GYY question

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caplive

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caplive
Planning on flying in to gyy (Gary airport) next week. My final destination is northern Chicago. What is the best way (train, bus, cab, etc) to get there from the airport? How long does it take? I would arrive around 9:30 local. I would have to be back to the airport around 5:00 PM to avoid a return night flight. Thanks in advance!
ation
 
Can't say much about the ground transportation, but gyy was a nice airport. Good fuel price, controllers, and fbo.
 
Where in Northern Chicago? I am in northern burbs, so I can help you. Gary Jet Center is a great FBO.
 
I've been in to Gary on a number of occasions, as noted the FBO is pretty nice as it the tower. Even when I don't land there I end up cutting through their airspace. Courtesy cars are generally available (I took one to lunch one time and they have a map of all the local fast food places).

There is commuter rail to Gary but don't know anything about it. It was one of those "if you build it they will come" things when Gary was supposed to become a big Chicago reliever.

Enterprise and Hertz are both available on field.

Where in North Chicago? PWK may be a better idea.
 
We did a Chicago weekend in May. Landed at GYY, Gary Jet Center drove us about a mile to the train stop. It was about 40 min to Millenium Station. We liked avoiding the Chicago traffic and parking expense.
For the return trip Gary Jet Center asked us to call from two stations before the airport. Their van was waiting for us when the train arrived.
Gary Jet Center helped us coordinate our landing time with the train schedule.
I don't know about rail connections to the north but the FBO may be able to advise.
 
snowbird said:
We did a Chicago weekend in May. Landed at GYY, Gary Jet Center drove us about a mile to the train stop. It was about 40 min to Millenium Station. We liked avoiding the Chicago traffic and parking expense.
For the return trip Gary Jet Center asked us to call from two stations before the airport. Their van was waiting for us when the train arrived.
Gary Jet Center helped us coordinate our landing time with the train schedule.
I don't know about rail connections to the north but the FBO may be able to advise.
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The METRA (NICTD) has about six trains a day on the weekends, choose carefully.

The neighborhood really sucketh. The police come through in teams, and I'm talking kevlar and large magazines. Good they want you to call two stations away. You do NOT want to be on that platform alone for long.

Why not do KPWK, or cheaper, UGN?
 
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bbchien said:
The METRA (NICTD) has about six trains a day on the weekends, choose carefully.

The neighborhood really sucketh. The police come through in teams, and I'm talking kevlar and large magazines. Good they want you to call two stations away. You do NOT want to be on that platform alone for long.

Why not do KPWK, or cheaper, UGN?
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I agree 200% The METRA station is on the other side of the airport and it's under the toll road. I would be scared waiting there even for five minutes. STAY AWAY!
 
bbchien said:
The METRA (NICTD) has about six trains a day on the weekends, choose carefully.

The neighborhood really sucketh. The police come through in teams, and I'm talking kevlar and large magazines. Good they want you to call two stations away. You do NOT want to be on that platform alone for long.

Why not do KPWK, or cheaper, UGN?
Click to expand...

I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
 
caplive said:
I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
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That's your call how comfortable you are crossing. You can always climb high to reduce your wet footprint, or hug the coastline staying under ORDs bravo. Get flight following regardless.
 
caplive said:
I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
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Crossed the lake several times in an R-182. No big deal if you're IFR. 6,000 is a good altitude. At the farthest, you'd be about 30 miles offshore.
 
caplive said:
I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
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You can hug the lake and fly under ORD Bravo. No big deal. Depending where you want to go UGN or PWK could be options. KPWK is about 10 minutes from a safe Metra station. Atlantic and Signature are the FBOs. If you can coordinate with GYY, Gary Jet Center is a great FBO
 
What are you flying?
I agree in a piston single, about the only practical option is <1900 just along the lakeshore over the water, just be sure to be > 6 DME from ORD.

Not a lot of options if the mill quits.

If you are flying a Mooney, or something that is not altitude challenged and glides well (10:1 or better), you can nearly close the "glide gap" at FL 18 (which requires oxygen).

