Bellanca

I have a student who really wants to do his night cross country into Chicago O'hare. I was wondering if anyone has any experience/advice for flying into ORD in something like a 172 or Archer. Will they let you do a touch n go lol? Do you think it is worth calling the tower by phone and asking them a good day/time? We were thinking that if we made the attempt we would probably try it late at night probably after midnight.

To give you some background, my student has been flying for a couple years and is a sport pilot with over 100 hours, upgrading his cert to private. He's been renting planes out of a Class C airport, so I know he has some experience dealing with ATC and has been around the block more than the typical private pilot student.

I've flown into Bravos a handful of times, and am up for a challenge, but I'm also a pretty new instructor and do not want to put myself in a bad situation. I figure if I can't find someone who has some experience flying a training plane into ORD (or somewhere equally as busy) to give me some advice, I will offer to take my student to STL or Midway because I've flown 172's into both and I know they will deal with small GA.

NoBeta

I really don't see an issue with it. I would just hit your student hard with atc communications and procedures within class B. Maybe even simulate it/chair fly it with them and pound them hard on ATC communications. Also don't forget to go over light gun signals and lost comms procedures. If you ask your student "what do you squawk if you lose your radios"? If the answer is anything other than 7600 I would not sign them off. You got the right idea going in the middle of the night though. The less traffic and ATC chatter the better for a newbie.

NoBeta

Ohh..... something I just thought of......... Have your student listen to Live ATC on the net. Have them listen to the Chicago TRACON and Tower for a taste of the busyness...... Might make them think twice if they don't like what they hear..... just a thought.....

Aviatorx43

Tried it as a private pilot with my former cfi. At midnight. Approach control was great, tower was not. They did not allow touch and goes, only full stops, for which there will be a large fee. We turned around and left the airspace.

galaxy flyer

I think he has to have a PP license to fly in Class B.

GF

172skyhigh

I have never been to ORD but i do live in Dallas if VFR they most the time wont let us enter Bravo(but somtimes they do, depends on how busy) and for as landing at DFW its a $100 fee. I would not try it untill i was positive you could land there and im betting you theres going to be a fee. No way there going to let yoou do a touch and go lol

Twin Wasp

far 91.131 - odd, it won't let me start with FAR in caps.

DirectTo

I took several students into DFW at night to shoot practice approaches, including several to touch and gos. Never had an issue with it, approach control was great, tower was more than accomodating.

At night, I wouldn't expect any issues. The later the better.

usmc-sgt

Local procedures are heavy at ORD. If you get a full stop taxi back ensure you are ready for what they give you. I have been in there 15 or so times and they still occasionally catch me off guard.

rickair7777

If you think the student can handle it, sure go for it. Just make sure that YOU can handle it too...talk to someone who's done it, study up, and call the tower (who knows they might actually have time to talk to you).

But if he's going to be overwhelmed there won't be much training value so it might be best to talk him out of it in that case.