Real-World IFR Flying: Chicago Midway in Instrument Weather 

Thanks! I could tell you had your hands full with everything going on that day. FYI, normally I would have been faster in the initial descent, but in bumpy weather my default speed is slower to protect the airframe from overstressing if a sudden updraft were to be encountered. The bumps were not terrible that day, so speeding up wasn't a big issue on this flight. I appreciate what you and all your coworkers from C90 do for us pilots! - Martin

Great work, @RadarCornflakes, and thank you for what you do.

You guys are great. I flew my Mooney into MDW with a ton of fear but y’all made it seem normal and safe. Thanks for all you do!

@@davidkodet8055 Thanks, David! - Martin

@RadarCornflakes, Let me echo Martin's comment. I live/fly in TX but get up to Chicagoland 1-2X per year. I have to say that the controllers at Chicago Regional Approach and Midway Tower are invariably helpful and polite. You Chicago ATC folks are top notch. Thank you.

Thanks for the kind words, Randy - glad to hear you like the format! - Martin

seconded! Good stuff!

I've done that a few times in my life! - Martin

Glad you got something out of it, Ron! - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, though I don't agree that this approach cannot be flown without autopilot. Sure, it would take a lot of concentration, but both the ENDEE6 arrival and the RNAV Z 13C approach are basically just sequences of waypoints - fly the airplane to one after the other and descend to the appropriate altitude, and you'll find the runway. Regards, Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Kevin. I love flying, and I love sharing what I learn and experience in flight with others. - Martin

Thanks, David. I really love the new panel - it makes flights like this one much easier. - Martin

I have been to some very memorable performances of the CSO. This one also included Wagner (the Tannhäuser ouverture) and Rachmaninov's second symphony. Sad to see Muti retiring, but then who can blame him at his age! - Martin

Thanks - let me get back to work on the next video then! 😎 - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, and I’m glad you enjoyed this flight! - Martin

Glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

Thank you! 😎 - Martin

Yes - it was a wonderful concert. Tannhäuser and Rachmaninov - just great! I will miss Muti, but I guess if anyone is old enough to retire, it's him. - Martin

Yes, they worked had that day and got the job done well, as usual. The approach controller even chimed in here with a comment on RU-vid! - Martin

Thank you, Chad - glad you enjoyed the video and the format! - Martin

Glad you enjoyed this flight and trip down memory lane! My first time in Midway was in the late 90s as well, in an Arrow - on a low IMC day (originally wanting to go to Meigs, which was below minimums that day). Quite an experience! - Martin

Thank you very much for the kind words! - Martin

@martinpauly My pleasure, Sir.

Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed this flight and video. - Martin

Thank you for your vote of confidence! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words! - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Fabio! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words - and I'm happy to take you along on my flights through RU-vid. - Martin

Glad to hear! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words, and see you in Madisonville! 👍 - Martin

Looking forward to it for sure, great event!

Thank you for the kind words! - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Glen! I hope you'll shed that rust and get back into the cockpit any chance you get! - Martin

Thanks 😎 - Martin

Yes, that transition can take some time. The good news is at the end of that journey, pilots feel just as home with a digital EFIS as they used to be with round gauges. - Martin

Those are two very different kind of aviation jobs - did you have a favorite between the two? Thanks for keeping us all safe as a Center controller - I appreciate what all you ATC guys and gals do for us! - Martin

My favorite was being an Air Traffic Controller! Thirty-six years then retired. Then went to work for BNSF Railroad and became a locomotive Engineer, very exciting work!

@@DirtyLilHobo Awesome! 👍

Sorry to hear about your medical. And glad to bring back some nice memories. I got my instrument rating in the late 90s, so I sure remember flying through the country on VORs and DMEs. I don't miss it much... And the weather awareness we have today is a real safety improvement. Regards, Martin

Thanks, Andy. - Martin

Thanks, Nikki - glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

I had to look that up.... P3D is a simulator, right? Does the autopilot there work like the one in my Bonanza? Thanks, Martin

Thank you for the kind words. - Martin

Thank you for the kind words - glad you enjoyed watching this flight! - Martin

Glad you enjoyed this IFR flight! - Martin

Glad I could give you a few glimpses of your old neighborhood, Ken! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words. I fly often and like to stay as proficient as I can. - Martin

I agree. And the beauty of the oxygen concentrator is I can use oxygen whenever I want, without fear of running out. - Martin

My pleasure! - Martin

I know what you mean, Andrew. What helped here were three things: - We were in (marginal) VMC at the time the runway change was issued - I had done this switch to the short parallel runway at Midway before several times - The Bonanza with the gear down is very easy to slow down, so you can be fast until short final and then slow quickly to a lower speed for touchdown - Martin

Don't those units need a medical prescription?