If this is relevant, and you email me are real email addy, I'll send you a dated article that still applies today from Aviation Safety, 2001. I wrote it but don't own the copyright.
 
bbchien said:
What are you flying?
I agree in a piston single, about the only practical option is <1900 just along the lakeshore over the water, just be sure to be > 6 DME from ORD.

Not a lot of options if the mill quits.

If you are flying a Mooney, or something that is not altitude challenged and glides well (10:1 or better), you can nearly close the "glide gap" at FL 18 (which requires oxygen).

If this is relevant, and you email me are real email addy, I'll send you a dated article that still applies today from Aviation Safety, 2001. I wrote it but don't own the copyright.
Click to expand...

I will be flying a 182 fixed gear.
 
caplive said:
I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
Click to expand...
Guess one can always fly to kelsi intersection and go around bravo space, look at the additional air time for the logbook!
 
If one crosses the lake in a Skylane, you do it at 16,500 (or 16K if IFR) and then ORD will let you anyplace on top as there are no conflicts with the approach corridors.

Then it's nearly the same coming form South Bend or going straight across-except for about 20 minutes.

But no way am I standing on that platform with an armed force with me. No Friggin way. And I'm from Chicago.
 
ORD will let you go anywhere you want at 10,500 as well. They can't really stop you. They will give you traffic services and reroute the ORD departures that you're in the way of.

MKE on the other hand will try to push you out of the way of departures even if you're outside the class C.
 
flyingron said:
ORD will let you go anywhere you want at 10,500 as well. They can't really stop you. They will give you traffic services and reroute the ORD departures that you're in the way of.

MKE on the other hand will try to push you out of the way of departures even if you're outside the class C.
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Heard that about MKE.
 
flyingron said:
ORD will let you go anywhere you want at 10,500 as well. They can't really stop you. They will give you traffic services and reroute the ORD departures that you're in the way.
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I can't believe that on flight following that atc would let FLIPS go over their air space at 10,500.
 
flyingron said:
ORD will let you go anywhere you want at 10,500 as well. They can't really stop you. They will give you traffic services and reroute the ORD departures that you're in the way of.

MKE on the other hand will try to push you out of the way of departures even if you're outside the class C.
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That hasn't been my experience, Ron. They use 91.123 to send you far away.... 10.5 means you do it NOT with VFR flight following, because they still think they can issue you commands on FF in Chi Appcon space. That is in contradistinction to 16,000 where they'll help you go anywhere. So they don't serve aviation safety- you have to tell them "bye bye" in order to go where you want at 10.5.

My schema to access UGN from (direct from PLANO, at >9,000 where the air is cool and smooth) Peoria involves, after the demanded 020 heading off of PLANO at 6K, involves cancelling IFR (on FF so he can still talk to me), exercising the "10.5 right" after heading for the 33.5 mile DME arc, then 28 DME around the bravo at 9.5, which would trigger EVERY RA from KRENA inbound.....then results in negotiation STARTED by ATC, and subsequent clearance direct UGN across the Bravo with discretion to 6,000.

But if the OP hugs the lakeshore and stays below 1,900 (really hugs the shore) he'll be okay.
 
201Driver said:
I can't believe that on flight following that atc would let FLIPS go over their air space at 10,500.
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i have done it on a number of occasions. I listen to them holding the ORD departures at 10,000 until they pass me (except for one they missed and the guy started descending to to a TCAS RA).

One of my trips was like this, I'm heading towards Chicago land at 10,000.

27K: Is there any altitude I can get that won't involve me having to go to KELSI?
C90: Let me check...<pause of about a minute>... no.
27K: OK, here's what I'm going to do. Cancel IFR, climb up 500' and you're going to give me flight following.
C90: That will work.


Now pretty much I file to GYY and just cancel and make the decision whether I want to climb to 10,500 or go down to 2000. I've never had had any problem getting following through the area however and they've never suggested anything other than calling out traffic.

