Chicago area from the southwest - advice?

Courtesy car... yes.

But I don't think there is a single rental car place there... and with
good reason, it's undeniably one of the most depressing slums in
America.

Ron Natalie wrote:
Chad Speer wrote:
We're visiting friends who live in downtown Chicago next weekend and
I'm considering a few airports for our visit. Aside from lamenting
about the murder of Meigs (which would have been perfect, of course) or
suggesting a boycott, can anyone offer suggestions as to the best field
and FBO for the visit? We're flying an Archer, so fees and service to
the little guy are of interest.

Actually, as smelly as it sounds, Gary, IN has always been good
to us. Coming from the East it's the last thing before you
hit the big city. We've stopped their for fuel a few times
and have taken their courtesy car over to lunch (they have a
whole list of restaurants they give you with directions).
It's relatively easy to get into Chicago proper from there.

- Schaumburg would be my first choice for cheapest. Use mass transit. Make
sure the train schedules match your needs.

- Midway is the closest. I would choose Midway, if someone is going to pick
you up or you want to maximize your productive time on the ground. Good mass
transit access. Even with the fees, you will come out ahead by saving on car
rental.

- Gary is also a good choice for location but a little depressing. Rent a
car. You will get to experience all the glories of the Chicago area:
pollution, congestion, tolls, road construction, confusing highway
exchanges.

All of these airports are a 45 to 90 minute commute to Chicago.

IFR to Midway. VFR to Gary or Schaumburg. Coming in VFR from the SE, pass by
Gary but give them a call. They protect a very small airspace and will
probably suggest a Midway approach freq for advisories. Fly up the lakeshore
until the scenery gets boring. Then, turn around. 2500 feet, 1/2 mile or so
off shore.


-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
Chad Speer wrote:
We're visiting friends who live in downtown Chicago next weekend and
I'm considering a few airports for our visit. Aside from lamenting
about the murder of Meigs (which would have been perfect, of course) or
suggesting a boycott, can anyone offer suggestions as to the best field
and FBO for the visit? We're flying an Archer, so fees and service to
the little guy are of interest.

Actually, as smelly as it sounds, Gary, IN has always been good
to us. Coming from the East it's the last thing before you
hit the big city. We've stopped their for fuel a few times
and have taken their courtesy car over to lunch (they have a
whole list of restaurants they give you with directions).
It's relatively easy to get into Chicago proper from there.

On 29 Nov 2006 16:17:29 -0800, "Chad Speer"
wrote:

We're visiting friends who live in downtown Chicago next weekend and

Also, any comments on the advantages of IFR and VFR in the area are
appreciated. I usually file IFR, but I have no desire to get the
guided tour. :-)


Chicago has a ton of area airports, but if you are trying to fly
closest to downtown, there are really only 3 choices:
Palwaukee (PWK), OHare (ORD), and Midway (MDW).

ORD is, well ORD, one of the busiest airports in the world. I would
rule it out unless you are seeking out an adventure. I believe
arrival slots are required, and the landing fee is steep. I have
never flown there, so my comments are hearsay.

PWK is a nice airport, with nice FBOs, but it is still a long drive
from downtown, especially so in rush hour traffic (1hr).

Midway is the closest to downtown of the 3. It is probably also the
easiest to access when arriving from the SouthWest, so that is where I
would go.

I would call ahead to the FBOs (MillionAir?) to ask for latest fuel
price, landing fees, tiedown/overnight fees, and if any of these are
waived for purchasing fuel. Reading the airnav.com site, the charges
seem to be a point of contention. Either way, I would expect to
outlay for some combination of $5.00 fuel, $10.00 landing fee and $50
ramp fee.

MDW also is served by the Orange Line El Train so if your company gets
tied up, and you lose your ride, you could take the El train back to
MDW.

IFR. I have never flown IFR into MDW, but I do not think you will get
vectored too badly coming in from the SW. Do expect to get sent lower
(3000), probably as you near the Joliet VOR (JOT) or perhaps further
West. I would probably file to the JOTv, and then expect to get
vectors upon reaching JOT, or perhaps the CGTv.

