In the 1940s and 1950s, Chicago was home to an experimental helicopter airway system, part of an effort to integrate helicopters into urban air transport. The system, known as the Chicago Helicopter Airways, operated along designated flight paths that hovered above the citys lakefront and major highways, aiming to connect downtown with airports and suburban areas. It became one of the few helicopter services in the U.S. to establish a scheduled passenger route. However, high operational costs, limited passenger demand, and the emergence of more efficient transportation modes led to its decline by the late 1960s, ultimately leaving the ambitious project as a forgotten chapter in Chicagos aviation history.

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