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.

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

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

seconded! Good stuff!

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

Glad you got something out of it, Ron! - 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

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

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

Thanks, Joe! - Martin

Thanks, David! - Martin

Thanks, Nathan! - Martin

Thank you, Dominic! - Martin

Thank you, Danny! - 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 😎

Thank you, Manfred! - Martin

Thanks, Bruce! - 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

Glad you liked it! - Martin

Thanks, Terry! - Martin

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

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

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

You are welcome - glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

Thank you - glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

Thank you so much 😀 - Martin

Thanks, Andy. - Martin

Thank you - glad you enjoyed the flight! - Martin

Thank you for the kind words. - Martin

Glad you enjoyed it! - Martin

Glad you liked it! - Martin

Thank you, Marcel!

My pleasure! - Martin

Thanks, Mike! - Martin

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

Thank you! 😎 - Martin

Thanks

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

Glad you enjoyed the video! 👍 - Martin

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

Glad to hear, Matthew! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words! - Martin

Thanks for the kind words! - Martin

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

Glad you enjoyed this IFR flight! - 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

Thanks, Kevin. Yes, indeed - this was one of the more challenging flights; nothing overwhelming but it did not get boring at all the whole time. - Martin

Thanks, James! - 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 for the kind words! - Martin

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

Thank you for your vote of confidence! - Martin

Thank you, Tony. - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Fabio! - Martin

Have a good flight! - Martin

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

Thank you! 😎 - Martin

Thank you for the kind words, Gery. - Martin

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

Glad to hear! - Martin

Thank you! - Martin

Thanks! 👍

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

Me, too! - Martin

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

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

Thank you very much for the kind words! - Martin

@martinpauly My pleasure, Sir.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you! - Martin

@martinpauly Thank you for the reply. I didn't know if I would actually get a reply, but I wanted to just leave a comment to boost engagement on your channel. I moved from Los Angeles to Japan, and man, do I miss the sound of private planes. Every once in a while, I'll hear maybe a 737, but not often. I used to go to Miramar every year, and now I go to the Komatsu Air show. My wife would get me a couple of hours of light flight training for my birthday. It was just a scenic flight, but the pilot knew I knew a few things, and he would let me handle a bit more than usual. Man... I miss flying. You seem like a dope pilot. Plus, your gear looks freaking amazing!!! Holy crap!!! So beautiful, so efficient. Maybe you can make it to Komatsu this year to the airshow? Not to fly in but to watch? There is a great car museum there. The Motorcar Museum of Japan. 5 floors of all kinds of cars. They also have a plane museum down the street. There is a plane that I think is a glider but has an enclosed bicycle compartment. Idk if the bicycle controls a propeller, I forget. I called and asked if the sim is working. They tell me yes. So we go and only the little video game kids sim is working. Not the full pro sim works... well that's what they say. The old ladies probably have no idea what to do and they don't want to be bothered but I'm sure if a pilot schedules flight time on the sim it will work. It says something like 10$ for 30 minutes maybe? Hell, ill pay that all day. I think imma like your channel. Stay safe n keep the blue side up!!!

@@kg-Whatthehelliseventhat Japan seems like a neat country in many ways, but I would miss general aviation too much. Komatsu Air Show? I'll make a mental note, but it won't be this year... Regards, Martin

@martinpauly no country is perfect in all ways, yet here I feel safe and am thankful for the health care system. I am sure there are private planes, but not like in the States. In Los Angeles, we had El Monte, Torrance, Hawthorne, and so many other airports in the area. Thank you for the reply. See ya later. 😊

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

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

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

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

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.

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