Rantoul (KTIP)

The Chanute Air Museum is named after Octave Chanute, a man that never flew. He did however inspire two men named Orville and Wilbur Wright. As Chanute said, "Let us hope that the advent of a successful flying machine, now only dimly foreseen and nevertheless thought to be possible, will bring nothing but good into the world; that it shall abridge distance, make all parts of the globe accessible, bring men into closer relation with each other, advance civilization, and hasten the promised era in which there shall be nothing but peace and goodwill among all men."

As soon as you fly over the field, you will realize this isn’t your typical general aviation airport. Four overlapping large runways is overkill for the sleepy town of Rantoul. The massive hangars reveal the truth. Rantoul Airport was formerly called Chanute Air Force Base. The base closed down in 1993, but a large number of artifacts were left behind and are now displayed in the museum.

The museum is located on the field at Rantoul, formerly Chanute Air Force Base. In fact, your tie down will be right next to the museum’s outdoor exhibit of aging aircraft. You can use the FBO courtesy car to slip into town if you need a quick bite before or after visiting the museum. If the weather is nice, I suggest packing a lunch and eating on one of the picnic tables outside the museum. Plan on spending at least two hours in the museum.