O'Hare Tower

[karbunkle1]

ATC is a great job. Keep trying to get in, if you want it. Sometimes you have to be the one making the phone calls because they don't always call you. There will be plenty of openings in the next 5-10 years.

[Ubertuberyou]

How did you guys manage to get a tour of the ATC tower at O hare have been trying to get a tour my dream is to become an ATC

[umgadan]

hey whats the name of the song it doesn't say on the side amazing song amazing video someday i hope i will be able to work as an atc 

[umgadan]

nicely done it is a good video nice job :)

[magnusdeus24]

where'd you guys do your training

[mleverone]

Does ORD still ever rock dual ILS arrivals to 14R AND 14L? I assume rarely since we don't get much CATIII conditions. I fly out of ORD every week and have never seen them run this pattern. Also, I've been trying to find information on 4L arrivals. Although this is extremely rare, I have talked to pilots that have taken every approach but 32R for obvious reasons, including 4L. This would seem to be used late at night, similar to 32L LOC only.

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone We still use simul 14's. L/R on foggy days with east/southeast winds. Not too rare.

I have been at ORD for 11 years and have never seen a 4L arrival and have only heard of a couple. It's pretty much last resort anymore.

32R is not an extremely rare approach. It would be used on very high NW wind days, and more likely, on a midnight shift when the main runways are closed for city operations. We just had a bunch last week. Why would you think 32R is not a legitimate arrival?

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone We still use simul 14's. L/R on foggy days with east/southeast winds. Not too rare.

I have been at ORD for 11 years and have never seen a 4L arrival and have only heard of a couple. It's pretty much last resort anymore.

32R is not an extremely rare approach. It would be used on very high NW wind days, and more likely, on a midnight shift when the main runways are closed for city operations. We just had a bunch last week. Why would you think 32R is not a legitimate arrival?

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 My original posting is old so let me provide some updates. I'm 1K, fly twice a week, every week. I call ORD ATIS every time before I fly to check the arrival. Late this Jan. I came in on a 14L arrival. While ORD was reporting arrivals on 14L and 14R, they actually were not simu. They were working 14L, and after I landed, they started working arrivals on 14R. The very next Thursday I came in on a 32R arrival. As assumed, it was a late night arrival with high-winds and snow.

[mleverone]

@mleverone Early this spring, I came in on a 22L arrival which I found such a blast. The pattern was 22L/22R/14R. This was a trip-simu arrival with a MD-11 landing on 22R and a 320 on 14R. Two weeks ago, I departed on 14L which I also found a treat. Although the taxi is long, it's great to see the backside of the airport. An amazing treat peeling out with a hard left over the international terminal! To your point on 4L. I heard that Air Force 1 came in on 4L, and then parked in the NE.

[Lampala123]

@mleverone You might be right about AF1. That does sound familiar. 14L departures are pretty common in the Thunderstorm seasons when the wind is SE through SSW, because when the storms pass over the lake we end up with horrendous flow restrictions for east and north departures. So it's a great place to bury a bunch of departures that are going to have to wait. But that doesn't mean just because you go to 14L, you're ging to be delayed. It's just what happens sometimes. Long taxi? Yes!

[karbunkle1]

@Lampala123 This reply should have been from karbunkle1. Sorry.

[Lampala123]

@mleverone What is 1K?

And, glad you got to see some different approaches...

[mleverone]

@Lampala123 1k is one of United's elite status. The qualfication for this is EQM 100K miles or 120 EQM segments in a year. I really want a 4L approach! I always fly it in MSFS2004, using the PMDG MD-11.

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone Oh, OK. Thought it might be something like that but it seemed like 1000 was a low number. I didn't get the context. You might as well forget about 4L. Right now! Don't spend time thinking about it. Or, go get a Cessna and a pilot and come in at 2 in the morning and we'll see what we can work out. Ha ha

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone See reply from lampala123. That should have been my login. Karbunkle1

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 This past fall (2010) I came in on a late-night (3AM) arrival to 32L on a 767. This is AFTER the shortening of 32L. It was great because on CH9 the pilot responded "OH! you are going to make us work for this one!" - I assume since it's a LOC ONLY approach now. Karbunkle - I'm curiously researching 4R, 9L, 22R, or 14R Departures.  I understand the taxi-time, but they must still use them for departures sometimes? I'm esp curious on 4R departures.

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone Well, that would have been one of the last times someone would legally land on 32L. It's now closed to arrivals due to that fact that aircraft are higher passing the cargo buildings, and therefore need more lateral space at the approach end. It's kind of a exaggerated rule but that's the way it is. 32L arrivals done!

