The flight to MDW was uneventful. We took off from LAF (Lafayette/Purdue University Airport) in a Piper Warrior II (N47687). The active here at PU was runway 5. We immediately turned to a heading of 345 where we almost ran into a banner tow (we'll leave that one out of this...ahem...). After narrowly avoiding him we resumed our course to the Boiler VOR where we would capture the 345 radial outbound and keep on that until we got near the Chicago Heights VOR and then would capture the 355 radial.
My friend, Mike McDonald (Purdue Arrow), brought his GPS with him with was really nice to have. No longer are you constantly looking at your map and trying to figure out if that lake or town is the one you're supposed to be over.
As a backup, however, I had meticulously planned out my route. I've heard too many stories of people falling pray to technology. No matter how reliable that magic box may be, I still don't trust it. I know that it can (and, if you fly with me, will) fail.
Getting back to my story here... As I said, the flight was uneventful. We had obtained flight following right out of LAF so that MDW could be ready to expect us. However, once we neared Chicago we got bounced around on the frequencies. Everyone would give us a frequency, who would then tell us that we want someone else on xxx.xx frequency. After about 3 repeated changes we managed to get on Midway Approach.
Midway Approach gave us a clearance to remain at or below 2,000 feet and expect the "4s." My friend and I guessed this was local jargon since we hadn't been there before as pilots. If anyone here knows the runway configuration of Midway, it's all parallel and perpendicular runways forming a nice square.
As told by various flight instructors at Lafayette Aviation (the FBO at LAF where I rented the airplane), we increased our airspeed to 120 kts to keep up with traffic. In hindsight we didn't to as very few airlines were operating flights to/from MDW during the Labor Day weekend.
In the Piper Warrior you normally cruise at 100 knots and approach at 63 knots. We were almost in the cautionary range on the airspeed indicator coming over the threshold of runway 4L, landing behind an ATA 727. As soon as we came screaming over the threshold, I dumped all the flaps (even though we were well out of flaps operating range!) sending the plane soaring up in the air. Then we'd pitch down again and get low enough to flair. If we flair then we'd climb again... so after a few of these oscellations we managed to get the plane on the ground (close to the end of the runway) and take the last taxi way to the Signature Flight Service FBO.
We took on more fuel and had a cold drink to unwind after our doozy of a landing. Then we were off again. We obtained a departure clearence to fly out of MDW at a heading of 155. Again we were given runway 4L. We taxied to runway 4L and had an unevenful take-off. We used Mike's GPS the entire way back because we only had 20 minutes to get the airplane back to Lafayette Aviation before another renter had it checked out.
I have to say that landing at MDW has to be the highlight of 'career' thus far. The view of Chicago from 4L is just breathtaking!
For you aviation photographers... I've figured out how to get great pictures without getting chased away by security. Just get your PPL and land at the airport!
I got some pictures of some ATA 727s and a Vangard 737. You're right in the thick of it and can get great pictures from the front door of the FBO.
Anyhow, I think I've wrote enough here. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more traffic there, but it was extremely enjoyable landing at MDW in a Warrior.
I still can't believe I did that! I'm so psyched!
- Neil Harrison