F4F Wildcat at O'Hare International Airport

I finished my 2 days of training in Chicago today and I had a couple of hours to kill at O'hare airport before my onward flight.  I was able to get rid of my next trip so that I had a few extra days to stay in the US and go visit relatives in Michigan.  

The airport in Chicago is named after one of our WW2 heroes - Edward Henry 'Butch' O'Hare.  In 1942 he became the Navy's first flying ace - shooting down or damaging several aircraft when a formation of 9 enemy bombers flew toward his aircraft carrier.  He became the first naval recipient of the Medal of Honour in WW2.  His final mission took place in Nov 1943 when his aircraft was shot down by the enemy and was never found.  

This aircraft is on display at O'Hare airport is a Grumman F4F Wildcat and was one of the most successful carrier-based fighter aircraft in WW2, flown by Butch O'Hare and other pilots in the US Navy, and also used by the British Navy.  This particular aircraft was salvaged from the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1990.  Once restored, the US Navy loaned it to O'Hare airport, where it sits between terminals 1 and 2.  

As a tribute to Butch O'Hare, in 1949, the Chicago-area Orchard Depot Airport was renamed O'Hare International Airport.

The 'Extra photo' is the view of Muskegon, Michigan, just before landing.  The flight to Muskegon takes about an hour and the flight distance is 118 miles/190 km from O'Hare.