🇺🇸 Chicago Executive Airport

Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK (PWK)) is a publicly-owned, medium-sized general aviation airport located 18 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, in Chicago/Prospect Heights/Wheeling, Illinois. It is jointly owned by the Village of Wheeling and the City of Prospect Heights.

Type of Facility and Operations:

• Primarily serves business and general aviation.
• Operates 24 hours a day, year-round [chiexec.com/history/].
• The air traffic control tower is staffed by the FAA and operates daily from 6 a.m. (weekdays) or 7 a.m. (weekends) until 10 p.m. [chiexec.com/history/]. When the tower is closed, the airspace becomes Class E, and pilots use CTAF 119.9.
• It is the fourth busiest airport in Illinois [chiexec.com/history/].
• Offers major airframe and powerplant services, as well as 100LL and Jet-A1+ fuel.

Notable Features and History:

• Founded in 1926 as Gauthier's Flying Field, later known as Swallow Airplane Field and Pal-Waukee Air Port [chiexec.com/history/].
• The airport was purchased by the City of Prospect Heights and the Village of Wheeling in 1986, transitioning from private to public ownership [chiexec.com/history/].
• Renamed Chicago Executive Airport in 2006 to better reflect its capacity and role as a reliever airport for the Chicago metropolitan area, including O'Hare International Airport (ORD) [chiexec.com/history/].
• Features three intersecting runways, with all runways intersecting at the south end of the airport.
• Runways 16 and 34 have Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) arresting gear.
• Located within Class D airspace, which underlies Chicago's Class B airspace.
• Due to its proximity to O'Hare, all IFR approaches are to Runway 16, with a circle-to-land if necessary.

Current Status:

• Home to 325 aircraft, including 57 corporate jets [chiexec.com/history/].
• Serves as a significant economic engine for the surrounding region and is considered the business aviation facility closest to downtown Chicago.
• The airport is celebrating its 100th anniversary [chiexec.com/].
• Hosts events such as the "Run the Runway" 5K, 1-Mile Walk, and Kids Dash [chiexec.com/].

*Sources researched: chiexec.com, faa.gov, nbaa.org, airnav.com*