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Events / [20 Mar 2025 2300-0200z] Field of Dreams II

« on: February 20, 2025, 11:04:37 PM »

If you staff it, they will come.

In the classic 1989 film Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) is inspired by a vision to build a baseball field in his cornfield and summons the spirits of baseball legends of eras past. The real life Field of Dreams is located just outside Dubuque, Iowa and it happens to be located in ZAU airspace. A much younger tradition than our national pastime, our classic Iowa event is back for its second year! With that same faith, the controllers of ZAU and ZMP will staff up fields across Iowa, and we hope to summon pilots to come fly in!

Event Fields: DSM, ALO, CID, DBQ, MLI
Event time: March 20, 2025 2300 - 0200z

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Events / [16 Aug 2025 2300-0300z] ZAU Live 2025

« on: February 20, 2025, 04:33:58 PM »

ZAU Live 2025

Name and details TBD

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Events / [11 Apr 2025 2300-0300z] Navy Pier Night Out FNO

« on: February 19, 2025, 12:43:37 AM »

After a long and cold winter, spring has finally come to the Windy City. What better sight to enjoy downtown than one of the most visited attractions in the Midwest? Opened in 1916, the pier that would be one day known as Navy Pier was used as a dock for passenger ships, as well as for recreation, pageants, and events. Nestled among the countless lights of downtown Chicago, today Navy Pier is the crown jewel of one of the most iconic skylines in the world. So as you depart eastbound over the lake, or you're coming on final approach westbound, it's ok to take your eyes off your instruments for a second to enjoy the view. Go on, we won't tell.

Navy Pier Night Out
Time: April 11, 2025 2300 - 0300z

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Events / [20250305] Windy City Wednesday

« on: February 04, 2025, 09:47:26 PM »

Come one, come all, and fly into the beautiful Chicagoland area. Whether you are cruising down the FYTTE, or riding down the WYNDE, Chicago will be staffed up on this fine Wednesday evening with some of the finest controllers the Midwest has to offer!

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Events / [01/20/2025] Midway Mondays

« on: December 22, 2024, 02:50:35 AM »

Midway Mondays are BACK at ZAU! Join the Chicago ARTCC and fly into the iconic Chicago Midway International Airport with the famous Chicago skyline in the background.

Event Fields: KMDW
Date and Time: January 20, 2025; 2359Z-0300Z

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Events / [12/20/2024] Home for the Holidays FNO

« on: November 12, 2024, 12:56:12 AM »

Every year, millions of Americans shuffle around the country to spend their holidays with their loved ones. As the icy winds swirl at above 30,000 feet, passengers ride in comfort knowing that they are in the hands of skilled air crew and professional controllers. Join us at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Midway International Airport, or even Milwaukee International Airport as we spread some old fashioned midwestern cheer. And as we look forward to a new year, let the Chicago ARTCC guide you home for the holidays.

Date - December 20, 2023
Time - 2359Z-0400Z (6PM-10PM CST)
Featured Airports - KORD, KMDW, KMKE

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Events / [10/06/2024] The O'Hare Special III

« on: September 02, 2024, 12:51:21 AM »

For the third year in a row, the Chicago ARTCC is ready to give you the most realistic O'Hare experience possible. Triple simultaneous independent approaches, 170 knots or greater to a 5 mile final, runway changes, and takeoff clearance when the preceding aircraft just rotated. So we bring you "The O'Hare Special!"

Airport: KORD
Date: October 6th, 2024
Time: 2300Z-0300Z

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Events / [09/09/2024] ZAU Minor Field Monday

« on: August 18, 2024, 11:13:49 PM »

That right there is the minor fields. Now let's talk about the minor fields. Can we talk about the smaller airports, please, Mac? I've been dying to talk about the minor fields with you all day, OK? "Madison," this name keeps coming up over and over again. Every day a flight plan to Madison is getting sent. Rockford! DuPage! I look in Simbrief, and this whole box is minor fields! So I say to myself, "I gotta fly to Gary! I gotta load up the HTDOG transition and shoot the ILS runway 12!" So I file it using Simbrief and what do I find out?! There is no ILS 12. The localizer does not exist, ok? So I decide, "Let's go to Palwaukee" There's no Palwaukee? You gotta be kidding me! ATC is calling it Chicago Executive! And I gotta circle to land! So I start flyin' my way over to Grand Rapids. "Grand Rapids Approach! I gotta land!" And when I call up what do I find? There is no Grand Rapids Approach! There's not Kalamazoo Approach either! Some strange person calling themselves Great Lakes Approach is sending me contact me's! Mac, half the airports in this ARTCC have been made up. These airports are a goddamn ghost town.

