ARFF exercises NOTAMed?

[tiger]

I arrived a ORD yesterday for a commercial flight and caught an ARFF exercise going on (at least, I assume it was - I know where the 'dummy airplane' pad is and normal operations were continuing!). Quite impressive, flames and a plume of black smoke visible from some distance away.

Anyway, once inside the terminal I pulled up the ORD NOTAMs and couldn't see anything obviously related. Seems like as a pilot I'd want to know that the big ball of flames out on the airport was nothing to worry about. Would it be added to the weather broadcast or something like that?

 

[flyingron]

I've seen such at other airports. I was down in Australia (Alice Springs) and they had a big boiler plate aircraft (sort of looked like a DC-10) that they were setting fires in and attacking repeatedly.

We used to have similar operations with old burned out fighters at the airport at APG.

AFFF foam is fun stuff. I got to train with the BWI CFR guys on that (we carried it on one of our two engines and we did have the old 1W2 Baltimore Airpark in our district though, we were mutual aid for MTN).

 

[Brad Z]

I arrived a ORD yesterday for a commercial flight and caught an ARFF exercise going on (at least, I assume it was - I know where the 'dummy airplane' pad is and normal operations were continuing!). Quite impressive, flames and a plume of black smoke visible from some distance away.

Anyway, once inside the terminal I pulled up the ORD NOTAMs and couldn't see anything obviously related. Seems like as a pilot I'd want to know that the big ball of flames out on the airport was nothing to worry about. Would it be added to the weather broadcast or something like that?

The fire pit is on the north side of the approach to 14L, just south of 27R/9L. ARFF training exercises are pretty routine, and sending a NOTAM would be one more unactionable item for pilots to scan through. Flight crews who fly in and out of ORD regularly are effected by the operations, although smoke might cause ATC to stop use of the runway if it becomes problematic.

They might add something to ATIS, but a NOTAM would be unnecessary.

 

[Turningfinal]

The fire pit is on the north side of the approach to 14L, just south of 27R/9L. ARFF training exercises are pretty routine, and sending a NOTAM would be one more unactionable item for pilots to scan through. Flight crews who fly in and out of ORD regularly are effected by the operations, although smoke might cause ATC to stop use of the runway if it becomes problematic.

They might add something to ATIS, but a NOTAM would be unnecessary.

Every Tuesday, if the wind/weather conditions permit. If it's determined there's a hazard to air operations or ATC there will be no burn. It's also a training center for ARFF crews from around the midwest/US.

 

[docmirror]

The entire NOTAM system is badly broke. Don't make it worse.


YMMV, pro driver closed course,,, objects in mirror,,, may cause anal leakage,,, etc.

 

[tiger]

Every Tuesday, if the wind/weather conditions permit.

Interesting, thanks for the responses. I had no idea it was this routine (and therefore presumably well-known to crews flying in and out of ORD. I've taken many, many flights from / to ORD so surprised I've never seen one before.