CHICAGO: ORD & MDW discussion

[F1 Tommy]

Very last AA system flight for the MD-80 will be flight #80 from DFW to ORD on September 4th. Then it will get ferried to Roswell New Mexico.

http://news.aa.com/news/news-details...s/default.aspx

[Steely Dan]

^ a fitting end for a bird that saw LOTS of action with AA at ORD and DFW over the decades.

this will leave delta as the last major US operator of MD-80/90, and with delta's minimal presence at ORD, we won't be seeing nearly as many of them anymore.

oh well, it's for the best really. i know many will get nostalgic for the aircraft, but i always though they were obscenely noisy anywhere near the rear of the plane.

[NikolasM]

Originally Posted by k1052

It's clear. I think it's mostly used for departures anyway or 22R a tiny bit for arrivals, only in a very small minority of wind conditions. I think I've departed from 4L maybe once in several years and I used to fly 2-3 times a week.

4L-22R should really be moved to the top (NW) corner of the airport grounds, intersecting 9L-27R. Then you could do the mid field concourses right. It would also free up tons of land for more cargo/hangar space to the north of the terminals.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by NikolasM

4L-22R should really be moved to the top (NW) corner of the airport grounds, intersecting 9L-27R. Then you could do the mid field concourses right. It would also free up tons of land for more cargo/hangar space to the north of the terminals.

That's a lot of money to spend for a slightly more optimal concourse alignment. If the airport needs more cargo space, which they won't for a long while probably when Aeroterm's phase 3 is done, they can push east to Bessie Coleman instead where CDA is now and use up Parking G.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago

Started construction last month and will take 2 years to complete.

"Work on two satellite concourses to the west of United's operation in terminal 1 will begin in 2020. Satellite 2 will be built first opening in 2023, likely to accommodate the United Express operation that must vacate terminal 2 before the space can be demolished. Satellite 1, which will be connected to the existing concourse C, work will begin in 2021 and complete in 2024."

https://chicago.curbed.com/2019/3/20...n-construction

Thanks for your info. Please posts a construction photos. We would like to see it.

[wchicity]

Originally Posted by N830MH

Thanks for your info. Please posts a construction photos. We would like to see it.

When flying out of T5 last week, it seemed as if the terminal expansion itself had not broken ground. There was a lot of construction on the surrounding tarmac though, so I assume they're expanding/moving around the tarmac before they start on the structure itself.

I'd imagine they would have a hard time giving up coveted T5 gate space during the busy summer season as well.

[Jim in Chicago]

Originally Posted by OrdoSeclorum

I'm a little confused about where the Terminal-1 expansion satellites are going to go, looking at this image. Seems like they would run into 4L or at least the infrastructure servicing it.

The infrastructure part is easy - they'll just route you on another endless loop that will take you to Wisconsin and back.

[Jim in Chicago]

Originally Posted by F1 Tommy

Very last AA system flight for the MD-80 will be flight #80 from DFW to ORD on September 4th. Then it will get ferried to Roswell New Mexico.

http://news.aa.com/news/news-details...s/default.aspx

Assuming it will be scrapped, they could sell tickets for people to have a whack at it with an acetylene torch. I'd pay good money to play a small part it it's demise. It was a red eye from LAS to ORD that put me over the edge and into the arms of an airline that didn't fly the Mad Dog.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Jim in Chicago

Assuming it will be scrapped, they could sell tickets for people to have a whack at it with an acetylene torch. I'd pay good money to play a small part it it's demise. It was a red eye from LAS to ORD that put me over the edge and into the arms of an airline that didn't fly the Mad Dog.

I really miss these planes due to their 2-3 seating. Too bad they could not have been re-engined economically. I'm more inclined to fly Delta these days since they still have a bunch of 717s and now the A220 (former CSeries) is reaching the fleet. I've spent WAY too much time in 737s (and the MAXes are supremely uncomfortable) to have much fondness for them.

[LouisVanDerWright]

Originally Posted by k1052

I really miss these planes due to their 2-3 seating. Too bad they could not have been re-engined economically. I'm more inclined to fly Delta these days since they still have a bunch of 717s and now the A220 (former CSeries) is reaching the fleet. I've spent WAY too much time in 737s (and the MAXes are supremely uncomfortable) to have much fondness for them.

Yeah, the MD-80 was an excellent airplane, what's the issue? I just flew on one in Hawaii again last summer. I love how they basically take off 90 degrees to the ground.

The best was Midwest Express (which is apparently about to make a comeback as a new airline) which outfitted MD-80's in a private jet like 2-2 seating configuration of all leather ultra comfy first class seats. There was nothing like being able to fly direct from Milwaukee to anywhere in the continental US like that.