The end of summer approaches, and once again we welcome pilots to come fly into the ...less well loved fields in the heart of the Midwest. And even though the days grow shorter, it's always Sunny in Chicago ARTCC.

Airports: KCID, KMLI, KRFD, KMSN, KDPA, KPWK, KGYY, KAZO, KGRR
Date: September 9, 2024
Time: 2300Z-0200Z

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Events / [08/14/2024 2300Z-0200Z] Windy City Wednesday

« on: July 22, 2024, 07:05:49 PM »

Come one, come all, and fly into the beautiful Chicagoland area. Whether you are cruising down the FYTTE, or riding down the WYNDE, Chicago will be staffed up on this fine Wednesday evening with some of the finest controllers the Midwest has to offer!

Airports: KORD, KMDW, KMKE
Time: August 14, 2024 2300Z - 0200Z (+1)

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Events / [11/23/2024] Live from Chicago (ZAU Live)

« on: July 08, 2024, 12:20:41 PM »

Welcome to the ZAU Live Event: Live from Chicago! Come join us as we staff up Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport for a busy night on the western shore of Lake Michigan.

Featured Airports: KORD, KMDW, KMKE
Time: November 23, 2024 2359z - 0400z (6:00 PM CST - 10:00 PM CST)

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Events / [2024-07-24] Milwaukee Madness

« on: June 24, 2024, 10:35:12 PM »

Grab some cheese curds and your favorite beverage and join us for a fine evening over America's Dairyland. Fly in and out of the bustling General Mitchell airport in Milwaukee, or take a trip up to beautiful Lake Winnebago to Wittman Regional Airport!

Airports: KMKE, KOSH
Date: July 24th, 2024
Time: 2300Z-0200Z (+1 day)

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Events / [June 10, 2024 2300-0200z] Chicago ARTCC Presents: Minor Field Monday

« on: May 23, 2024, 10:40:07 AM »

Come fly around beautiful Lake Michigan on a warm summer evening, and join us for Minor Field Monday! We are excited to announce a special giveaway thanks to our friends at FlightFX. Two lucky pilots will win a free copy of a product of their choice! To enter the prize drawing, simply fly into any event field and send a private message containing your email to the controller working the tower position at the airport.

To maximize your experience, we recommend FlightFX's version of event fields Chicago Executive (PWK) and Dupage Airport (DPA)

https://contrail.shop/collections/flightfx/products/kpwk-chicago-executive-airport

https://contrail.shop/collections/flightfx/products/kdpa-dupage-airport-msfs

Date: June 10, 2024
Time: 2300Z-0200Z
Airports: MKE, ENW, UGN, PWK, DPA, MKG, GRR, AZO, SBN

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Events / [05/29/2024] Windy City Wednesday

« on: May 03, 2024, 12:58:24 AM »

Introducing ZAU's new monthly weekday staff-up!

Come one, come all, and fly into the beautiful Chicagoland area. Whether you are cruising down the FYTTE, or riding down the WYNDE, Chicago will be staffed up on this fine Wednesday evening with some of the finest controllers the Midwest has to offer!

Featuring: ORD, MDW, RFD, MKE
Time: May 29, 2024 at 2300z - 0200z+1

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Events / [05/13/2024] Milwaukee Madness

« on: April 28, 2024, 02:42:37 AM »

Grab some cheese curds and your favorite beverage and join us for a fine evening over America's Dairyland. Fly in and out of the bustling General Mitchell airport in Milwaukee, or take a trip up to beautiful Lake Winnebago to Wittman Regional Airport!

Airports: KMKE, KOSH, KUES, ENW
Date: May 13th, 2024
Time: 2300Z-0200Z+1

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Events / [04/12/2024 2300z-0300z] ORD: Established 1944

« on: February 27, 2024, 08:54:42 PM »

From an aircraft manufacturing plant during World War II to the busiest passenger airport in the world, the land that O'Hare International Airport currently sits on has been used for aviation activity for almost 100 years. Originally Douglas Field, then Orchard Field, the City of Chicago gave O'Hare its current name in 1949 to honor Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first flying ace.

A shining symbol of the jet age, O'Hare sported innovative features like the first jet bridge, underground fueling, and rail access from downtown. The airport is always changing, evolving to meet the shifting needs of aviation in the modern age. Come fly with us and celebrate 80 years of O'Hare International Airport.

Event Field: Chicago O'Hare International Airport [KORD], Chicago Midway International Airport [KMDW]
Time: April 12, 2024 2300Z-0300Z [6PM-10PM CDT]

Topics - Kevin Huang