Air Traffic Control

Air Traffic Control Committee

The CABAA ATC Committee is working in conjunction with the FAA to improve the efficiency of flying to and from the satellite airports in the Chicago area as well as informing transient pilots of the tips and procedures of flying in and out of the complicated Chicago airspace. The Committee is chaired by Mark Zakula. He can be reached at 847.537-3770 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The Committee members have been meeting with key members of the FAA since early 2004. Through on-site meetings, teleconferences, or over the phone the Committee represented business and general aviation concerns directly to those in the FAA who are responsible for the airspace around the Chicago area.

Here are some of the many action plans the Committee and the FAA are currently working on:

The FAA is working on 18-19 STARS for all the Chicago Satellite airports. They are also developing Departure Procedures for the area, which will show fixes and general headings
The Committee feels strongly about the use of RNAV 22L at MDW instead of the ILS 31C circle-to-land 22L.We continue to discuss the implementation of this approach with the FAA
A change to the Departure Procedures for KPWK. A new RNP PWK departure is being developed at the Central Service Center. This GPS departure will require less protected airspace (.03NM accuracy) to protect ORD’s runway 22R. The time line for the RNP PWK3 Departure will coincide with the PWK2 flight check, which is late 2009. Along with this procedure a Visual Departure Procedure is being developed to allow IFR traffic to depart VFR and then pick up their clearance to avoid delays
Chicago Center, South Bend, and CABAA developed a plan that allows small GA aircraft to fly along the Chicago lakeshore when flying to/from the southeast to PWK, UGN, MKE, and others north of Chicago
Continue to work on alternative arrivals to satellite airports to keep aircraft higher longer
ATC Committee members were instrumental in the redesign of the ORD Class B Airspace
Members of the ATC Committee are working on a new GPS approach to runways 30 and 34 at PWK

This Committee is active and requests assistance from all pilots, whether business or general aviation, to be united as one voice as we develop a working relationship with the FAA. Please feel free to contact Mark Zakula or any committee member listed below:

Bob Fash - 411 LF, LLC - Chicago Executive Airport
Joseph Hatch - Boeing Executive Flight Operations - Gary Airport
Scott Herwick - Boeing Executive Flight Operations - Gary Airport
Peter Lehner - CC Industries - Chicago Executive Airport
Tom Reidy - RAC Transcorp/Landmark Aviation - Waukegan
Carl Robst - JA Flight Services - Aurora Airport
Kris Terrones - Apex/Whitetail Aviation, LLC - Lewis University
Brandon Vondrak - Captain Sagitta, LLC - Waukegan
David Walter - McDonalds Corporation - DuPage Airport