4R departures: last time I did these was on a midnight shift and it was just cargo. I think we had some closures that made it difficult to get to the normal runways.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 Sucks about 32L! Great approach! I figured 4R would probably be a Cargo departure. I was actually shocked to see a MD-11 landing 22L...Didn't think it was enough space. Do you land on 22L much? I enjoyed it as I got to see the new runway on the taxi back. Curious, who do you fly for and what is the aircraft?

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone We land on 22L a little bit. It's a south wind configuration when the wind is too high out of the SW for RY10 arrivals. Some days we might be on it most of the day. But we'd rather not land 22L because it's an awkward taxi back. It used to be a nice operation 10+ years ago. It's plenty long for an MD11. Shoot, we have A340s land on 27L with only 7967 feet, certainly 8075 is enough (22L). I'm a controller at ORD, not a pilot.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 Yeah you are right. I forgot this past summer i came in on a 744 from SFO. I was asleep when we landed, but walking to the bridge, I said to the Pilot "I wish we could have flown the 32L LOC!". He said he was shocked because we landed 9R/27L with the 744! He seemed to be super excited about this. This was a plane swap (we were supposed to be on a 320), so the entire back of the 744 was empty. This allowed all econ plus to get international biz class - flatbeds!

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone That's a great upgrade! I once went to SFO from ORD and it was a plane change from a 767 to a 747. Plenty of room.

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone 9L deps: I have departed 9L one time only, and it was a stormy night and 14L wasn't available. So it was an option. It won't be really considered a dep RY until the final phases, and then it still won't be a primary dep RY.

22R: No need for it unless the wind is so high out of the SW that landings and departures are on 22L/R. It's been done, of course, but don't plan on it. If the wind was high enough we would probably land on 22R and depart 22L.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 Do you know why they dont do 9L/9R/10 arrivals on a Western flow? Also, last Thursday, I came in on a 6AM arrival, CRJ, short-right turn to final to RWY10. At the same time there was a simu approach to 14R. I don't understand how this is a "safe" approach? If the 14R arrival goes TOGA, and I'm landing on 10, isn't that a close call? I understand 14R doesn't cross 10 anymore, but that doesn't leave much space for a TOGA?

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone West flow is landing FROM the lake. East flow would be 9L/R/10. We tried it a couple times and it fails miserably. Someday it will work. Problem is finding a good departure runway. 22L works fine but 32L and R cut through the 2 finals for 9 R/L. 4L works but the timing isn't good. Hit the 9R gap, no prob, but to time it with a 9L arrival slows the problem down too much. You don't want a tie with a go-around.

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone It's not unsafe. If the 14R goes around, they have 2 miles to the intersection. RY10 is on the ground nearly a mile from the intersection. In the event of a dual go-around, they start nearly 3 miles apart, so you have time to turn or keep one low. It's funny because when they crossed, pilot unions didn't want to land 14R and hold short of 28 or 10 deps. That really slowed down the operation. Now it's no big deal because the city painted a threshhold north of 28/10!

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone 14R deps: Just used them a few hours ago. Midnight shift when other RYs are closed. We used to use it more when 14R was 13000 feet and long-hauls needed a long RY. Now it's just another medium length RY. We might use that one more than you think.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 Also, I'm not saying it's not a legitimate arrival. It just is far from the norm 28, 27L, 27R or 4R, 9R, 10 (understandably). I just think 32L and 32R are an amazing approach with the city off to your right. I understand they are removing these runways, but I'm surprised they don't land on them more as "I think" they are both an extra 50 feet wide. They are also in great shape IMHO, so I don't see why they wouldn't use that extra width. Also, why don't they rock 9L/9R/10?

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone It probably is a nice approach.  Those runways are going away with the new plan. I wish they wouldn't because they are great alternatives when the wind is high out of the NW. But, that's not for me to decide. 32L is a 200 foot wide RY. It is the only RY at ORD that is not 150 wide. I don't know why they are going with 150 vs 200. Maybe it's just a waste of concrete since there are no 200 foot wide landing gear. Just need room for the wings, and that doesn't concrete.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 Do you have any context behind the 4L arrivals that you have heard of?

[karbunkle1]

@mleverone It's a LOC approach, certain parts of the airport have to be cleared of aircraft before someone comes over the threshhold, and it's a terrible taxi back. And it just serves no purpose. We would use RY10 and 9R just fine before 4L. Like I said before, if the wind was very high from the NE, it might happen out of necessity, but it's just too rare.

[mleverone]

@karbunkle1 wonder when the do-away with 32L and 32R, they will slap a GS on 4L and start running ILS 4L/R?

[Ditalian25]

My Dad works there as a Cop I got a job there too I love O'hare.

