Passenger Pickup - KORD Chicago O'Hare Edition

I'll support the motion - the VFR flight along the lakeshore, with FF, is some neat sight-seeing (if you're a passenger, at least). There's a published chart for that - close eye on the altitude required.
 
EdFred said:
Fly her one more leg commerically to a closer airport. It's January. The weather will be crap.
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I have been lucky flying long distances in the winter, but as you have said, flexibility is required for GA. I think the odds of making your flight without dealing with icing conditions on your 5 hour (non-stop?) flight will require some luck. If not clear, just snow could work VFR. Will the timing between fronts line up with a next day flight from PWK to keep you in the daylight and avoiding IMC icing, or will you need to delay your departure 1 or more days to get back home. Do you feel lucky? While I would want to do this flight, winter conditions are always more troublesome. How are you doing your preheat at PWK? Oh, you are putting it in the hangar overnight(s). This will not be an inexpensive pickup, although I do like adventure.

The reliability of picking her up from a closer airport from a drive, or GA flight, can not be overstated.
 
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MajorTurbulence said:
I have been lucky flying long distances in the winter, but as you have said, flexibility is required for GA. I think the odds of making your flight without dealing with icing conditions on your 5 hour (non-stop?) flight will require some luck. If not clear, just snow could work VFR. Will the timing between fronts line up with a next day flight from PWK to keep you in the daylight and avoiding IMC icing, or will you need to delay your departure 1 or more days to get back home. Do you feel lucky? While I would want to do this flight, winter conditions are always more troublesome. How are you doing your preheat at PWK. Oh, you are putting it in the hangar overnight(s). This will not be an inexpensive pickup, although I do like adventure.

The reliability of picking her up from a closer airport from a drive, or GA flight, can not be overstated.
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Flexibility is key and I wouldn’t do this if I had to be back for something specific within the following week. But you do raise something I hadn’t factored in, and need to: a hangar for the night. Food for thought.
 
I don’t recall a winter ever being this awful for flying. Usually in January, you get the brutal cold under clear skies. It’s been IFR or MVFR and icy all month - maybe one day with sun for a few hours.
 
masloki said:
I don’t recall a winter ever being this awful for flying. Usually in January, you get the brutal cold under clear skies. It’s been IFR or MVFR and icy all month - maybe one day with sun for a few hours.
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We've had much of the same. It got too warm on us and boiled some of the snow into the air, which led to over a straight week of thick fog. Thick enough that I'm keeping my eye on Amtrak tickets because the 21-hour train ride may actually be faster than the airlines if they can't get in. We had a cooler and beautiful (sunny, no wind, not dangerously cold) weekend, but then it warmed up again and turned to crap last night. I continue to watch the weather, airlines, and trains.
 
It’s the worst since I started flying… which hasn’t been that long but long enough!
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Don't worry, once I get my plane back I'm sure it will be nothing but blue skies. I'm sure of it.
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I was counting on your bad luck to bring me good weather for this trip. I bet your plane is airworthy by Sunday morning.
 
masloki said:
I don’t recall a winter ever being this awful for flying. Usually in January, you get the brutal cold under clear skies. It’s been IFR or MVFR and icy all month - maybe one day with sun for a few hours.
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Your getting the normal St. Louis winter weather.
 
One consideration for a flight like this, this time of year: There are many places in the country where I (piston single pilot) can reasonably expect to get a slam-dunk descent or an unrestricted climb to minimize icing concerns. ORD will not be like that; we are an inconvenience to them even on the best of days, and any special requests just makes things more difficult. To some extent, that's true even for the nearby GA airports - unless it's a real emergency, don't count on the kind of flexibility we are all used to in much of the US.

- Martin
 
Martin Pauly said:
One consideration for a flight like this, this time of year: There are many places in the country where I (piston single pilot) can reasonably expect to get a slam-dunk descent or an unrestricted climb to minimize icing concerns. ORD will not be like that; we are an inconvenience to them even on the best of days, and any special requests just makes things more difficult. To some extent, that's true even for the nearby GA airports - unless it's a real emergency, don't count on the kind of flexibility we are all used to in much of the US.

