Chicago Center issues - GA IFR?

[dans2992]

I am planning a trip from 1H2 (just outside Chicago Center airspace to the south) into PWK on Sunday.

Given the issues with Chicago center, I'm not sure if we'll have any problems getting a clearance.

Assuming weather dictates an IFR clearance, does anyone have advice whether I'd be better off picking up a clearance from KC center all the way to PWK, or...

filing VFR to "on-top" conditions with KC Center, canceling IFR, flying on top to the Chicago area, then getting a pop up from Chicago Approach to fly into PWK? Are pop-ups not being accepted given the situation?

 

[sourdough44]

Now through Sat will be severe clear around KORD, may start to cloud up sometime Sunday. Maybe you could just ease in and out VFR if conditions allow?

I doubt ATC will be very accommodating, recovering still a bit from sabotage.

 

[steve_il]

Your best bet is VFR if the weather cooperates.

The NOTAM is saying Chicago center will be back end of day 10/13, but no one knows if they'll hit that date.

I tried flying KDPA - KCMI IFR this past Saturday (10/4). KDPA tower said center's computers are still down so they are not receiving electronic flight plans, so they had to manually request my clearance from Chicago approach. Typical routing is good: KDPA BACEN BLOKR RBS KCMI. The routing I received was KDPA PEKUE MZV (almost to the Iowa border). I assumed they would turn me on course once I was handed off to Rockford approach. Wrong. After talking to Rockford, they said they had to continue to send me west to Quad Cities as the area south of Chicago was a dead zone. To make matters worse, weather wasn't cooperating (picking up light rime ice at 4K) so we turned around and came back home. Weather was MVFR around Chicago and I had no interest in scud running.

In addition, they are using different frequencies. For example, Chicago departure is usually 133.5 leaving DuPage, but they were running on 126.8. I think a lot of Chicago center's frequencies are unmonitored right now, so you are probably going to be unable to reach Chicago center with the normal frequencies on your approach charts to get a IFR clearance in the air, so you'll need to get one on the ground (and be prepared for a roundabout routing).

From what I've been able to put together, Chicago is sending everyone eastbound GIJ FWA to get over to South Bend or Cleveland and everyone westbound MZV to get to Quad Cities. Northbound seems mostly unaffected with Milwaukee picking up the load. Southbound seems the roughest as you are going through Indy or Quad Cities.

Good luck!

 

[Turningfinal]

No issues with GA IFR (haven't done it myself but queried DPA controllers last week) in the Chicagoland area if that's the way you want to go.

 

[dans2992]

Ok, thanks guys. I just have to figure out what they're doing coming in from the south then.

 

[Jmcmanna]

Coming in from the south you'll go either through SBN or RFD approach airspace. There is no low-level radar or communications coverage south of EON right now. If you're leaving from any underlying approach control in ZAU airspace, you will be much better served calling on the ground because flight plans have to be retrieved with a phone call to the adjacent ARTCC, or if you're going within ZAU a airspace, ATC has to manually prepare something. If you call in the air, there will almost certainly be a delay in receiving a clearance because ATC doesn't know you're coming.

 

[dans2992]

Ended up going from CMI to Peoria to Quad Cities, RFD, PWK. Weather was IFR.

 

[dans2992]

Had a good view enroute though!