It is with deep regret that we share the passing of MDW Historians member Bob Jesko. Bob was widely known for his exceptional talent in photographing aircraft, particularly commercial airliners—especially at Midway (MDW)—and World War II Warbirds.

Bob’s lifelong passion for aviation began with his airline career at Braniff in 1959, working as a ramp serviceman at MDW. In 1962, he transitioned to O’Hare (ORD) with Braniff, remaining with the airline until its closure. He then continued his career with American Airlines in ramp service until his retirement.

An avid traveler, Bob made the most of his airline pass privileges, capturing stunning and unique photographs of aircraft around the world. Among his many adventures, he flew on a BOAC Comet and even had the rare opportunity to experience various Russian aircraft. His passion for aviation extended beyond commercial airlines; he flew on and photographed numerous Warbirds with the Confederate (now Commemorative) Air Force. Many of these historic aircraft no longer exist today.

Bob’s deep appreciation for World War II aircraft was profoundly personal—his uncle was lost in action while serving in the Eighth Air Force aboard a B-17 over Germany. This connection inspired Bob to visit England frequently, exploring WWII airfields and museums. His remarkable photography earned recognition, with many of his images published in European aviation publications. One of his most treasured photographs captured four German aces, including Adolf Galland, standing beside an Me 109 at Oshkosh.

Although not a pilot himself, Bob’s love of flying led him to become a co-owner of one of his favorite aircraft, the PT-17 Stearman. He also became the "official" unofficial photographer of the annual Stearman Society Fly-In in Galesburg, IL, generously sharing his stunning images with aircraft owners at no charge. In recent years, he continued to pursue his passion by attending the TBM Avenger Reunion in LaSalle-Peru, where he delighted in capturing breathtaking images.

Bob often attributed the beauty of his photographs to one simple philosophy: “Location, location, location.” His kindness, generosity, and passion for aviation touched many lives. He will be deeply missed by his friends and fellow enthusiasts.
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Blue skies and tailwinds Bob.

The Midway Airport Historians would like to thank the Blackhawk Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. We were recently contacted by the president of the chapter regarding some old airplane photos. The group acquired an old photo album that contained mostly train photos but tucked in the back of the album were several pages that contained photos of aircraft including many that were taken at Midway Airport! The chapter president graciously donated the airplane photos to our group. We are in the process of digitizing the old pics and will soon add them to our photo archives and post them on our Flickr page. Look for them shortly.

Also, we were contacted last week by Missy M. who recently came across her father's collection of 8mm movies. Amongst the home movies was a reel mostly shot at Midway Airport in 1958 (the first minute was taken at Glenview NAS). We've posted a link to her YouTube video on our page under the "Videos" tab. Thanks for taking the time to digitize the film Missy and thanks for sharing with us. You and your dad helped preserve a piece of Chicago's aviation history!

We deeply regret to inform you of the passing of a charter member of the Midway Historians. Captain John Chiros passed away unexpectedly Wednesday in Atlanta. John was presently working as an FAA Air Carrier Inspector and was in Atlanta in the furtherance of his duties as an inspector of airmen. John was a highly respected member of our group. His knowledge of airline history, equipment flown by each airline, and knowledge of the history of MDW was amazing. On a personal note, I remember seeing John and his brother Al on the observation deck at MDW shortly after United returned to MDW in 1964. Our friendship developed shortly thereafter as we pursued our goal of eventually flying for the airlines. After becoming a flight instructor and instructing at various flight schools at Midway, John was hired by Air Illinois and flew Twin Otters. After Air Illinois, John flew for a number of airlines including Orion, Spirit, Midway I & II, ATA, and finally Ryan International which took him around the world. John was a role model for his fellow airmen and as an employee of the FAA "he was always here to help." We are going to miss our friend terribly but we will never forget having been associated with a truly exceptional individual. Smooth air and tailwinds, my friend, and we'll see you again on the other side. Keep the blue side up you "old pelican."

Our condolences go out to his family, 3 children, grandchildren, sister, and former wife.  

—Bob Russo, 1/18/2024

Watch as Midway Airport Historians members Bob Russo and Dave Kaufman make the last landing ever on runway 31R.

The Midway Historians are happy to announce our first meeting in over a year!

WHAT:       Midway Historians Meeting
WHO:        Anyone who is is interested in the history of Midway Airport is welcome to attend
WHEN:     Sunday, April 30, 1:00 p.m.  
WHERE:   Illinois Bar & Grill — 1131 State Street, Lemont,  IL  

Join us for this social event to discuss the storied history of Midway Airport and Chicago aviation history!

​Today, September 1, marks the 60th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 529. N86511, an L-049 Lockheed Constellation, departed Midway at 0200 en route to Las Vegas. The aircraft crashed at 0205 in Clarendon Hills killing all 73 passengers and 5 crew on board. At the time, it was the deadliest single airplane disaster in U.S. history. The CAB concluded the probable cause was "... the loss of an AN-175-21 nickel steel bolt from the parallelogram linkage of the elevator boost system, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft."⁣
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Tonight, WGN Channel 9 News will air a special report on the accident during their 9 pm broadcast. One of our members, the late Elmer Maze, lived a short distance from the accident site and as an 11-year-old boy, heard this aircraft crash.

Bob Russo
​9/1/2021

It is with a sad heart that I announce the passing of one of our own historians, Elmer Maves. Elmer "flew west" on July 5, 2021.
 
Elmer was champion of commercial propliners and had the dubious distinction of having been eyewitness to a terrible aviation disaster, that of TWA Flight 529, early in the morning on September 1, 1961. Along with Elmer, who was 11 at the time, was his brother Charlie, who is today an expert on propliners and an aviation enthusiast.
 
The accident haunted Elmer for 60 years and he was elated to recently learn of the new memorial marker being erected close to the site of the disaster, for which there will be a memorial ceremony marking the Flight 529 crash 60 years ago, Sept. 1st.
 
— Dave Kent 7/21/2021