VFR. If you are on flight-following, center will drop you around 30
miles West of the ORD Bravo. Chicago Approach for flight following
will be 119.35 in that area. There are a lot of MDW arrivals in that
area, so I always feel more comfortable with Approach calling out
traffic.

-Nathan

Well, thanks everyone for all your great advice. I have a much better
picture of the area's airports and what to expect.

I think we'll fly into Midway since it's only a two night visit and we
don't want to waste time in transit or inconvenience our hosts. I'll
double check the fees this week, but it sounds like a fuel purchase
takes some of the sting out. No problem.

Now I'll just have to remember to be sharp on the radio so I don't get
put in the penalty box by approach. We don't have no stinkin' penalty
boxes at Kansas City Center, but I hear Chicago loves them. Maybe I
should let my wife do the talking. Nobody would dare mess with her.
;-)


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Well, the weather was severe clear for the trip up, so we went into
Midway VFR. I called Midway Tower (frequency on the Chicago TAC says
Midway Approach) over BOJAK, which is published on the I-55 VISUAL
APPROACH RWY 13C. It was on my way and easy for them to find. They
assigned me a code and put me straight to the field entering Class C at
or below 2000.

I eventually got a right downwind to 22R, while the big kids played on
22L (actually ILS 31C circle to 22L). I kept it in close and landed
long (probably unnecessary, since I didn't hear anyone else assigned to
that runway while taxiing in). Two hours and ten minutes on the clock
with a groundspeed most of the way of 165 knots. Too much for an
Archer, should be a long trip back. ;-)

Atlantic Aviation exceeded my expectations. Check my remarks on
AirNav. Great experience.

Left early last night because the weather looked like it could hold
some icing potential today (now it looks okay). We filed IFR, departed
in the dark VFR on course, ran into a ragged layer at 4000, picked up
our IFR with Chicago Center and took it up to 10000 looking for some
relief from the headwind. No luck. Groundspeed was 100 knots no
matter where we cruised. We stayed up high and with time spent below
2000 with Midway and below 4000 waiting for a clearance (and making 85
knots across the ground), we made Kansas City in just under 4 hours,
including a GPS18 back home at LXT.

Thanks again for all of your advice. This was a fun trip for my wife
and me.


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

I forgot to post a link to a nice photo we took while taxiing in to
Atlantic Aviation.

http://www.stickywebz.com/flying/midway.jpg


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Excellent, Chad. Glad it worked out.

Can you tally your expenses at Midway for us?

--
-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK

"Chad Speer" wrote in message
oups.com...
Well, the weather was severe clear for the trip up, so we went into
Midway VFR. I called Midway Tower (frequency on the Chicago TAC says
Midway Approach) over BOJAK, which is published on the I-55 VISUAL
APPROACH RWY 13C. It was on my way and easy for them to find. They
assigned me a code and put me straight to the field entering Class C at
or below 2000.

I eventually got a right downwind to 22R, while the big kids played on
22L (actually ILS 31C circle to 22L). I kept it in close and landed
long (probably unnecessary, since I didn't hear anyone else assigned to
that runway while taxiing in). Two hours and ten minutes on the clock
with a groundspeed most of the way of 165 knots. Too much for an
Archer, should be a long trip back. ;-)

Atlantic Aviation exceeded my expectations. Check my remarks on
AirNav. Great experience.

Left early last night because the weather looked like it could hold
some icing potential today (now it looks okay). We filed IFR, departed
in the dark VFR on course, ran into a ragged layer at 4000, picked up
our IFR with Chicago Center and took it up to 10000 looking for some
relief from the headwind. No luck. Groundspeed was 100 knots no
matter where we cruised. We stayed up high and with time spent below
2000 with Midway and below 4000 waiting for a clearance (and making 85
knots across the ground), we made Kansas City in just under 4 hours,
including a GPS18 back home at LXT.

Thanks again for all of your advice. This was a fun trip for my wife
and me.