Image of the MD-80 not sucking:


airliners.net

[k1052]

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Yeah, the MD-80 was an excellent airplane, what's the issue? I just flew on one in Hawaii again last summer. I love how they basically take off 90 degrees to the ground.

The best was Midwest Express (which is apparently about to make a comeback as a new airline) which outfitted MD-80's in a private jet like 2-2 seating configuration of all leather ultra comfy first class seats. There was nothing like being able to fly direct from Milwaukee to anywhere in the continental US like that.

The JT8D engines on the MD-80 are very inefficient and offer poor performance compared to modern options. Also IIRC they exceed noise thresholds increasingly in place at airports. American had looked at a re-engine program but decided to buy new aircraft instead (737s).

If you were in Hawaii you were probably on a 717 (MD-95) which while visually very similar to the MD-80 is of a different size and performance level. 717s are extremely popular these days and it's too bad bad timing and corporate interests (to sell more 737s) at Boeing killed the line. The market has been without an efficent flexible 100 seat aircraft for decades until the CSeries that now belongs to Airbus as the A220.

[Steely Dan]

new news.

it's an all-chicago team, Studio Gang & SOM.

Column: Chicago picks Skidmore, Owings & Merrill to design two satellite concourses for O’Hare expansion

Blair Kamin
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
JUL 08, 2019 | 2:10 PM

Chicago officials announced Monday that they have picked Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, best known as the architects of Willis Tower and the former John Hancock Center, to design two satellite concourses as part of the $8.5 billion expansion of O’Hare International Airport.

The selection marks the second time that the city has tapped hometown firms from five finalists vying for the lucrative O’Hare expansion contracts. The other three firms were from outside Chicago.

In May, the city signed a contract worth up to $160 million with a design team headed by Chicago architect Jeanne Gang to lead the expansion of O’Hare, which this year reclaimed its title as the nation’s busiest airport as ranked by total flights.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which has designed airports in other cities, “was the second highest scoring bid” in rankings from the city’s selection committee, said Matthew McGrath, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Aviation.

He declined to specify the committee’s reasons for the selection. City officials have not identified members of the committee, saying their identities should be kept secret to prevent outsiders from influencing the process.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill still must negotiate a contract with the city.

Ground is scheduled to be broken on the two satellite concourses, which will cost about $1.4 billion, in January 2022. They will be built to the west of the current terminal complex.

source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/colum...jre-story.html

[nomarandlee]

If this is the model for the concourse I'm not overly excited but I wouldn't say I'm put out either. Hope they went back to the drawing board a bit after they lost out on the global terminal. Also I'm just glad they weren't the ones to win the global terminal as it was clearly my least favorite.

via curbed Chicago....

[r18tdi]

Originally Posted by nomarandlee

If this is the model for the concourse I'm not overly excited but I wouldn't say I'm put out either. Hope they went back to the drawing board a bit after they lost out on the global terminal. Also I'm just glad they weren't the ones to win the global terminal as it was clearly my least favorite.

That definitely looks like their model for the global terminal.

[Jim in Chicago]

I realize that those designs are preliminary, but is there some rule that every airport concourse in Chicago has to have stupid little arms hanging off it at one end or both. What's wrong with one beautiful streamlined building. I guess the ORD C concourse as built comes close.

[Steely Dan]

It's official, Qantas starts 4x weekly service between Brisbane and O'Hare on April 20, 2020!

The 17 hour flight will be the 4th longest in the world.

This will give ORD non-stop service to all 6 inhabitted continents.

https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-laun..._campaign=news

[SIGSEGV]

We already have service to NZ (which greatly facilitates deployment to the 7th continent, since ORD->AKL->CHC-MCM is pretty easy, as far as getting to Antarctica goes...).

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

It's official, Qantas starts 4x weekly service between Brisbane and O'Hare on April 20, 2020!

The 17 hour flight will be the 4th longest in the world.

This will give ORD non-stop service to all 6 inhabitted continents.

https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-laun..._campaign=news

Nice! I am not looking forward to sit on the plane for 17 hours. That's too much! Instead, I definitely will try to fly nonstop from LAX-SIN or SYD in near the future.

[nomarandlee]

Pretty scathing long article about the history and never ever development of O'Hare,
.......

https://projects.bettergov.org/2019/...oken-promises/

For more than 50 years, the airport has been plagued by corruption and costly delays. The politically connected cash in. Meanwhile, passengers trudge through a transit hub that persistently underperforms.
By Alejandra Cancino, Better Government Association
July 24, 2019

This article was co-published with Chicago Magazine.

......It serves not only as a transit hub but as a buffet of lucrative public works projects for well-connected contractors, consultants and lobbyists. Often those projects are put forth to right the wrongs of previous failed projects at O’Hare, a Better Government Association investigation found......

[Steely Dan]

^ let's hope Lori can bring some of her light up the Kennedy out to ORD.