ORD forced to deny Flight Following to all!

[mikea]

Not that any of us would notice...

O'Hare Airport's primary radar system shut down twice Friday, delaying many flights at one of the nation's busiest airports.

O'Hare's Airport Surveillance Radar 9 first stopped operating about 3:30 a.m., said Wendy Abrams, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation.

The radar was fixed at 9 a.m., but it went down again at 9:35 a.m. and was restored just before noon.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/174993,CST-NWS-radar16.article

Of course, this all due to dem small single and twin engine planes dat don't pay user fees to pay for da new radar hardware.

 

[tonycondon]

good thing that it was severe clear VFR on friday in the midwest. i suspect it would really throw a wrench in their ops not to have radar when its IFR

 

[Richard]

good thing that it was severe clear VFR on friday in the midwest. i suspect it would really throw a wrench in their ops not to have radar when its IFR

Your statement doesn't make sense to me. Other than visual or contact approach, I would think sky conditions matter not when on IFR plan. I mean, ATC would still need radar to control those metal tubes.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Your statement doesn't make sense to me. Other than visual or contact approach, I would think sky conditions matter not when on IFR plan. I mean, ATC would still need radar to control those metal tubes.

See and avoid works, at least.

Musta been an awful mess in the air, though! I wonder how many extra holds/diversions there were?

 

[tonycondon]

I was referring to visual approaches richard. Im not familiar with the approach procedures into ORD but I have a feeling it would be a real pain getting people in there without radar vectors to the ILS. with clear weather it would be ORD asking airline if they have airport in sight, then cleared for visual approach. easy.

 

[bbchien]

I was referring to visual approaches richard. Im not familiar with the approach procedures into ORD but I have a feeling it would be a real pain getting people in there without radar vectors to the ILS. with clear weather it would be ORD asking airline if they have airport in sight, then cleared for visual approach. easy.

I go into ORD fairly frequently. I can't remember when they were giving visuals- why?

Because the traffic density is SO high that the Traffic for the ILR 4R, for example, starts at PLANO intersection about 30 miles out at 8000 feet. It's rare to be able to see 30 miles.

For the ILS 27R last time I was in there, it started out over the water, 30 miles out with three mile separation. That's 10 aircraft.

They will put you in a penalty box or circuitous vectors at 4000 feet waiting to squeeze you in, but you better have a lot of fuel. That Conga Line is near always full. That's 10 minutes' load of aircraft in the magazine.

I wish I'd take a picture two weeks ago- you could see the big aluminum in front of you, then another small on in front of it, then a dot in front of that one.....and then you couldn't make out any more.

"Seneca XXYYZ, can you make 170 knots to REKKS?"

 

[tonycondon]

valid point bruce. i was hoping you would chime in as you obviously have experience flying in there. so all in all a radar outage would basically totally suck regardless of weather.