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Mascoutah, IL (August 17, 2000) -- At 7:10 a.m. Wednesday, August 16, 2000, when the 727 jet lifted into the air, cheers erupted and history was made. After years of naysayers and empty parking lots, MidAmerica Airport had its first regular passenger service.
Ninety minutes later the plane returned home to cheers and the Mascoutah High School Marching Band.
"Your elected officials were five miles ahead of everyone else," said Dan Fink, president of Pan Am. "Ten years from now this airport is going to double in size."
For the first 149 passengers -- including numerous people dressed in Cardinal red -- being a part of the historic flight was only part of the draw. Chicago activities, located 30 minutes away from the Gary airport, was another.
Dale and Erma Jean Vandiver of Belleville booked tickets with several friends. "We wanted to be part of history, but also thought it would be a good time to hoof it around the city (Chicago)," said Dale Vandiver. "We have tickets to the Cardinals game and I am hoping to see Sue the new dinosaur at the Field Museum." "I want to see the shopping malls," interjected Erma Jean Vandiver.
While many passengers like the Vandivers planned to stay overnight, Rhonda Fiss, Randy Fisher, Norma Monsivais and Joel Dick, all of Belleville, were headed to Chicago just for the day in hopes of catching the game. "We don't have tickets yet," quipped Fisher. "But we have plenty of money in our pockets just in case we can find some."
Fiss said the convenience of the airport made the spontaneous day trip possible. "We left our house 20 minutes before our flight. We didn't have to fight traffic or pay for parking," she said. "This is great. Of course we are going to use it again."
Fink said convenient travel is the company's goal. "Our customers are people 8 to 80 who are fed up with traveling on a congested highway only to wait two hours when they get to the airport," Fink said. "We offer more civilized travel with not a lot of hassle."
Pan Am's executives were making sure their passengers were comfortable Wednesday with Vice President of Operations Barry Bermingham working the aisles and shaking hands.
Fink said the airline has already expanded its service. On Saturday, flights to Pittsburgh International and Portsmouth, N.H., near Boston, will be offered. The company is currently negotiating with an airport in Lake of the Ozarks to offer commuter flights there as well.
Julie Crunk, a travel agent with Ambassador Travel in Belleville, expects a lot of business generated by the new airline. Crunk was a passenger on the first flight to Gary.
She said she has already booked 150 passengers on the carrier, with 92 of them on the first historic flight. The rest were for other days and other destinations, such as Florida.
"You really can't beat it," she said. "Especially when you consider traffic and parking at Lambert. I think people are going to realize rather quickly how convenient it is."
For Charlie Zarek of Brighton and Charlie Nager of Belleville, the flight was short enough to be a part of history and make it home in time for lunch.
"We wanted to say we took the first flight from MidAmerica," Nager said. "But we've seen Chicago. We just wanted to make it home to go to our favorite lunch spot in Belleville: The St. Louis Bread Co."
45-minute Pan Am Flight From Indiana Turns Into 5 Hour Trip
Stormy Weather Forced Temporary Detour To St. Louis
Belleville, IL (August 20, 2000) -— Thursday night storms knocked out power to Rick Kohl's home on Lakeview Drive, but that wasn't the only inconvenience Mother Nature threw his way.
Kohl was one of about 50 passengers, most of them from Belleville, who spent more than five hours on a Pan Am jet after stormy weather forced the plane into a holding pattern, then prompted the pilot to land at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.
The plane was grounded for more than three hours before making a belated landing at MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah.
Kohl wasn't particularly upset about his 45-minute flight from Gary, Indiana, turning into a five-hour adventure.
"The flight was long but enjoyable," he said. "These Pan Am folks were most hospitable. We would do it again." Kohl said he had gone on Pan Am's maiden flight from MidAmerica Airport to Gary on Wednesday morning so he could watch the St. Louis Cardinals defeat the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
He said Pan Am provided refreshments to the passengers during the delay, which no one seemed to mind.
"It was fun," Kohl said. "Really, nobody was grouchy. Everybody was still in a rather festive mood, knowing it was part of the inaugural trip."
Information provided by the Belleville News-Democrat
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