Chicago via the 152 Skyway
Article and Pictures by Evan "Crash" Wright
Hi Brian,
Let it not be said I am not doing my part for the
newsletter. You may want to shrink the photos for
those (chumps) without broad-band.
* * *
On Saturday, September 18th, I made a flight I should have made a long time ago,
the one up the Chicago lakefront. The weather and TFRs were finally
cooperating, so my friend Wyan and I decided to pile into the 152 and make the
trip. Before setting out from 1C5, we stopped off at the FBO to pick up the
latest Chicago terminal chart. Mine was so old it still had Meigs Field on it,
so I figured a new one was in order.
We flew SE past Lewis to I-80, then followed it East to Lansing Airport. North of Lansing there is a small gap between Midway's class C and Gary's class D airspace, which runs North to the lake front. I contacted Gary tower, just in case I grazed their airspace. They cleared us through and gave us traffic advisories. Once we were over the lake, they instructed us to contact O'Hare approach for further advisories, which we did.
O'Hare gave us a squawk code and asked our type aircraft, and destination. I informed them we were a 152 on a sightseeing trip and that we would proceed as far North as Montrose harbor, then turn around and head South. Flying up the lakefront, was definitely one of the most fun flights I have ever made. We saw the U of C, the Museum of Science and Industry, Soldier Field, the Museum Campus, and Navy Pier. Unfortunately, we also saw what was left of Meigs Field, just grass with a few walking trails. I almost didn't notice it.
When we turned around to head South, Wyan was able to take some great photos with his digital camera. On the way back, O'Hare handed us off to Gary tower again, and they cleared us through to the South. Once over Lansing, we returned to Clow the way we had come. The post flight briefing consisted of beer and pizza; an excellent end to an excellent flight.
Where To Now?
Hartenbower's September Fly-In