| Chicago Trip Report/PIREP [message #13157] |
Sun, 01 February 2015 23:52  |
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Dave Klain
Messages: 1162
Registered: April 2011
Location: Fairfax, VA
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Senior Member
Administrator |
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Appreciate all the tips and suggestions on a Chicago visit. Also got a very generous offer from an Ken Sutton to use his hangar while his bird was up for maintenance. We had a lot of last minute permutations but ended up going and took a rain check on Ken’s offer as we didn’t want to have to rent a car. Having considered Midway (yes convenient, but the fees were really, really insane) and because we had flexibility in our sked and didn't want to rent a car, we flew into Gary, IN (KGYY). Two FBO's on the field. We used Bessie Coleman Aviation which is a CAA FBO with unbelievably low fuel prices. They have a new building and a big canopy you taxi under (can accommodate anything up to an including Gulfstreams) so you don't have to load/unload in the rain, etc.
Linemen were great and after asking about a ride to the train, we were immediately offered one. Literally a 4 minute drive from the airport (actually next to the airport, but on the other side). Train is the South Shore Line. Check that you have the right schedule as they are different on weekdays and weekends. Gary Airport is a "flag stop" meaning you need to flag the engineer down. Not as hard as the website makes it out to be. There is a button in the shelter that says "activate train signal". Push it about 5 minutes before the train is supposed to arrive. A blue light starts flashing on a pole near the track and visible to the train. When the train approaches, step out on the platform so they can see you (apparently if they don't see anyone, they won't stop as kids sometimes hit the button and run off). Light stops flashing after 10 minutes.
Ticket price for us was $6/person (kids under 13 are free except during weekday rush hour). Conductors only accept cash. The train takes about an hour and pulls directly into Millennium Station (under Millennium Park) in downtown Chicago. It's a one block walk from there to an "L" station if you want to keep taking the train or you can grab a cab as you exit the station.
Getting around Chicago we used cabs and Uber. Very convenient and easy and beat the high parking fees we would have paid with a rental car. You simply don't need a car there.
When we left, we went back to Millennium station and bought the tickets. Note that the station also services Metra and the South Shore Line trains are NOT listed on the Metra schedule boards and you can't buy the tickets from their machines (which are in the main station hall). Instead walk back out to the train platforms where you arrived. There are machines there take credit cards. Then just go to the platform for the train you want and let the conductor know you are getting off at Gary airport as they will not stop unless you tell them.
Call B. Coleman aviation when you are at the East Chicago train stop (one before Gary airport) and they'll send a line guy out to pick you up. I had called them when we got on the train to confirm our departure but they requested the call from East Chicago as that is their tripwire to send a guy to the station. He was there waiting for us, 5 minutes back to the airport and we were ready to go.
FBO Fees? $20/night parking fee (outside, we did not need the hangar). They had told me that if the weather got bad the night before my departure, they would move the plane into the hangar free of charge which was incredibly friendly. We were there two nights and as we pulled up to the airport, I didn't see my plane. Line guy told me there was a bit of frost on it that morning so they pulled it in so that it would melt off (no charge) and left it there so I could preflight inside if I desired. It's service like this that makes it easy to recommend this FBO to anyone headed to the Chicago area.
I know that Midway is a bit more convenient (L train to downtown is 25 minutes vice the hour train ride we had) but we saved over $400 in landing and parking fees by using Gary. Obviously everyone's tolerance is different, but unless I was really pressed for time I would definitely use Gary when flying to visit Chicago.
Total expenses?
$20 parking fee x 2 - $40
Train tickets in and out of the city for the family - $36
A weekend in Chicago as my son visited his number one school choice (DePaul) and daughter got to experience one of the world’s great cities -- Priceless!
The icing on the cake? A great tailwind on the way home that had me record the highest ground speed in cruise/level flight I’ve ever in my MU-2…. Unless things change, looks like DC-Chicago may become a regular run for the Klain family….
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MU-2 AOPA administrator
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| Chicago Trip Report/PIREP [message #13159] |
Mon, 02 February 2015 10:07  |
Dick Shine
Messages: 390
Registered: April 2011
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Senior Member |
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370 you call that a tail wind? That's just a light breeze. I've seen over 400 knots several times and if I remember correctly the high was 430. BTW, I couldn't agree more about Gary as we go there once a year in the fall for a Chicago meeting.
