Toronto to Chicago

This next flight is heading more westerly again, from Toronto, to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport - back in the USA, after months away! We spent a few days in Chicago, visiting the University of Chicago Medical Center, to talk about Kristan's eligibility for a Kidney-Pancreas transplant. Interestingly enough, the first thing they mentioned, was that she didn't really need to be on supplemental oxygen at their altitude, near sea level. Here are some things to do in Chicago.

Departing Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International airport. The view looking back, provides a good sense of the size of this airport, which serves a major metropolitan area.

Climbing through 10,000 feet, into the afternoon sun.

Cruising at 26,000 feet toward Chicago O'Hare. The weird thing on this flight, is that ATC gave me a 240 degree heading to fly, when leaving Toronto, and never gave me the usual "Resume own navigation" instruction, which would have allowed me to intercept my planned track. The heading vector they gave me, roughly (but not exactly) paralleled my 249 degree planned course, so I slowly drifted off the course line. I kept waiting for them to give me a right turn to a heading that would put me back on course, but it never came. I was ready to abandon using the ATC services, but I wasn't far off course, so I stayed with them, to see what they would do, when I got close to Chicago.

Sure enough, and a little to my surprise, at the last minute, ATC gave me a 90 degree right turn, toward my planned course, and also toward the approach path I had requested, when filing my simulated flight plan.

After I got really close to my desired approach path, then ATC finally gave me that long-awaited "Resume own navigation" instruction.

The curvy approach path I'm following, is courtesy of the WATSN THREE ARRIVAL (they used to be called STARs) with the ZANLA transition that I chose to fly, since a jet arriving in the Chicago area from Toronto would be likely to be assigned such an arrival route.

Following the curvy arrival route toward the ILS approach to runway 27R.

Established on the ILS localizer and glideslope, with the airport lights just becoming visible in the haze.

Catching a quick glimpse of downtown Chicago, and the shoreline of Lake Michigan, to my left.

O'Hare airport is huge, as evidenced by the widespread groups of lights of the various runways, that fill up my windshield, even at this distance.

I'm amazed at this little jet, that was able to make the first turnoff, without working hard. That's mostly due to the low approach speed, the excellent brakes, and maybe I should get a little credit for cutting the power expeditiously, getting the wheels on the runway as quickly as possible, and applying the brakes right away. Woo hoo, it feels good to have something work out so well.

Taxiing toward the Signature Flight Support building, which is at the far left end of the long building ahead.

All settled in, at the Signature FBO, with tanks full of jet fuel, and ready for the next flight.