Archive for September 25th, 2008
September 25th, 2008
We’re coming down, but supply out of Chicago isn’t fully recovered yet and now the bailout talk has traders thinking it will help the economy and drive up demand for gasoline. That’s right, good news would be bad news.
Here are the prices (as always, courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped four cents to $3.89 a gallon. We’re tied with East St. Louis with the second-highest gas prices in the state. The Illinois average dropped three cents to $3.94. The national average dropped almost two cents to $3.70. Illinois has the fourth-highest gas prices in the nation.
Diesel: Rockford dropped two cents to $4.05 a gallon. We have the sixth-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average dropped a cent to $4.22. The national average dropped slightly to $4.10. Illinois the ninth-highest prices in the country.
September 25th, 2008
Talk about ambitious.
A Beechcraft King Air 200 twin turboprop attempted to fly nonstop from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Rockford today.
The plane normally flies 2-hour or less trips around Alaska for Bering Air. This would have been a more-than-8-hour trip. It was flying to to get its annual maintenence inspection at Emery Air in Rockford. Emery has worked on planes from Alaska and Nepal, as well as places in the continental U.S. But it’s not often you see such a small plane try to make the trip nonstop.
I watched its progress on FlightAware.com much of the day. Sadly, they needed to land in Fargo, N.D., either for fuel or a stretch break. But way to try, Bering Air pilot, you have some serious … dedication.
September 25th, 2008
Chicago Rockford International Airport Executive Director Bob O’Brien tells me that the airline considering service from RFD to the Fort Myers, Fla., area might announce its decision early next week. It’s deciding between Rockford and a New York state airport for its newest service to Fort Myers area.
O’Brien has heard from about 1,500 households in the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area who regularly go to Fort Myers. I’ve heard from some of them too, and many seem to fly back and forth several times a season … and have friends and family who fly down to see them. Basically, a lot of demand for seasonal service.
Now, O’Brien is asking southwest Florida residents to take a survey too. It’s available at flyrfd.com through Monday.
RFD is making a full-court press for a long-sought destination, and it seems they’re really close…