I actually don't know their operational limitations too well. But I do watch my oxygen level with a pulse oximeter. On my last long fight, I was up at 15,000 feet and it was showing 98% oxygen for me. - Martin

The vendor did indeed ask for a prescription, but accepted a pilot certificate in lieu of a medical prescription. - Martin

Hi Martin, can you share what model oxygen concentrator you purchased.

@@LiraNuna I've seen that notation on some ads for this stuff, but I'm really not sure if this only applies if the user plans to involve insurance in the payment. In the absence of a prescription, just track down an old guy like me and grab one. Most of us old timers can't put up much of a fight.

MDW would be a nice tower facility to visit. The airport is relatively small (area), so it must a very busy view up fro the Tower, with lots of activity on little space. - Martin

Thanks, Tom. We only catch one or two performances a year - it's a bit far away, but usually has been very enjoyable. Curious to see how things will go now that Muti is retiring (though who can blame a man at his age!). - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Gery. - Martin

Have a good flight! - Martin

Thank you, Marcel!

Thank you, Thomas - glad you enjoyed this flight! - Martin

Thanks, Mike - see you in Knoxville in a few weeks? - Martin

Reservations made will see ya there. Can't wait.

@@jetdoctn see you there!

Freut mich, dass Dir dieses Video gefallen hat, Chris! - Martin

Thanks, Preston - glad you enjoyed this one! - Martin

Thanks, Mike! - Martin

As did I. Meigs Field in particular is where I took off many times in the sim. - Martin

Thanks - I'll make a more detailed video about the O2 concentrator later this year. - Martin

@@martinpauly Hi Martin - big fan of you - o2 concentrators come in different price ranges - what‘s the devices name you are using? Best regards from Switzerland - Peter

@@peterweiss69 Grüezi Peter - the one I'm using is called Inogen. I showed more details in this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EoVtAgW5vsA.html - Martin

It all gets easier with practice, I promise! 👍 - Martin

Thanks, James! - Martin

Thanks, Joe! - Martin

Thanks, Terry! - Martin

Glad you liked it! - Martin

Thank you, Manfred! - Martin

Thank you so much 😀 - Martin

Sorry if I missed that earlier comment... I remember there were a couple of oversized bugs splattered across my windshield on the flight to Friday Harbor! - Martin

Thanks, Bruce! - Martin

My pleasure, Dave. And yes, the new panel with the GFC600 autopilot is a great help. - Martin

Thank you! 😎 - Martin

Thanks - happy to hear you like the video! - Martin

Yes, that's a neat feature in both Garmin Pilot and Foreflight. - Martin

Thanks, James. Along those lines, having a good autopilot is a close second to having a second pilot in the right seat, so that I can spend more time on planning and monitoring while the autopilot keeps the airplane pointed the right way. - Martin

Glad you enjoyed it! - Martin

Thanks

Thanks for the kind words! - Martin

Me, too! - Martin

Glad to hear, Matthew! - Martin

Thank you - glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

Hi Emil. I did not know about these upcoming runway changes at Midway. Thanks for the heads-up. - Martin

Thanks, Nathan! - Martin

Cost aside - what bells and whistles are you missing in EASA land? - Martin

@@martinpauly It's mostly traffic and weather inflight info. You can buy a Sentry+ for example but not all planes are required to have ADS-B out, mostly only CAT aircraft have it. You can get some more traffic with FLARM(extra subscription), but you can't get inflight weather, not even all ATS has a weather radar here, and PIREPs are not done at all. And I only ever once got the offer in advance by an AFIS tower to call a cab for me after landing at a small uncontrolled field in France, our FBOs don't offer mostly anything but fuel, often expensive fuel at that. And yeah costs are a factor too, all fields charge landings(only some in France are the exception), big fields charge a lot for landings and often mandatory handling fees like you're some rich G650 or something. Not to mention getting a plane like yours over here would cost a lot more, prices to own have really gone bananas.

There's a turn coordinator built into the electronic PFD, with rate-of-turn indication as well as an electronic representation of the ball. - Martin

Glad you enjoyed the video! 👍 - Martin

That’s quite low to have passed out from hypoxia. Did your instructor have any health issues that may have contributed? - Martin

Thank you, Danny! - Martin

Thanks for the kind feedback - and of course I’m curious now: What other issue did you notice?

Thank you, Tony. - Martin

Hey Rick, I can't imagine NOT having a hangar in a place like Tucson. The sun must be beating on the airframe every day - hopefully you'll clear the waitlist soon. - Martin

@@martinpauly Well I do have cover overhead. I have a shade port. I got a hangar a few years back when they were resurfacing KAVQ. I gave it up because it was so oppressively hot inside! I was on the west end of the hangars and the heat was extremely intense in the afternoon. Sure wish I'd kept it.....

It’s one of the best!

It *was* worth it. I really enjoyed the performance. - Martin

Glad you liked it! - Martin

Go for it, Bud. In the 172, maybe find out when MDW is not so busy - it'll make it easier for the controllers to get you in. 06C is also a great airport with a fantastic restaurant on the field. - Martin