# Why was Meigs Field the default location for MS Flight Simulator? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339 "2015-03-30T15:31:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/1 "2015-03-30T15:31:56Z")
Microsoft Flight Simulator goes back to the late 1970’s, when it was first made by subLOGIC. The default airport has always been Meigs Field until FSX came out in 2006 (the real Meigs Field was bulldozed in 2003). Why Meigs field as a default, and not some other airport that might have been more familiar to the average person? Conversely, why Meigs field and not some _other_ small/obscure airport? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/2 "2015-03-30T15:45:51Z")
[Bruce Artwick](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Artwick) is from the Chicago area. He is the person that started SubLogic and wrote the first consumer version that was eventually bought by Microsoft. I have never heard him say exactly why he picked Meigs Field as the default but I always assumed it was simply because it was the most well known general aviation airport in the Chicago area. O’Hare and Midway are too big and busy to serve as the home base for a simulator that was mainly based around small planes. Meigs Field was very close to downtown Chicago which made it an interesting airport for a general interest, consumer oriented flight simulator. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/3 "2015-03-30T16:02:59Z")
Since Meigs Field is no longer with us :mad:, I’ve always thought that Burke Lakefront should be the new default airport in MSFS. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/4 "2015-03-30T16:15:04Z")
Based on my success with Flight Simulator, I always thought it was because the runway was surrounded by water on three sides, so when I crashed there was less chance I’d kill innocent people on the ground. I could wipe out the Planetarium in Demo mode:smack: ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/5 "2015-03-31T01:07:03Z")
The fact that you take off with several of the country’s most recognizable buildings in view was a pretty good way to immediately show that the game uses real-world location data. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339/6 "2015-03-31T01:46:49Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Microsoft Flight Simulator goes back to the late 1970’s, when it was first made by subLOGIC. I bought subLOGIC’s v1.0 on cassette tape for my [Radio Shack TRS-80](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmkYVSbodw4)sometime in 80-81\*!\* Think I paid $30 for it, which was a lot for a kid back then. Think I still have it someplace, wonder if it’s worth anything…