- Martin
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Thanks. That's helpful local information. I definitely don't want to hang out in the ice for the convenience of strangers.
 
Martin Pauly said:
…expect to get a slam-dunk descent or an unrestricted climb to minimize icing concerns. ORD will not be like that;
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Just adding some color - from week days to weekends things improve from impossible to “we’ll see.” I’ve had some success negotiating with enroute controllers (Chicago center/Rockford/south bend etc), or different C90 sectors, well in advance, to phone ahead and see if Chicago approach has some options. Sometimes they can’t put in the effort and some times Chicago approach doesn’t have options, but at least you will get a view into what’s on the table that day. Just another tool in the toolbox when it comes to risk mitigation.
 
If there is any comfort, and there should not be much this far ahead, the progs for the 1/29-30 look pretty good. This will be an anxious 5-7 days of weather watching, versus the relatively sure thing with Amtrak. If you can stand the indecisiveness, then you’re still a go.
 
Having done international transfers at ORD with separate tickets a couple of times in the last year, I’d say she has plenty of time to catch the 6-8pm flight to the city on the east side of our fine state. Then you can pick her up there and avoid Chicago altogether
 
I'm reviving my old thread. Same overall plan, different season. But we'll spend the weekend in Chicago to explore just a bit. Which FBO at KPWK should I go with? Should I rent a car or rely on Uber and light rail?
 
Where will you be staying at in Chicago?
 
iamtheari said:
Probably downtown, maybe near Millennium Park.
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Uber it, don't do a rental car, don't take the L. Listen closely to the nice people at the hotel desk on where you can go and where you should not go in Chicago.

You doing museums, taking in a Cub's game, night time river cruise? My favorite is the Museum of Science and Industry.

EDIT: Of course, if nothing else but light off a heated debate, let me also suggest you need to go to Giordano's on Navy Pier for a slice of deep dish Supreme.
 
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flyingcheesehead said:
MSI is great - And as a bonus, you get in for free with your EAA membership: https://www.eaa.org/eaa/eaa-members...programs/astc-museums-travel-passport-program

Double bonus: General admission for two adults at the MSI is $52. A year of EAA membership is $48. So, consider it like getting your EAA membership for free. :)
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That would be a great deal if I weren’t already an EAA member. :cool:
WDD said:
EDIT: Of course, if nothing else but light off a heated debate, let me also suggest you need to go to Giordano's on Navy Pier for a slice of deep dish Supreme.
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Do they charge a ramp fee if I land there?
 
WDD said:
You doing museums, taking in a Cub's game, night time river cruise? My favorite is the Museum of Science and Industry.
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Go to a Sox game if you like baseball.
 
What happened last time? Did you get the passenger via flight or train or car in 2023?

Have a great time in Chi! Better to visit in August than January!
 
NealRomeoGolf said:
Said no one ever.
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Am I no one! Maybe no one outside of Chicagoland, but for those who know.

PS I was nice and didn't describe the game watching experience you get at the north side stadium aka the urinal.
 
Justin M said:
What happened last time? Did you get the passenger via flight or train or car in 2023?

Have a great time in Chi! Better to visit in August than January!
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We just dealt with the airlines last time and it luckily worked out. I don't remember how long she ended up having to go through customs and border control and change airlines but it ended up being enough that day.

keen9 said:
Am I no one! Maybe no one outside of Chicagoland, but for those who know.

