Chicago - ORD Landings - 32R, 14L? You bet! What about 4L?

Continental Platinum here. Fly out of ORD every week. All of last year I got the usual arrivals (4R, 10, 28, 27L, 27R, 22R, 14R). On a late night arrival from SFO (UA 767) we got a 32L LOC-Only. I found this pretty rare. So did the pilot as he reported back "Wow! You are going to make us work for this one"

I started scanning the net to see if they still rock 14L, 32R, 4L, 22L arrivals. I was particularly interested in if they still use dual-approaches to 14L/14R. A lot of forums out there stated that 14L isn't used for landing anymore, and 32R isn't used because of the obvious proximity to the International Terminal and the long taxi back to the gate.

However, in Jan 2011 I came back on a A320 from CMH, 4PM arrival on Thursday. I was on CH9 and was shocked to hear we were cleared for the ILS 14L (even the pilot said 14R at first and was corrected). What an amazing arrival! I forgot how much land ORD really has between the highway and the 14L threshold. As soon as we landed, I began to hear them clear arrivals to ILS 14R.

That next Thursday I came in on a 10 PM arrival and was even more shocked to hear that we were cleared for ILS 32R! I knew it right away when I heard the MUNDY intersection.

Both times the weather was very overcast, snow-type conditions, with very high winds. I assume most of these rare configs are in this type of situation.

So my question is, do they ever use 4L in rare conditions like this? I would assume it's in weather patterns that are rare and also assume it would be for late night arrivals?...Has anyone landed on 4L?

32L is listed on airnav.com as being closed for arrivals. I also don't see any instrument arrivals for 32L either, though I suppose you could fly the LOC 32R then sidestep over to 32L.

Regardless, it's interesting in any case.

Welcome to Flyertalk, mlever1.
Please follow this discussion in the FT Chicago Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Welcome to FlyerTalk, mlever1!

At one point 32L/14R crossed 28/10, but it was shortened recently so it no longer does. Both of the 32/14 runways are supposed to be phased out as part of the modernization program.

I can see some of ORD from my office and tend to watch the planes when I'm on long phone calls. I can tell you that it's unusual for any of the diagonal runways other than 22L/4R to be very heavily used, although I did see Air Force 1 land on what looked like 4L last fall. Seemed like a short runway for a plane that big.

4L doesn't have a published ILS approach, only a localizer and RNAV/GPS one.

Landing there comes into conflict with almost every other runway. You would cross right over the ends of 10 and 32L, then 9R and 14L/32R on the rollout, only not impacting 9L and 4R.

I can see some of ORD from my office and tend to watch the planes when I'm on long phone calls. I can tell you that it's unusual for any of the diagonal runways other than 22L/4R to be very heavily used, although I did see Air Force 1 land on what looked like 4L last fall. Seemed like a short runway for a plane that big.

OTOH, 4L would make sense for AF1. Other operations shut down when it comes in, so no need to worry about the impacts on the other runways. End of 4L puts them pretty close to the NE cargo/FBO where they seem to park it, short taxi = back to normal ops quicker

The 32L arrival I came in on was june 2010. I know they work late night arrivals on 32L and since I was on CH9, I know we didn't sidestep from 32R. As far as 4L being short...I agree...

On a side note, today (march 17 2011), I came in on a 22L arrival! We had a dual approach with an A330 coming in on 22R. At the same time, a 744 was coming in on 14R. They were workin takeoffs on 22L and 28. I was shocked to see the 330 on 22R and was even more shocked to see a MD-11 coming in on 22L arrival as I was on the blue line going towards the Rosemont stop. I never see anything arrive or depart on the 4s bigger than a 757.

22L isn't so rare as I hear it on Atis in use a lot. What really surprised me is the 32R.

Winds 25 gust 30.

The 32L arrival I came in on was june 2010. I know they work late night arrivals on 32L and since I was on CH9, I know we didn't sidestep from 32R. As far as 4L being short...I agree...

IINM, they stopped doing arrivals on 32L when they cut the length of it after 10/28's extension was completed. I *think* that was something like september last year. Do you recall if your landing in june still had the old full length (ie still crossed 10/28)? At this point, as fs2k2isfun said, there aren't any arrivals published for 32L (there are for 4L, just no ILS).

On a side note, today (march 17 2011), I came in on a 22L arrival! We had a dual approach with an A330 coming in on 22R. At the same time, a 744 was coming in on 14R. They were workin takeoffs on 22L and 28. I was shocked to see the 330 on 22R and was even more shocked to see a MD-11 coming in on 22L arrival as I was on the blue line going towards the Rosemont stop. I never see anything arrive or depart on the 4s bigger than a 757.

22L isn't so rare as I hear it on Atis in use a lot. What really surprised me is the 32R.

Winds 25 gust 30.

do you hear 22L landings a lot? That seems to be rare. They use 22L for takeoffs a lot.

