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Chanute Air Museum
By Cristina Mulberry
Discovering less traveled roads, out of the way towns, and lesser known attractions is often a favorite activity when my schedule allows. To accomodate this, I often drive when business trips are within a reasonable distance. About two years ago, I had driven with my husband to Missouri for a short business trip. On our return to Indiana, we passed through Rantoul, Illinois when we saw the Chanute Air Museum indicated on the map. Rantoul is approximately 120 miles south of Chicago and is a town of about 12,000-13,000 people. It was apparently once a significant railroad hub. However, it seems that Octave Chanute, a one time civil engineer and writer, became interested in air transportation during the late 1800's. His books inspired aviation greats such as the Wright Brothers. When World War I broke out, the US was not well prepared for aerial warfare. They had to open several airfields/training centers and selected Rantoul as one such site thanks to it's easy access to the railroad. Thus, Chanute Field/Airforce Base was born. It operated from 1917 though September 30th, 1993. It was used as a ground school through World War I and was expanded during World War II when the number of recruits stationed there rose to 25,000. It later became a training center for missiles such as the Minuteman ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missle), ALCM (air launched cruise missile), and GLCM (ground launched cruise missile). Many of the buildings have now been converted for other purposes but the main building and hangar house many historic aircraft, engines, missiles, training silos, flight simulators, and other exhibits of miliary and aviation historical significance. In addition, the Chanute Air Museum hosts an annual aviation camp for kids from 7th to 12th grade that provides both classroom and hands on experiences. Because Chanute is not located near a major metropolian area it doesn't appear to receive the amount of traffic or funding typical for many similar sites. For anyone interested in aviation and/or military history, Chanute is a great stop and allows visitors to enjoy exhibits in a leisurely manner. It is readily accessbile when traveling north/south from I-57 or from I-74 when traveling east/west. See the link listed below for more information and history. |
Chanute Air Museum
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This intel was contributed by mulberry
mulberry
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May, 2012
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