Landing a 172 at DTW, MDW

Sounds like a typical FNT experience... A few years ago, shortly after getting my private, my roommate and I decided to do a night flight to all the Class C's in MI. We hit up FNT first and tower sounded absolutely astounded that we wanted to do a touch and go and head on to LAN. We were VFR and they couldn't wrap their heads around it. Something to the sound of: "Nxxx, how will this terminate?" "Touch and go, then VFR to LAN, XXX." "So you want to do a touch and go?" "Affirmative, then proceed to LAN." "Nxxx, runway 27 cleared to land." Thnking to ourselves...'wtf?' "Tower, We'd like to do that touch and go we just discussed, XXX" "Nxxx, let me get this straight, you want to do a touch and go, then VFR to LAN?" "YES!" "Oh, ok, runway 27 cleared touch and go, on departure maintain heading blah blah and contact departure." Took several minutes for this all to play out and we were on final for most of it.

I can't even count how many times I've been coming back from TVC or MBS and FNT refuses to do the VFR handoff to DTW. "Nxxx, squawk 1200, maintain VFR radar services terminated." "Can we continue Flight Following?" "Nope, you can try DTW on 118.95, though." My old CFI said something like "DTW Approach won't bite if you hand us off to them, I promise."

Buzzin, you should have stopped into YIP after DTW! :)
 
Maybe it's just based on the time of day you are trying to get in there. Denver would have a cow if you tried coming in a 172 around 1930-2030. With the normal flow of airlines plus all of us Key Lime guys coming in they don't like anything slower than a 170 kt approach.
 
@rd757,

Coming back down this Friday in the Aztek, but I think we'll land at Detroit Metro. Then off to LBE and Virginia Beach on Saturday, back to Traverse on Monday. Did you learn to fly at Willow Run with EMU?
 
buzzin77 said:
@rd757,

Coming back down this Friday in the Aztek, but I think we'll land at Detroit Metro. Then off to LBE and Virginia Beach on Saturday, back to Traverse on Monday. Did you learn to fly at Willow Run with EMU?
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Yep! I'm currently a dispatcher and hopefully a CFI with the program very soon. Have a great trip!
 
tlewis95 said:
STL will totally do that. I take SIU students there all the time and we get the scenic tour every once in a while if they mess something up.
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I know of a few SIU students and instructors who have been asked by STL tower if they would like to do closed traffic on new runway. STL needs a way to boost their Ops numbers!
 
flyingsaluki1 said:
I know of a few SIU students and instructors who have been asked by STL tower if they would like to do closed traffic on new runway. STL needs a way to boost their Ops numbers!
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Won't make a difference. The downgrade is solid. My question is what could you possibly mess up at the time of night the SUI guys come in? I've never had a problem with SUI save a time or two I wish they'd have departed 10 minutes earlier/sooner.
 
flyingsaluki1 said:
I know of a few SIU students and instructors who have been asked by STL tower if they would like to do closed traffic on new runway. STL needs a way to boost their Ops numbers!
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Yup. Has happened to me at least twice. Request Option to the South, and they clear you for closed traffic, and seem sad when you mention that you are just going out to the South.

Always a "thank you for stopping by, and feel free to come back anytime" on the way out too.
 
tlewis95 said:
Yup. Has happened to me at least twice. Request Option to the South, and they clear you for closed traffic, and seem sad when you mention that you are just going out to the South.

Always a "thank you for stopping by, and feel free to come back anytime" on the way out too.
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While not as busy (but it just might be) MWA is always very very thankful anytime SIU planes come and go!
 
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