The 32L was definitely after the shortening of 32L. We crossed 10/28, then the green threshold of 32L. This flight was SFO to DEN which was a 2 hr delay. We didn't land at ORD until 1AMish. 32L did not intersect w 10/28. We touched down around T10.

I hear 22L every month or so when it's windy. Never had seen trip - 22s/14R. I now love this config. I actually really like the taxi from 22l/4r as you can see the new runway.

I also came in on a plane change from SFO this summer. We were originally on a 320 to ORD, but UA swapped in a 744 international config. All Econ plus was upgraded to international biz class;). Anyways, we touched down on 9R which was the only time I've seen a 744 land 9R. When leaving, I told the pilot in the jetway I wish we had the 32LOC and he was like "I was shocked we took 9R" or something along those lines. The whole back of the 744 was empty. I wen back to see it as i'd never flown on a 744.

ORD needs to quit being ' rolling 28/ 27s. I understand the efficiency of this but...

Dual ILS 14L/R and some visuals to both 4s and trip ILS 9L/9R/10.

Also dual 14L/R takeoff.

I think the expansion is stupid and keep the 32s. T10 is so quick out the united gate.

I pretty much always get 22l takeoffs or T10s, 4l, 9r 10/28. Never really any 27 dpeartures.

I've heard on Atis and seen (and have video of from the blue line coming out the tunnel) 14L takeoffs.

I've also seen 9l departures once peeling out a t10 departure. I wish I could do a 14r departure or 4r. I know they used to do 14r departures because of the famous 747s runway incursion incident ( the famous ntsb simulation with atc audio) which starts with a 14r departure. 9l is very rare

There were strong winds out of the SSW yesterday which explains the 22L landings (that's a loooong taxi for UA). My post above about how unusual diagonal landings are is probably the cause of the SSW winds. :rolleyes:

Do any of you guys find it rare that they still roll with ILS 32R arrivals? I used to think that they never really did this anymore. Can anyone else recall the last time they saw, heard, or actually landed on 32R?

Do any of you guys find it rare that they still roll with ILS 32R arrivals? I used to think that they never really did this anymore. Can anyone else recall the last time they saw, heard, or actually landed on 32R?

I did land on 32R on 12.10.2011. I was happy to be one of the few flights operating into ORD at the tail end of a snowstorm, and only 20 minutes late to boot. Out of all my trips, 22L is in the only other odd landing runway I've encountered.

Yes this Jan. (around the time I came in on a lot of 22L and 14L/R) during the snowstorms I saw some 32R. A few weeks ago I came in on a late-night delay to ILS 32R. I have a friend that works ORD tower, and they do use 32R sometimes, usually at night, as it's a good choice for a late-night ATS controller. I've had a few more 22L's, I'm only left with 4L (which will never happen) and 9L. Below is what he said about why they don't land 9L. Also, I recently had a 14L departure and 27R departure, which I rarely see. I also saw a 4R (cargo) departure which I pretty rare to see (departures on 4R).

"West flow is landing FROM the lake. East flow would be 9L/R/10. We tried it a couple times and it fails miserably. Someday it will work. Problem is finding a good departure runway. 22L works fine but 32L and R cut through the 2 finals for 9 R/L. 4L works but the timing isn't good. Hit the 9R gap, no prob, but to time it with a 9L arrival slows the problem down too much. You don't want a tie with a go-around."

Regarding 4L:

You might as well forget about 4L. Right now! Don't spend time thinking about it. Or, go get a Cessna and a pilot and come in at 2 in the morning and we'll see what we can work out. Ha ha...It's a LOC approach, certain parts of the airport have to be cleared of aircraft before someone comes over the threshhold, and it's a terrible taxi back. And it just serves no purpose. We would use RY10 and 9R just fine before 4L. Like I said before, if the wind was very high from the NE, it might happen out of necessity, but it's just too rare.

Per my friend "We land on 22L a little bit. It's a south wind configuration when the wind is too high out of the SW for RY10 arrivals. Some days we might be on it most of the day. But we'd rather not land 22L because it's an awkward taxi back. It used to be a nice operation 10+ years ago. It's plenty long for an MD11. Shoot, we have A340s land on 27L with only 7967 feet, certainly 8075 is enough (22L). I'm a controller at ORD, not a pilot."


This past summer I landed on 9R onboard a UA744 inbound from SFO! So if a 744 can take 9R, I'm sure AF1 can take 4L?

I've seen 4L used for departures but in my 25 years at ORD, I've never seen 4L used for arrivals. If you visualize it, you're cutting across 4 runways. Not the most efficient use of air and ground.

Matter of fact, this morning they're using 4L/32L T10 for departure and 4R and 10L for arrivals.

Matter of fact, this morning they're using 4L/32L T10 for departure and 4R and 10L for arrivals.

32L T10 is nearly redundant now. 32L M is full length these days.