Chanute AFB - Aerial View - 9/14/22 

Stationed at Chanute from July - November 1976 for AGE tech school. Had some good times there for sure.

Good Lord, this video bring back memories. I was there in Jan - Mar 1978 for weather school. As an eighteen year old it was quite the experience. Thank you for doing this.

During the same time I was there in Jan-Mar 1978 for the weather school. All of the branches sent their people there for weather training. I will never forget coming home from class one evening and the formation had a contingent of Air Frorce, Navy, Army, and Marines. We were all singing cadence and it was quite a sight. Things like that I will never forget.

I attended Technical Training at Chanute 1986-87 - your video shows my dorms at 29.22 - Thank you for the memories...

Thanks for the video,to be so close to the buildings and trees.Spectaculare as l remember bsck in 81, summer,lots of dwimmong

Dave, I was in the CES Heat Shop, Asbestos Team & Steam Plant 1986-Closure. Thanks for the video. Kinda recall your name.

I remember my step dad going to some technical school there for jets. We would soon after, be stationed at Goose Bay Air Base, Labrador. We lived in a small duplex in Rantoul. This would have been around 1967. Cold cold cold. Or so I thought. Then we hit Goose Bay. WOW! Thank you so very much for your efforts. I am wondering who they troops marching belong to.

A little about your drone pilot. I was stationed at Chanute AFB, December 24th 1988. I began as an Interior Electrician with the 3345th CES. After I got my 5 level I was moved into the Instrument Controls shop where I also got my 5 level. I was at Chanute AFB until they put the padlocks on the gates. I then worked for Johnson Controls as part of the Caretaker Project for an additional 2 years. I finally left Chanute in 1996.

Closed the year I retired. Remarkably well kept after 30 years.

I spent the winter of '77 - '78 there in jet school. Just my luck, one of the coldest winters of the 20th century. We had to fall-in at 0515 and the formation arrived at the hanger by 0600, but with the heavy fleece liners and parka-type hoods they issued us for our field jackets, we were relatively free from frostbite. The blizzard of Jan. '78 was a hoot. I still have my Pitt and Ping (the airman's club) membership card put away with my old AF stuff. I was in the 3354th squadron, which was abandoned but still standing until about ten years ago. I lived on both coasts and the Midwest in the decades after I separated in '85, but over the years I drove through and around Chanute and Rantoul whenever I passed through that part of Illinois. After I left Chanute in early '78 I didn't see it again until driving through in '93, '10, and '20. It was interesting seeing how it changed over the years. The base was weedy and overgrown but still amazingly intact as late as '10, but several things got torn down between my '10 and '20 visits including the old 54 squadron. Compared to 1977, Rantoul was looking a little bleak as early as the '93 visit, even more by '10. Downtown seemed to be doing ok in '77 when the base was going strong and pumping dollars into the local economy. Lord knows I did my part with what little I had to spend on an E-1's pay. One of my first acts upon arrival was to join the credit union, then walk into Rantoul and buy a car (a '72 Fury) for $750 at the Chrysler-Plymouth dealer. That car was a lifesaver in those four cold, gray months that winter. I could get out of the barracks, off base, around Rantoul, and even down to Champaign whenever I wanted. It made the experience far more tolerable and never let me down. On my '20 drive-through I noticed that Rantoul got a Super Walmart out by the freeway. Nice.

Stationed there early April - Oct. '71, attending Avionic Instrument classes. Was one of the last student flights into the airfield. The old pentagon-like classroom building behind the hangars has been razed. Fondly remember the mid-rats in the giant chow hall on the mall.

I was stationed there in 1968, training on jet aircraft over 3 engines. Then sent to McChord Air base Washington State. I'm still in contact with a couple of the guys I was stationed with. Aircraft recovery unit.

Welcome to Fabulous Rantoul, ILLINOIS 😊

Went to Jet Mech tech school there in ‘86. Sad to see it in such disrepair.

I was there in 1992 august to November AGE training. When I was leaving the last AGE training class trained at Canute was just beginning . After leaving I went to Grand-forks AFB North Dakota. I think I drank more coffee while going to class there then I ever have in my life since .

David thx for bringing us along... I was there in Tech school Dec 1970- March 71... I was trying to spot my old dorms, ( that were new then) but I'm sure many have been torn down or remodeled and in very bad shape... Brings back so many memories... I know that was the coldest place I've ever been in my life.. Nice flying.. wish you could go to Castle AFB and get some drone footage there.. thx again for bringing us along... Take care my friend...

I was there in the Spring of 1979 for Autopilot School. What happened to the aircraft that were outside. I remember several of them: B-36, B-52, B-58, F-111.

I trained here in the fall of 1974 - OMS - 17 yrs old - the farthest away from home ever been - where is the B-36 was at the Main Gate ?

I wish I could have gotten my bearings I was in 3360th AGE from July 66 to Nov 66, 18 weeks of tech school and two stripes. On my way to Randolph AFB TX.

I was here in 1967-68 pneaudraulics training then sent to Luke AFB in Arizona trained on F-100 before going to Vietnam lot of good memories. I went to rope school and got my yellow rope was barracks commander across from the posy office in the 47th Squadron

December 85-May 87. Pneaudraulics, then 4 weeks of AFR course. Stationed at Barksdale AFB after Chanute. I had some great times at Chanute AFB.

Nice videos of the Base at present but what thousands of us remember is the main north and south entrance at the curve of '45' and down Main Street which connected with most of the student barracks. The former Post Office and missle class building, and the restaurant next to the Post Office. Thanks so much for your efforts!!