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Travis Marlatte wrote:

*****
Excellent, Chad. Glad it worked out.

Can you tally your expenses at Midway for us?
*****


Sure - easily done.

$7.50 Landing Fee

$15/night ramp fee - first night waived with minimum fuel purchase. My
22 gallons were enough, but I don't remember the minimum. I only
stayed one night, so no ramp fees.

Fuel was $4.83/gal for 100LL. Airnav is showing $5.23 as of Dec. 1. I
don't know if that's a price change or a weekend discount. I had heard
of a flowage fee, but no such creature showed up on my bill.

They plugged my Tanis heater in at no cost.

Total cost? $7.50 plus fuel.


Chad Speer
PP-ASEL, IA
ATCS, Kansas City ARTCC

Chad Speer wrote:
We're visiting friends who live in downtown Chicago next weekend and
I'm considering a few airports for our visit. Aside from lamenting
about the murder of Meigs (which would have been perfect, of course) or
suggesting a boycott, can anyone offer suggestions as to the best field
and FBO for the visit? We're flying an Archer, so fees and service to
the little guy are of interest.

Flew into KPWK (Formerly Palwaukee, now Chicago Executive) for the
Thanksgiving holiday Seems any time I try to make this trip IFR (I'm
based in Missouri) I always get routed from PLANO OBK KPWK, so keep
that in mind when planning your routing. I'm usually able to get
direct PLANO from pretty far back (SPI usually) so it's not too much of
a guided tour. By PLANO I'm below 4000 MSL, usually get 3000 shortly
thereafter, then 2500 until the ILS into PWK. You'll always get the
ILS into PWK due to O'Hare being very close to the south. If they are
landing north, you won't get a circling approach to 34, cancel IFR if
you can and you'l be able to circle around to 34.

FBO's at PWK seemed to have changed hands a few times. North American
Jet, became Trajen, which became Atlantic. Signature is also on the
field.

I called Atlantic to find out what overnight parking on the ramp would
cost for my Archer, when they quoted me $50/night!!! For a 4 night/5
day stay that was going to cost me more than the fuel to get there!
Obviously Atlantic only wants the bizjet crowd.

Signature was a more reasonable $10/night. For comparison sake,
Shaumburg (06C) quoted me $7/night. Fuel at Signature was a
reasonable (?) $4.50/gal with a $0.50 discount for a weekend takeoff.
Ramp fee of $25 was waived with 7 gals purchased.

Signature was great, gave me full service in all respects, even helping
by entertaining my little one (2 years old) and the family cat which
made the journey with us.

I would have flown into 06C, but I was going to be arriving after dark,
and 06C shuts down at 7pm. There are no instrument arrivals to 06C.
I read somewhere that you could do a arrival into KDPA and then scoot
over to 06C.

In my case, PWK vs 06C is about equal from my in-laws, so ground trip
for them is minimal. MDW is probably a good choice if your going
downtown, since the train is right there.

As to departures.....

Anybody know the secret from departing the chicago area to the
south/southwest? Departing from PWK, I've either been vectored almost
to Iowa and then south, or around Midway to the south, and then brought
back on course. In addition I was told this last time when picking up
my clearance (with a filed 4000 for strong southwest windws at
altitude) that they want you to fly 8000 with the palwaukee two
departure. I've usually been able to negotiate lower, but my
"negotiations" only seem to last till I get handed off to another
sector. As far away as I was from ORD and MDW you'd think lower but
still above the MVA would be better for them, but ATC system design is
still black magic for me.

If this last departure had been closer to VFR conditions, I'd have
probably departed VFR, to pick up my clearance further down the
road.... Maybe next time.

Brian

bdl wrote:
Signature was a more reasonable $10/night. For comparison sake,
Shaumburg (06C) quoted me $7/night. Fuel at Signature was a
reasonable (?) $4.50/gal with a $0.50 discount for a weekend takeoff.
Ramp fee of $25 was waived with 7 gals purchased.


The 0.50/gal discount was taken off of the $4.50/gal so it net'd to
$4/gal in the end. Should have made that clearer