CHICAGO (May 29, 2026) – The Chicago History Museum in association with the Dave Truitt Historical Film Series is proud to host the free premiere screening of the documentary film “Holding Pattern,” an unprecedented chronicle and intimate portrait of the conflict surrounding a proposed third Chicago airport, on Saturday, June 13, 2026, 12:30 p.m.
For over twenty years, filmmakers Tom Desch (“Walkable USA,” “An American Home”) and Brian Kallies (“Lincoln Is Crying,” “Gaming Wall Street”) have documented the ongoing saga of a proposed third Chicago airport and its impact on communities in Chicago’s Southland and exurbs near Peotone, Illinois. Immediately following the screening there will be a panel discussion with filmmakers Tom Desch (director/writer/producer) and Brian Kallies (producer/writer/editor), airport proponent and long-time political strategist and analyst Delmarie Cobb, and anti-airport activist and Will County Board Official Judy Ogalla, moderated by former Fox News Chicago reporter Mike Flannery. Executive producer John Davies will also join the discussion.
Since 1985, plans for a third major airport in Chicago’s far south suburbs—with a full footprint larger in land area than New York’s Manhattan Island—have increasingly gained momentum. Proponents of the airport claim it would alleviate air congestion, meet growing passenger demand, and create thousands of much-needed jobs in the economically struggling Southland. Anti-airport activists have decried the plan as a potential environmental disaster, the destruction of irreplaceable farmland, and a waste of millions of taxpayer dollars. Still in play, this debate has spanned the administrations of seven Illinois governors and Chicago mayors.
The 56-minute “Holding Pattern” documentary frames this ongoing battle through the lens of two anti-airport activists, George Ochsenfeld and Judy Ogalla, and two airport proponents, political pundit Delmarie Cobb and former Park Forest mayor John Ostenburg. Over the course of more than 20 years, the filmmakers take an up-close and personal look at how the airport project has impacted the lives of Ochsenfeld and Ogalla, their personal relationships, and their evolution from citizens to activists to politicians. Cobb and Ostenburg, who have championed the airport for decades, address the political complexities of the project and explain why they believe eminent domain—the government’s power to seize private land for public use—is justified and could change thousands of lives for the better.
“Holding Pattern” is executive produced by veteran television showrunner and documentary filmmaker John Davies whose many national credits include the WTTW Chicago productions “Sneak Previews,” “Wild Chicago,” “Heroes on Deck” and “The First Jetliner.” The documentary is also executive produced by Robert Bied, president of Captain Dave’s Foundation and the Chicago Marine Heritage Society. The film is made possible in part through the support of Captain Dave’s Foundation, an Individual Artists Program Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, as well as a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, a state agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Discussions are underway with local Chicago broadcasters for a television premiere later this year, and with syndicators and streaming platforms for broader distribution. Updates will be forthcoming.
Link to RSVP for premiere screening
Contact: Tom Desch (773) 837-1915 or deschvideo@gmail.com