This place was amazing in 83'.....my tech school...surrounded by females who were also just out of basic.....😎

I was a student at Chanute from Dec 1970 until June 1970 and an instructor from 1974 until 1977 for instrument and autopilot . I saw one of the last airplanes land there. It was a C133. I was told it was nick named the crashmaster. I liked fixing airplanes much better than being an instructor. I did not volunteer to be an instructor. I was told if I did not accept the instructor job that I would have to get out. I got out of the USAF in 1980 as an FTD instructor at Mt. Home AFB. I might have stayed in if I could have remained a tech but it wasn't my choice. I became a tech rep for Sikorsky Aircraft in 1984 until 2012. I loved that job and I am thankful to the USAF for my training and experience that allowed me to get that terrific job. The military is not for everyone but it is a useful life experience. As a tech rep for Sikorsky Helicopters I worked with the US Navy for about 26 years, the US Marines for six months, the US Army for about a year and the Australian Army for about a year. My recommendation for military service would be Australian Army or Airforce, US Air Force, US Navy, US Army and lastly US Marines in that order. The way people are treated in the different branches is a noticeable difference. The work locations are different too. Most USAF jobs are in remote areas. US Navy has the best or most interesting locations for a young man.

Damn. This is crazy. I was here May to September 1990. Heavy Equipment maintenance. I miss this place. Lots of.good times.

Born there in 1955

Great video -- my dad was a 1SGT there from 6/69 - 6/73 and retired when I graduated from Rantoul HS

I remember very little, mostly because I was little - about 4-5 years old - 1960-1962. I remember I got to ride my bike to swimming lessons and we lived in Capehart (sp?) housing on base. Dad was a VIP pilot so I vaguely remember some of the flight line. Thanks for the memories!

I was a Dependent my Dad was stationed here as a Missile Instructor. Where he got out of the USAF. I know there are aircraft still on the base. Don't think they are in flyable condition. I was hoping you'd show them. As Google still shows them sitting there.

My father was stationed there in 1967. My mother worked civil service for thirty three years at Chanute. .I was six in ‘67 and I and went through the school system and lived and worked locally till 2015 when I moved away.

I attended weather observer tech school there in 1969. I remember marching to school very early in the morning and passed by a B-52, which looked smaller than I had expected.

I was at Chanute from Jan - April 1991, thanks for the vid.

Makes me want to cry. My entire family worked there. My dad enlisted there in 1939. Met my mom who worked there. My husband and I had to transfer to Texas to keep our jobs. Both retired. Believe things would have turned out better if we could have completed our careers at Chanute. It was a sad day when we had to leave my parents in Illinois.

Who mows the grass? And what's with the squad marching next to a derelict parking lot, but on sidewalks that look new? (I was there from June 1969 to January 1973. I worked on the base newspaper. When the Air Force ended the flying mission in 1971, I'm pretty sure we didn't have the story.)

5:15. If I'm not mistaken, that was the movie theater on the left. i was there at least 3 to 4 times a week.

I went to fire school here October to December 89 before being stationed in England. I remember riding the bus to fire school and going downtown to Urbana. The Fighting Illini. What a cool time to be 18!

I attended POL tech school there from Mar-May 1991. Spent a few nights in Champaign @ Kams bar doing what a typical 19yr old does...drink! lol

I enabled comments after seeing the volume of views, thank you all.

28:xx mark. 3342nd and 3344th STUS Sq's (bldg. 341? I think?). Then 3342nd moved to a dorm where the Lincoln Challenge now stands. TDY moved into the former 3342nd dorm. I was PP in 3344th. TDY & NPS together, man-o-man. What a cluster f..., mess. As the base was downsizing the 42nd wound up absorbing the 44th NPS students.

Stationed there 1979 for Minute Man 3 Missile Training. Lived off base with my new wife above Jim’s Furniture Store in apartment #4.

Where is this? What state even?

It could house homeless vets.

When I was there in 1961 we had WW2 barracks.

I was there in 1992. Fire School. I had a part in the entire Fire School march back from the training area to the dorms. Damn 341's should be left at basic training. Just sayin'.....what kind of drone is this?

Cool video but are you allowed to fly a drone that close to an active airport? I would hope that if you are not the FAA doesn't catch this video. I love seeing everything from this perspective but drone laws had to be put in place due to people going haywire with the new technology. the law reads as follows... According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), drones must stay below 400 feet and cannot fly within 5 miles of an airport without prior permission from air traffic control or airport officials.

BMTS 3711 Ssgt SPARKS ring a bell to u?

I dont recognize any of it! 🤨I was there sometime in 1992 going through the cruise missile training which was one of the longest tech schools, maybe slightly longer or shorter than the fire school IIRC. Flight 3372 I think. I do remember a Major Baron being in charge and a good barber shop just outside one of the gates. I think it was near the Rantoul News office that apparently had adult films for rent. 😆

Who was marching? Boy Scouts?

Swimming

😢😢😢😢

its sad to see how our taxdollar is wasted when bases close and the military just walks away. local communites get the shaftola in the end, towns die off and millions lost in the loca economy. so what do our elected leaders and military do.. they do nothing.. every base that closes should have a small contigent to make sure buillding are kept up and can be used if need be. look at todays military all clumped into a few bases now and thats a perfect storm for our enemies to take advantage of it. these places need to be turned over to Homeland Security for placement of migrants cause there are plenty of building to put them in

How absolutely wasteful this country is!

I was stationed there in August of 1970 we were in the old ww2 wooden barracks it's really sad seeing what it looks like now,such a waste it could have been used as a municipal airport or a technology school campus