From: Mu2list [mu2list-bounces@mailman.mu-2aopa.com] On Behalf Of Dave Klain [dave@klain.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2015 11:52 PM
To: mu2list@mailman.mu-2aopa.com
Subject: [MU-2 list] Chicago Trip Report/PIREP
Appreciate all the tips and suggestions on a Chicago visit. Also got a very generous offer from an Ken Sutton to use his hangar while his bird was up for maintenance. We had a lot of last minute permutations but ended up going and took a rain check on Ken’s offer as we didn’t want to have to rent a car. Having considered Midway (yes convenient, but the fees were really, really insane) and because we had flexibility in our sked and didn't want to rent a car, we flew into Gary, IN (KGYY). Two FBO's on the field. We used Bessie Coleman Aviation which is a CAA FBO with unbelievably low fuel prices. They have a new building and a big canopy you taxi under (can accommodate anything up to an including Gulfstreams) so you don't have to load/unload in the rain, etc.
Linemen were great and after asking about a ride to the train, we were immediately offered one. Literally a 4 minute drive from the airport (actually next to the airport, but on the other side). Train is the South Shore Line. Check that you have the right schedule as they are different on weekdays and weekends. Gary Airport is a "flag stop" meaning you need to flag the engineer down. Not as hard as the website makes it out to be. There is a button in the shelter that says "activate train signal". Push it about 5 minutes before the train is supposed to arrive. A blue light starts flashing on a pole near the track and visible to the train. When the train approaches, step out on the platform so they can see you (apparently if they don't see anyone, they won't stop as kids sometimes hit the button and run off). Light stops flashing after 10 minutes.
Ticket price for us was $6/person (kids under 13 are free except during weekday rush hour). Conductors only accept cash. The train takes about an hour and pulls directly into Millennium Station (under Millennium Park) in downtown Chicago. It's a one block walk from there to an "L" station if you want to keep taking the train or you can grab a cab as you exit the station.
Getting around Chicago we used cabs and Uber. Very convenient and easy and beat the high parking fees we would have paid with a rental car. You simply don't need a car there.
When we left, we went back to Millennium station and bought the tickets. Note that the station also services Metra and the South Shore Line trains are NOT listed on the Metra schedule boards and you can't buy the tickets from their machines (which are in the main station hall). Instead walk back out to the train platforms where you arrived. There are machines there take credit cards. Then just go to the platform for the train you want and let the conductor know you are getting off at Gary airport as they will not stop unless you tell them.
Call B. Coleman aviation when you are at the East Chicago train stop (one before Gary airport) and they'll send a line guy out to pick you up. I had called them when we got on the train to confirm our departure but they requested the call from East Chicago as that is their tripwire to send a guy to the station. He was there waiting for us, 5 minutes back to the airport and we were ready to go.
FBO Fees? $20/night parking fee (outside, we did not need the hangar). They had told me that if the weather got bad the night before my departure, they would move the plane into the hangar free of charge which was incredibly friendly. We were there two nights and as we pulled up to the airport, I didn't see my plane. Line guy told me there was a bit of frost on it that morning so they pulled it in so that it would melt off (no charge) and left it there so I could preflight inside if I desired. It's service like this that makes it easy to recommend this FBO to anyone headed to the Chicago area.
I know that Midway is a bit more convenient (L train to downtown is 25 minutes vice the hour train ride we had) but we saved over $400 in landing and parking fees by using Gary. Obviously everyone's tolerance is different, but unless I was really pressed for time I would definitely use Gary when flying to visit Chicago.
Total expenses?
$20 parking fee x 2 - $40
Train tickets in and out of the city for the family - $36
A weekend in Chicago as my son visited his number one school choice (DePaul) and daughter got to experience one of the world’s great cities -- Priceless!
The icing on the cake? A great tailwind on the way home that had me record the highest ground speed in cruise/level flight I’ve ever in my MU-2…. Unless things change, looks like DC-Chicago may become a regular run for the Klain family….
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