[JohnDH1977]

1:50 Hell yeah AJ..great tune!!

[KUWTKfashion]

awesome! what kind of car does your friends have? looks sweet.

[djisadj1]

goin there in 6 days goin to new york!

[zoeylilcuds]

do u still use the first ugly tan tower?? Great Video!!!!

[doubl609]

The old tower by the Hilton is used by the city for airport vehicle operations, I believe.

[zoeylilcuds]

thanks!

[doubl609]

The runway configuration from this video is history... so this video should be a historical document to what ORD used to be. Since the opening of the north runway (9L/27R), they now run triple-simuls to 28/27L/27R and depart 22L/28/32L@T10 (mostly), this configuration is used around 75-80% of the time now.

[doubl609]

When the ceilings permit, they usually run visuals to the outboards (28/27R) and the "high-and-wide" arrivals on the new WATSN STAR join the ILS to 27L right down the middle from over the lake. They don't have to use capture points this way (the visuals to the outboards have a much shorter downwind) and they're arrival rates per-hour have increased dramatically.

[squawk0303]

how did you guys manage to get a tour of the tower?

i work for eagle at ORD and i've always wanted to get a tour myself.

[doubl609]

I landed the connection through friends that work at the TRACON in Elgin. Wish I could have taken some pictures and videos from there... that will blow you away as well.

[NatedoggInWPB]

wat an awesome video! you 2 look good too.

[bata9955]

beautifull ohare airport is the best

[6lemans10]

Viper, What was your at-sat score?

[cholomackdaddy]

ohare such a nice airport

[6lemans10]

I'm a CTI student as well! I graduate in December and take my AT-SAT in April! The FAA cannot pay my enough to start my career in ORD! The wash out rate at those level 10-12 towers/ facilities is HIGH! I want to start at a smaller airport. The CPCs in the busy facilites don't have as much patience with trainees as in smaller towers!

[ViperX83]

You'd be surprised. I was CTI as well and started at Potomac TRACON in the Dulles area, and my trainers have been great. I'm looking at making D2 end of this month/start of next month, and things are going really well. I'm not sure about other places, but you can be successful if you work with good people who are willing to help you out.

[6lemans10]

What were your geo preferences? How did you get Potomac Tracon? What section/area are you placed in (BWI, Dulles,National,)? What area workes approaches/departures out of Richmond International Airport (RIC)? I live in Richmond. Thanks.

[flyfish7ft]

sick video!

[hawk4174]

Awesome video!

How were you guys able too gain access into ORD's tower?

[doubl609]

As previously stated, few connections I made a C90 TRACON and I'm a CTI student.

[6lemans10]

I'm a CTI student as well! I graduate in December and take my AT-SAT in April! The FAA cannot pay my enough to start my career in ORD! The wash out rate at those level 10-12 towers/ facilities is HIGH! I want to start at a smaller airport. The CPCs in the busy facilites don't have as much patience with trainees as in a smaller towers!

[juarez456]

hey i know u

u were my controller on vatsim several times

remember Aeromexico 9895

[doubl609]

Removed music comment by mistake... someone should probably move that. I keep thinking it says "Reply"... and it doesn't have a confirmation or anything... whoops. Sorry to whoever posted that.

Anyways... the music.

1. Perfect - by Markus Schulz

2. Love All The Pain Away - by Ronski Speed

[leviathan94xxx]

wow im so excited imgonna go i might go in o hares control tower cuz my friends dad is a air traffic controller and he said hell bring us

[Aeromexico682]

hey im a fotographer how can i get into ohare with proper permission? i would love to go in for a tour of the control tower. =)

[230Sean]

Plan Weird is 22R/28/and a trip to 27L (on occasion) there is no runway 29. Just to let you know.

[doubl609]

Mistype... thanks.

[230Sean]

No prob. Are you a CTI student in the area?

[UAL8495]

Are you a CTI Student?

[UAL8495]

Hey,

I'm a CTI Student and am interested in getting a tour of O'Hare tower. Who did you contact for this? Thanks

[doubl609]

I'm a CTI student, yes. I made a few connections through the Chicago TRACON to allow for this opportunity (that actually where I'm hoping to work). Not easy to get in without permission these days... your best bet would be to call the tower and find out. Not even sure the number to be honest. Have to look that up.

[ERJ170Driver]

And the very next day a Mexicana Airbus overran 4R. I smell conspiracy!

j/k, lol

[withindiversity]

Thanks for sharing!

Awesome shots and video.

UAL027

United Virtual Airlines

[MDWMaNNN]

Very Nice!!

[BeechSundowner]

Nice composition.  KJAN towere wouldn't let me take pics or video on my tower visit.