Last month, I am blasting along at 12,500 and when I got my handoff to C90 it went like this:

27K: Be advised, at GYY I'm going to turn direct OSH rather.
C90: Yuck...I suppose you won't be descending from 12,500 any time soon.
27K: Negative

that was pretty much how it went (complete with the Yuck).

As I said, MKE is a different story.
 
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flyingron said:
ORD will let you go anywhere you want at 10,500 as well. They can't really stop you. They will give you traffic services and reroute the ORD departures that you're in the way of.

MKE on the other hand will try to push you out of the way of departures even if you're outside the class C.
Click to expand...
First ORD has nothing to say about the airspace around their airport. Chi-Approach on the other hand has a lot, semantics. But it has been my experience that Chi-App wants you much higher than 10,500 to go over the bravo. I think the letter of agreement they have with Chi-center is for airspace up to 16k and that is where they would like you to be.

I fly the lake front a lot and have found the MKE and MKE-APP are far more accommodating than Chicago.

I also know that if you do not get FF services and fly at 10,500 Chi-App will just huff and puff in their seats but can't do anything to stop you. But start that way and you might just be told what to do instead of what you want. You can then start to have your typical PoA urination fest of what ATC can do and what they cannot do, but on a radio frequency in some of the busiest airspace in the country.
 
ScottM said:
Chi-Approach on the other hand has a lot, semantics. But it has been my experience that Chi-App wants you much higher than 10,500 to go over the bravo.
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Sorry, C90, I mispoke there and it was obvious if you bothered reading rather than jumping excessively pedantically, that I was talking to approach and not O' hare.

Every time I've asked for VFR services either over the top at 10,5-12-5 or down below at 2000, I've had it granted without any huffing and puffing.
I fly the lake front a lot and have found the MKE and MKE-APP are far more accommodating than Chicago.
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Didn't say I had any issue with MKE other than while C90 didn't even issue a vector, MKE vectored me out of their hair even when I wasn't within the class C.

I also know that if you do not get FF services and fly at 10,500 Chi-App will just huff and puff in their seats but can't do anything to stop you. But start that way and you might just be told what to do instead of what you want. You can then start to have your typical PoA urination fest of what ATC can do and what they cannot do, but on a radio frequency in some of the busiest airspace in the country.
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I don't know what I did to get you to start the unwarranted ad hominem attacks. There was no "urination fest" here. The question was if they couldn't give me an IFR clearance without sending me 60 miles west of O'Hare, I'd go VFR. In fact, some times I've just cancelled approaching Gary, they've volunteered FF. Of course, I've also cancelled IFR approach Gary and gotten the response "excellent!"
 
caplive said:
Planning on flying in to gyy (Gary airport) next week. My final destination is northern Chicago. What is the best way (train, bus, cab, etc) to get there from the airport? How long does it take? I would arrive around 9:30 local. I would have to be back to the airport around 5:00 PM to avoid a return night flight. Thanks in advance!
ation
Click to expand...

Well, to get from GYY to north of Chicago back to GYY would take just about from 9:30 to 5. ;)

caplive said:
I guess UGN would be my best option. I will be coming from Michigan and am a little nervous about crossing the lake. Any thoughts on crossing the lake?
Click to expand...

In a fixed-gear 182 without oxygen, you will not be able to remain within gliding distance of shore. However, airplanes don't have to fly in straight lines - I would point at Michigan City after takeoff and fly around the lakeshore. You'll get a great view of downtown and save probably 2 hours worth of driving!

You can do it without talking to anybody if you choose your altitudes carefully (You'd have to squeeze vertically between GYY tower and the Chicago B). If you stay on the water side of the shoreline, the Bravo starts no lower than 3000 feet, so you can fly at 2500 (about 1900 AWL). I do this frequently (most recently, the day before yesterday). When you're north of Gary's airspace, call Chicago Approach on 118.4 for flight following down the lakeshore, expect to be handed off to 120.55 at the temple (depicted on the TAC).

Have a great flight!
 
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