PS I was nice and didn't describe the game watching experience you get at the north side stadium aka the urinal.
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Even Kenesaw Mountain Landis thought the White Sox had a few decent players. #TooSoon

Chicago is fascinating for so many reasons. Baseball history is certainly one of them. Calling a hotdish "pizza" is another one. But my favorite is that, at least 16 years ago when I last visited the Windy City as a tourist rather than as a traveler, I found a reference to a blues club (can't remember name or location, didn't make it there that trip, all of this may be Inceptioned into me from intervening experiences) where you could sign up to play guitar with the house band. The sign-up sheet asked for your name and your skill level on a scale of 1 to 10. They helpfully listed Eric Clapton as an example of a skill level 7.
 
I fly in and out of PWK on a regular basis and can only speak for Signature as that is our company's preferred, but I've always been happy with the service there (which is not something I can say about all Signature locations). And if the winds are from the north, you will probably get to fly a RNAV circle to land.
 
KaiGywer said:
I fly in and out of PWK on a regular basis and can only speak for Signature as that is our company's preferred, but I've always been happy with the service there (which is not something I can say about all Signature locations). And if the winds are from the north, you will probably get to fly a RNAV circle to land.
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Back in the day you did the ILS 16, then you must cancel and do a visual 34.
Apparantly that routine changed..??
 
WDD said:
Uber it, don't do a rental car, don't take the L. Listen closely to the nice people at the hotel desk on where you can go and where you should not go in Chicago.

You doing museums, taking in a Cub's game, night time river cruise? My favorite is the Museum of Science and Industry.

EDIT: Of course, if nothing else but light off a heated debate, let me also suggest you need to go to Giordano's on Navy Pier for a slice of deep dish Supreme.
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There’s a former united 727 hanging from the ceiling. I was in the cockpit explaining all the controls, indications and systems to my 15 year old son.

He asked me how I knew so much information about the airplane. I casually responded “I was a FE on these at my first airline job”.

He kindly pointed out it was in a museum and I was old.

That is a great museum.
 
Kritchlow said:
Back in the day you did the ILS 16, then you must cancel and do a visual 34.
Apparantly that routine changed..??
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Yep. Usually it's RNAV 30 circle 34. A couple days ago, though, for some reason it was RNAV 16 circle 34.
 
keen9 said:
Am I no one! Maybe no one outside of Chicagoland, but for those who know.

PS I was nice and didn't describe the game watching experience you get at the north side stadium aka the urinal.
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Last time I was at a cubs game was during the renovation. The now president of a bobcat dealership asked if I wanted to go. Beats work. It was nicer than when I was a kid. But they still have the **** troughs.

Been a Sox fan since I was a kid. Sox fans know ball. Plus the food is better. Might have to dodge the occasional bullet in the stands though.

IMG_4585.jpeg
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Yep. Usually it's RNAV 30 circle 34. A couple days ago, though, for some reason it was RNAV 16 circle 34.
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Any strong preference for IFR vs VFR arrival? I usually file when I’m headed someplace busy but I’m open to better ideas.

Also, any local circling tips would be welcome. I know that some of those procedures are more of a wink and nod affair than a textbook circle-to-land.
 
iamtheari said:
Any strong preference for IFR vs VFR arrival? I usually file when I’m headed someplace busy but I’m open to better ideas.

Also, any local circling tips would be welcome. I know that some of those procedures are more of a wink and nod affair than a textbook circle-to-land.
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I'd probably go VFR, but definitely keep an eye on the class B boundaries if you're going to PWK.

Also, there's a lot of jet traffic into PWK, and if you're slower they're going to put you somewhere. We have a very short flight from our home base to PWK when we pick up pax there, and the other day I got scolded for only going 188 KIAS on my way in - I had selected a lower power setting to give us enough time to get through everything we need to do, but we were instructed to accelerate back up to 210 KIAS or greater until within 5 miles of PWK.

I made up for it with a nice circling approach and got both a nice smooth touchdown as well as a slowdown and quick exit that earned me a "Niiiiiiice!" from the tower controller. :)
 
Eh ……. I’d go IFR. A few reasons: how crowded that area is, extra set of eyes looking for traffic, no issue with Bravo busting, etc.
 
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