakman, and thats all we had. Oh and this chair, and this lamp, and this paddleball... and thats all we had! | ||
Jjaba Member Username: Jjaba Post Number: 4132 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 71.193.193.49 |
Detroitplanner, jjaba worked at the shoe dept., Crowleys, Grand River/Greenfield. Mr. Manko was a real piece of work. jjaba worked at Wrigleys, Greenfield S. of Grand River, and ate at Big Boys there. jjaba sold Sunday Bulldogs on Sat. night in the parking lot of Sears Oakman. jjaba has your backside. jjaba, Westsider. | ||
Fury13 Member Username: Fury13 Post Number: 1171 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 69.14.251.28 |
C'mon, Jjaba. NOBODY says "McNichols." Any real Detroiter who sees a McNichols street sign immediately translates and vocalizes it as "Six Mile." | ||
Genesyxx Member Username: Genesyxx Post Number: 549 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 71.159.22.4 |
It's as high as I can remember a flight to Ohio. Plus it's a small jet plane (30 seats), so the cost has got to come from somewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if City Airport was overcharging for their services as well. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2490 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.3.220 |
Hey Jjaba, we don't have a 5 Mile on the eastside... but we do have a 3 Mile! And it has some of the largest mansions in metro Detroit! So there!!  Out of curiosity, just how did 3 Mile Dr. get its' name? (Message edited by Gistok on July 26, 2006) | ||
3rdworldcity Member Username: 3rdworldcity Post Number: 262 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 69.212.35.13 |
Lotsa luck, but I can't see it being successful. About 5 or 6 years ago Continental Express (or somebody) dropped its service from Cleveland to Atlantic City. Big money loser even though traffic wasn't bad. The casinos got together and discussed subsidizing the route but it would have taken a big up-front hit to the casinos (basically, they had to buy the planes) and a $2,000,000 annual subsidy. The casinos passed. I remember going back and forth to Cleveland years ago out of City (can't remember the airline) and it was exciting. Once, they ran out of gas and had to make an emergency landing..I wasn't on that flight. It was very convenient because the flights terminated at Lakefront Airport in downtown Cleveland. I remember the cost was reasonable at the time. I also used to fly at least monthly on SWA out of City and it was far better than going to Metro. The flights were always full. SWA ran flights out of Metro at the same time. SWA abandoined City, ostensibly because they were expanding their rouite system and "needed the planes elsewhere." The real reason I was told by a friend at SWA was that the FAA was giving them grief because the runways at City were not long enough to satisfy the take-off weight restrictions. What a shame. There used to be frequent service, profitable I'm sure, to Chi Meigs Field (now demolished.) City is (or could be) a real Detroit asset. I'm a very frequent flyer and I'd use it a lot if service were available to a reasonable number of places. Large numbers of north suburbanites are using Flint (a very nice airport) to avoid Metro and I don't understand why City is so underutilized. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 119 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44 |
Gistok, 3 Mile Drive got its name because its 3 miles from the start to the finish. So says the Detroit Alminac. | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1190 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42 |
"There used to be frequent service, profitable I'm sure, to Chi Meigs Field (now demolished.) " Meigs Field with its 3900-foot runway was a general-aviation (GA) airport with very few facilities. That meant, it was not a serious candidate for moving passengers. I owned a 1966 C-150F back during the 1970s and contemplated flying it into and out of Meigs for the experience. However, its approach over Lake Michigan always scared me off, especially if a series of fly-arounds were necessary during congestion on its one runway. | ||
Caquail Member Username: Caquail Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 4.240.84.19 |
Megis actually had commercial service until the late 1990s, daily flights to Springfield on United Express (operated by Great Lakes Airlines). Not sure about how the new guys at City are going to do, there schedule is bit limited, I like the idea of serving Burke Lakefront in Cleveland and Lunken Airport in Cincinati. For the time being this will probably be the best that DET can muster. Regards C.A.Quail | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1191 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42 |
Commercial, general, and air transport aviation are totally different animals. The mayor of Chicago had parts of its runway bulldozed back in 1996. Therefore, no more Meigs. | ||
Caquail Member Username: Caquail Post Number: 46 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 4.240.84.19 |
Megis was Bulldozed on March 30,2003. http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/n ewsitems/2003/03-1-157x.html Regards C.A.Quail | ||
Livernoisyard Member Username: Livernoisyard Post Number: 1193 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 69.242.223.42 |
Yup, I guess it was 2003. I thought the Daley closed it in 1996, but that must have been when Daley tried to close it. Listening to Chicago radio last its appeal for me, as I rarely listen to WGN anymore after Collins crashed his plane in 2000 and WMAQ became history, also that year. I still miss my old regular WIND after it went Spanish around 1986. |
