Big Wallaby wrote:Cheshire Figment wrote:I have a good story about me in a 172-RG (Cutlass) at ORD on a Friday afternoon in the fall.
Do tell!
I was going with some friends to a Mensa Convention at the Ramada Inn O'Hare. Figured the best way was to fly myself and split the costs 3 ways. Figured closest airport was O'Hare International, so why not?
We departed Dulles International, where the flying club I belonged to was based. (So at least I was used to dealing with a tower and heavy traffic.)
I crossed the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan at 4500 feet. Contacted Approach Control asking for VFR clearance into O'Hare and they said they were busy and I should call back later.
With the TCA chart spread out on my lap I called again from 1900 feet and about 15 miles out. They said they were busy and call back in about 15 minutes. So I headed to Glenview Naval Air Station, which was as close as I could get to O'Hare without busting the TCA.
I called again and they decided I was serious about wanting to go in, so they gave me a transponder code and told me to call again when I was 8nm Northeast of the airport.
When I called again they asked if I saw the two American 727s. They told me to get behind the 2nd one, but not extremely far as there was a United 747 following.
So I got in line and changed, as directed, to the Tower frequency. Being in a light single I was at full power with gear and flaps still up. I was also in a slight descent, so I was doing about 145 knots. I had forgotten that most airliners only do about 120 knots on final. I realized this when I heard the tower say: "
Cessna 31 Romeo slow down, you are overtaking a 727."
So I dropped gear and some flaps, reduced power and went down from full speed to about 110 knots which I maintained until I was over the threshold.
Of course I made sure to stop drinking at midnight Saturday and Sunday afternoon we had an uneventful flight home.