"Roger 209, Current Midway weather clear, winds light and variable, altimeter 29 point 75. Thunderstorms west of the field. Landing runway 13 left. Call outer marker. You're number three behind DC-3. Acknowledge."

"North Central 209, roger that. Number three, check outer marker."

Traffic seemed smooth enough around the Chicago Midway airport that summer afternoon. Bill Lawson and his fellow tower operators were confident things would remain in control. It wouldn't be for another hour that the five o'clock rush of arrivals to the windy city made life more hectic. It was a chance to relax a bit and even sip a drink of that ice tea in Bill's thermos.

"Tower this is United Twelve-Twelve (1212) at gate six, requesting taxi clearance."

"Roger United 1212. Taxi runway one three right. Hold clear. Altimeter 29.75."

"Hey Bill," declared fellow controller Jack Anderson. "Look out there to the west. Looks like we're getting some lightning. That storm is developing pretty fast. Let's keep an eye on her."

"Right you are, Jack. I've noticed in the past 20 minutes that the clouds are darkening and there's some movement this way, I think."

"Yeah, and look at that wind indicator. We're beginning to pick up a westerly breeze, though it's still light and under five knots, Bill responded. "I'll check with North Central 209. He's out in that general direction."

"North Central 209, Midway. How's that weather off to your right?"

"Midway, 209. There's a boomer developing just south of us, maybe 20 miles west of the field. Confirm runway 13 left."

"Jack? Is that wind indicator right? Looks like we've got a 25 knot wind from 250 now."

"Confirmed. Wind now 250 to 260 at 25 knots. And the altimeter setting is now 29.65."

Bill nodded and quickly picked up the microphone. "United 1212, Midway. Winds now 250 at 25 knots. Altimeter 29.65. Taxi to runway 22 right."

Jack agreed that it was time to change the active runway. On Bill's command he grabbed his radio microphone and announced, " Attention all aircraft in Midway Chicago area. Active runways now 22 left and 22 right. Winds 250 at 25 knots and gusting to 30. Altimeter 29.65."

Bill adjusted his stack of flight strips on the console and made contact with the approaching aircraft. A Piper Super-Cub just touched down and he could see the pilot had his hands full with a stiffening crosswind.

"AirFreight One-Zero (10) on short final, cleared to land runway 13 left. Be advised winds gusting from 250."

Jack suggested that North Central 209 was still far enough out to make a full pattern to runway 22. Bill nodded and announced, " North Central 209. Active runway now 22 left. Proceed on closed pattern to landing on 22 left. Altimeter 29.65. Confirm."

"Roger Midway. Proceeding to downwind for runway 22 left."

Jack picked up his binoculars and peered toward mid-field. "Damn, " he shouted. "Looks like that Piper is about to lose it." And before he could add further explanation of the developing calamity out there, he instinctively reached to press the console alarm button to alerting the airfield's fire and rescue trucks.

"That Super Cub flipped over onto the runway before clearing the intersection," he continued.

"He got caught in those gusty winds and just lost it," Bill affirmed. "But not only that, AirFreight 10 won't have room."

"AirFreight One Zero, Go around. I repeat Go Around. There is an airplane on the runway ahead of you."

Jack watched the end of the runway and noted that One Zero was going around. He wiped his brow of sweat in great relief.

"North Central 209, Midway. We have an incident blocking the runways. Clear the traffic pattern and proceed to Lakeside outer marker. Acknowledge."

"Roger Midway. North Central 209 clearing the pattern. Proceeding to Lakeside outer marker."

"Attention all aircraft in the Midway Chicago area," Bill continued, "The airfield is closed due to a runway obstruction. Midway weather deteriorating. Thunderstorm approaching from the west. Winds 260 at 25, gusting to 35 knots. Altimeter 29.60."

Fred, the newest and most junior of the three tower operators, was watching the rescue and fire trucks racing to the overturned Piper. The combination of vehicular traffic and that flipped Piper was really messing things up. And it looked like it would be soon pouring buckets.

Over the telephone line from the fire department dispatcher came the report to Fred that the Piper was secured. There was no fire, the unhurt pilot was removed and there were no passengers. The runways would be cleared in 30 minutes, just as soon as the crane could lift the Super Cub off the intersection and the debris was swept away. Fred announce the status report to his colleagues.

Suddenly, from the back of the room came the voice of another participant. "Okay, that's it. End of the exercise you guys. We'll critique your performance after a ten minute break."

All this was actually taking place in a training facility, not in Chicago or even in Illinois. This was a routine evaluation exercise for Air Force air traffic controller students at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi. The time was 1953. And your author was one of those participants.

In an old W.W.II vintage wooden airplane hangar off the Keesler flight line resided a unique training facility. Within that hangar was a two-story wooden structure. The upper level featured a replica of a real air traffic control tower. Below was a room with large conference table, a number of chairs drawn around it, and several table-top microphones and intercom speakers.

The main part of the hangar floor was painted to portray the runways at Chicago's Midway airport, in those days one of the nation's busiest. The view of the large room was a fair representation of what a Midway tower operator might actually see. The dialog was cued by fellow students, in the conference room below, reading from prepared scripts. The instructor would cue each script reader what to say and when. Every attempt was made to create a realistic situation in and around the Midway airport. Student controllers on the upper level received simulated radio messages and scenario descriptions read over the interphone and public address systems.

For students, like your author, this was a grueling exercise. Not everyone in the class was up to the task of managing the situations presented. But in order to gain a graduation certificate, and earn a Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) rating as a tower operator, students had to endure and prevail in this stressful simulation. It was just one part of the thirty-three week program to train military air traffic controllers.

For this writer it was a terrific program and great preparation for my eventual entry into flight training. I remember it well and can still feel the tension of this realistic scenario. Oh yes, I did graduate and get both my USAF and CAA ratings as a control tower operator. That was way back in 1953.