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Originally posted by HolographicPrincipal
reply to post by Drunkenparrot
Ah, sweet! Very industrious. I excitedly await the results.
I didn't realize you could access that information. Do planes fly over the Sears Tower often and/or is that runway used frequently? I've seen flights bank on the west side of it, but never directly over it...edit on 8/18/2011 by HolographicPrincipal because: corrections
Originally posted by gortex
Could it be that what you saw was Direct TV Blimp which has been operating in the skies over Chicago .
jeremykissel.posterous.com...
Originally posted by HolographicPrincipal
reply to post by Drunkenparrot
Awesome... I'm looking at the link you provided right now. Since I am plane model challenged, it appears the United flight is a much larger plane?
It was certainly bulky... or so it seemed. What would account for it's virtual silence? Do flights in that particular pattern usually fly at such a low altitude? Is it just an illusion that it appeared to be "gliding" slowly because of it's altitude?
Sorry for the barrage of questions. Curious mind. I really appreciate the info!
You are correct, Flightaware shows both coming down from the north over the lake. Those two were just a guess as they were the heaviest arrival flights around the time mentioned. Perhaps it was a different jet?
Originally posted by HolographicPrincipal
reply to post by Drunkenparrot
... However, both flights approach from the north of O'Hare and circle back to the south of that path.
I am south of the Sears Tower... South Loop area. The aircraft came from the west heading east, closer to me in the sky than the tower, then banked north, passed over the tower, and almost immediately banked back heading west while decreasing altitude rather quickly. Hmmmmm.
ETA: As far as any other flights on the flight tracker, nothing is showing up that would follow the exact path I saw... not even anything close?
Originally posted by HolographicPrincipal
reply to post by Drunkenparrot
I am indeed aware of the air show. That's the first thing that came to mind when I couldn't figure out what this was. However, I thought all of those planes originate in Gary, IN, coming from the east. It's definitely a possibility, though. Usually a practice run begins on Friday, although I believe there have been times when practice has occurred on that Thursday (which would be today, of course). If it's an air show craft, that definitely limits the types. But I'm still intrigued by the flight path and it's silence (not to mention it's size).edit on 8/18/2011 by HolographicPrincipal because: more info
Further editing: I was just thinking... am I correct to assume that in these "post 9/11" days that flying close to tall buildings is unadvisable? Am I also correct to assume that flight paths are strictly adhered to? Is it possible that a flight could be in a holding pattern and the pilot decides to take a little joy ride over the Sears tower for a scenic view?
A large commercial airplane flies low and slow over Willis Tower, causing curiosity and sudden fear among the crowd of people walking on downtown streets. Did the pilot veer off course? Or was the flight path intentional? With the public's nerves frayed over homeland security concerns, the sight of the plane would surely bring to mind the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, as well as recent attempts by terrorists to place explosives aboard passenger and cargo planes.
Originally posted by HolographicPrincipal
I wonder why, when the airspace is completely devoid of other aircrafts, would a flight choose a route that is directly above the tallest building? Then again, I am not schooled in the method of flight path selection and adherence. At least I can see now that this is not a one-off occurrence....
Flying the Victor Airways
The victor airways are something like the interstate highway system, except that the airways are above the ground and you can't actually see them—they're a system of established routes that run along specified VOR radials, from one VOR station to another. They therefore make flight planning easier, and they help Air Traffic Control to organize and regulate the traffic flow.