Rev 1.7 - September 12, 2004 21:57
Chicago Center - contents:

General
Staffing Center Positions
Chicago Center - STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
Overflights
Departures
Arrivals General
O'Hare Arrivals
Midway/Chicago Satellite Airport Arrivals
Milwaukee Arrivals

General

ALL INFORMATION pertaining to the Chicago Center split into four sectors shall be effective- March 1st. 2004

The Chicago Center airspace is split into four geographical regions as depicted below;

The sectors are all geographic quadrants, and will be referenced by their "local" names as follows;

North-East quadrant, KUBBS sector, callsign CHI_K_CTR, frequency 132.20
South-East quadrant, BEARZ sector, callsign CHI_B_CTR, frequency 133.00
South-West quadrant, PLANO sector, callsign CHI_P_CTR, frequency 133.50
North-West quadrant, FARMM sector, callsign CHI_F_CTR, frequency 133.35

Chicago Center airspace boundaries are displayed on the current Chicago sector file available for download. The boundaries for the Center sectors are displayed as "aqua" lines. Labels to serve as reminders for callsigns, names and frequency can be turned on from the IAP/SID menu.

The Center controllers are responsible for all airspace/traffic not inside an operational Tower or Approach position.
Generally Tower airspace will be surface to 3,000MSL for a radius of 5-15 miles around the airport depending on the facility. Approach airspaces vary, Chicago being the largest, covering surface to 13,000MSL and approximately 30-35 miles radius.

Chicago Center's main duties are;
a) To ensure the separation of en route traffic across the sector.
b) Coordinate with adjacent sectors for the receipt and handoff of traffic between sectors. 
c) Vector arriving aircraft for handoff to Approach Controllers at airports with Approach positions.
d) Handle clearance requests from aircraft departing uncontrolled airports into the IFR environment.
e) Handle transitions between the Center positions for aircraft crossing the ARTCC.

Staffing Center Positions - Important Notes

1). The callsigns CHI_CTR/CHI_V_CTR will NO LONGER BE USED.

2). The initial position to be staffed will be CHI_B_CTR (BEARZ sector), and this position will be responsible for ALL CTR airspace.
3). Center SHALL NOT SPLIT unless there is an active Chicago Approach position open.
4). Once Chicago Approach is active, any other combination of Center sectors may become active.
5). If Approach is closing with no replacement, the Center sectors shall return to a SINGLE active sector, unless one of the center positions is willing to move to Approach. The position that has been staffed the longest will be the remaining sector, and will be responsible for ALL Center airspace.
6). With less than all FOUR sectors staffed, responsibility for the center airspace is handled based on what adjacent quadrant is open, using a NORTH-SOUTH priority first, and EAST-WEST priority second.
Examples;
KUBBS and BEARZ open N-S priority - KUBBS handles FARMM, BEARZ handles PLANO.
PLANO and BEARZ open E-W priority - PLANO handles FARMM, BEARZ handles KUBBS.
FARMM and BEARZ open N-S priority - FARMM handles KUBBS, BEARZ handles PLANO.

Chicago Center - STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES - Effective March 1st. 2004

Chicago Center owns all airspace defined on the Sector file not owned by any open approaches or towers.

CHI_K_CTR – KUBBS Sector

• KUBBS sector is responsible for eastbound departures from both Milwaukee and Chicago Metropolitan airports. In addition the KUBBS sector provides sequencing of O’Hare arrivals via the Pullman Four arrival.
• Frequency – 132.20
• KUBBS sector shall
1. Use PMM as the centering point for the scope, and use ORD, MKE, MKG, AZO, GRR, and SBN as the altimeters.
2. Ensure aircraft landing at airports within 100 NM outside the airspace cross the boundary at or below FL230.
3. Assume control for climbs on all aircraft departing Milwaukee or Chicago Metropolitan airports from the FARMM sector.
4. Be the sector to provide approach control services to the South Bend (SBN) airport when SBN_APP is offline.
5. Ensure Midway (MDW) arrivals cross the KUBBS/BEARZ boundary at or below 16000, and release control to the BEARZ sector for descent.

CHI_B_CTR – BEARZ Sector

• BEARZ Sector is responsible for all Chicago Metropolitan Southbound Departures as well as sequencing all Chicago Metropolitan arrivals from the Southeast region of the United States.
• Frequency – 133.00
• BEARZ sector shall
1. Ensure aircraft landing at airports within 100 NM outside the airspace cross the boundary at or below FL230.
2. Use the MCX airport as the centering point of the scope, and ORD, MDW, CMI, BMI, IND, FWA as the altimeters.
3. Ensure all South Bend arrivals cross the boundary at or below 4000 when SBN_APP is offline.

