Post by graham on May 25, 2015 10:25:11 GMT
Although this wasn't as such a spotting trip, I wanted to spend some time at O'Hare so allowed two full days there at either end of the week long trip. My two days there were the 2nd and 6th July 2006, weather was steaming hot so it was a very welcome that all the best spots for viewing were fully air conditioned. I never found anything that was an "official" viewing area but the airport has plenty of spots offering excellent viewing of the relentless landings and departures. Both days I was there, they seemed to be using two runways each for arrivals and departures, and of course, since I was there runways 7 and 8 have been opened for use.
The amount of movements is just mind blowing - a plane landing every few seconds ( or so it seemed) and as soon as a parking spot was emptied, another plane would taxi in to use it. Long before FR24 of course, so a decent pair of bins was required as well as the largest notepad you can find!
The airport is well served by the first class local public transport system that Chicago possesses, the airport can be reached by METRA train, dedicated bus services and an extention to one of the "EL" lines that radiate out from Chicago's city centre, otherwise known as "The Loop".
I stayed in a leafy suburb, Oak Park, about ten miles west of the Loop, from where I took a cheap taxi to and from the airport on both days. The hotel desk clerk was happy to call an early cab for me both mornings and at that time, the ride to O'Hare took about 20 minutes.
As has been mentioned, I had mislaid the full logs for this (and 2007's) trip, but have managed to put them back together with the enormous help of the truly excellent "RITA" website which details all movements for most major US airports by carrier/day/month/year. It doesn't include non US carrier flights, nor does it include biz, but these tend to use the large number of GA fields around the city where they still have the room to accommodate them.
I won't list every frame seen, the list would be endless, the major carriers using O'Hare are (or were in 2006)as follows
American
American Eagle
Comair
Continental
Delta
Delta Connection (operated by Sky West)
Express Jet
Mesa Airlines
Northwest
Sky West
United
United Express (operated by Mesa & Sky West)
U S Airways
U S Airways Express (operated by Mesa & Sky West)
List by airline/type to follow
The amount of movements is just mind blowing - a plane landing every few seconds ( or so it seemed) and as soon as a parking spot was emptied, another plane would taxi in to use it. Long before FR24 of course, so a decent pair of bins was required as well as the largest notepad you can find!
The airport is well served by the first class local public transport system that Chicago possesses, the airport can be reached by METRA train, dedicated bus services and an extention to one of the "EL" lines that radiate out from Chicago's city centre, otherwise known as "The Loop".
I stayed in a leafy suburb, Oak Park, about ten miles west of the Loop, from where I took a cheap taxi to and from the airport on both days. The hotel desk clerk was happy to call an early cab for me both mornings and at that time, the ride to O'Hare took about 20 minutes.
As has been mentioned, I had mislaid the full logs for this (and 2007's) trip, but have managed to put them back together with the enormous help of the truly excellent "RITA" website which details all movements for most major US airports by carrier/day/month/year. It doesn't include non US carrier flights, nor does it include biz, but these tend to use the large number of GA fields around the city where they still have the room to accommodate them.
I won't list every frame seen, the list would be endless, the major carriers using O'Hare are (or were in 2006)as follows
American
American Eagle
Comair
Continental
Delta
Delta Connection (operated by Sky West)
Express Jet
Mesa Airlines
Northwest
Sky West
United
United Express (operated by Mesa & Sky West)
U S Airways
U S Airways Express (operated by Mesa & Sky West)
List by airline/type to follow