CHI_P_CTR – PLANO Sector

• PLANO sector is responsible for sequencing O’Hare arrivals via the Bradford Three Arrival in addition to climbing westbound Chicago Metro Departures to their requested altitude prior to handoff to FARMM sector.
• Frequency – 133.50
• PLANO Sector shall
1. Use the MLI airport as the centering point, and ORD, MDW, MLI, PIA, and OTM as the altimeters.
2. Ensure aircraft landing at airports within 100 NM outside the airspace cross the boundary at or below FL230.
3. Assume control from the FARMM sector on all aircraft arriving Rockford (RFD) airport.
4. Climb Rockford airport departures to 15000 or requested lower altitude.
5. Descend Milwaukee Airport arrivals to 15000.
6. Climb Chicago Metropolitan departures to their requested altitude.

CHI_F_CTR – FARMM Sector

• FARMM sector is responsible for sequencing of all arrivals along the Janesville Four arrival to KORD and for climbing northbound departures from ORD.
• Frequency – 133.35
• FARMM Sector shall
1. Use BRIBE intersection as the centering point, and use the MKE, ORD, MSN, ALO, and OSH altimeters.
2. Ensure aircraft landing at airports within 100 NM outside the airspace cross the boundary at or below FL230.
3. Ensure Rockford (RFD) arrivals cross the FARMM/PLANO boundary at 8000. FARMM releases control to PLANO sector on all Rockford arrivals.
4. Climb eastbound Milwaukee Metropolitan Departures to 15,000 or requested lower altitude.
5. Climb eastbound Chicago Metropolitan Departures heading into the KUBBS sector to FL270 or requested lower altitude.
6. FARMM releases control to KUBBS for higher altitude on all departures.
7. Descend Midway MDW arrivals to 17000.

Overflights

Overflights should require the minimum of handling by Center, and unnecessary re-routing of en route aircraft should be avoided. Sim. rates in excess of 1x should normally be allowed for aircraft transitioning the sector, but confirmation with adjacent facilities should be aquired BEFORE allowing a handoff at more than 1x.
Handoffs must be initiated between adjacent sectors between 25-30 miles PRIOR to the aircraft reaching the sector boundary. This should provide adequate time to complete the hand-off before the aircraft reaches the airspace limit.
Aircraft entering and leaving the sector should have their flight-plans reviewed such that no aircraft is flying within the sector OR departing the sector with inaccurate or incorrect details. This should include correcting any incorrectly filed/flown altitudes/Flight Levels.

Departures

As a general rule, departures from TWR controllers should be expected at wheels up
Departures from an Approach position should be expected to be climbing to the ceiling of the Approach airspace and on a heading to either the initial DP waypoint or a flight plan waypoint.
Coordination with Approach controllers should allow for earlier handoffs to CTR once the aircraft are cleared to Approach airspace ceiling altitudes.

Arrivals General

• Aircraft should either be cleared via the appropriate STAR or be vectored along the STAR route.
  O'Hare Example: direct  JVL,  depart JVL heading 110, d/m 11,000
• Center controller should make sure that aircraft will be at handoff altitude upon reaching the hand-off fix. If aircraft have not descended to the hand-off altitude before reaching the boundary, approval should be requested from Approach.
• ALL AIRCRAFT should be at 250 knots IAS or less prior to reaching Approach boundaries.
• Aircraft should be operating on a 1x simulation rate PRIOR to hand-off.

• Arrivals to satellite airports should be vectored around the Approach airspace at 6,000 MSL to the side of Approach closest to that airport (for example, arrivals to KDPA should be vectored to the west side of the airspace for handoff to approach control), or via an appropriate STAR, and handoff to Approach should be completed prior to the Approach boundary, or 20 miles from that airport, whichever comes first.

O'Hare Arrivals  

• Slower moving aircraft may be handed off 2,000ft. lower than the Turbojet/Turboprop altitude (example: arrivals for ORD flying the JVL4 arrival can be handed off at 9,000) if those slower arrivals will be in the way of faster arriving traffic.

 Midway/Chicago Satellite Airport Arrivals   

 
Milwaukee Arrivals  

• Arrivals on the JOT.VEENA1 transition will be overflying the Chicago Approach airspace, and care must be taken to keep the aircraft ABOVE the Chicago Approach Airspace ceiling (13,000).
  Plan descent to allow aircraft to remain clear of the Chicago Approach airspace.

MILWAUKEE ARRIVALS NOT ON STAR;
Aircraft arriving from the south or west should be vectored along the appropriate VEENA ONE transition - JOT from the south, JVL from the west, otherwise; 

Copyright @2004 Ian Abel/Chicago ARTCC Chief - All Rights Reserved.