With Mary as PIC, we flew to our old hometown of Racine, WI today, for my
son's 13th birthday. Because of an unusually tall layer of scattered
clouds, we ended up at 9500 feet to get above 'em.

On course at this altitude, we flew smack-dab into the Sunday afternoon
arrival "train" coming into O'Hare from the west. As a result, an
incredibly busy Chicago Approach controller repeatedly called out "traffic,
9 o'clock" for us...

And this wasn't some Bonanza coming in at 9 o'clock -- we're talking 747s!
My kids and I were awed and amazed to see the largest airliners in the world
coming RIGHT at us, at our altitude, looking right down the left wing! Not
once, but four different times as we traversed the area!

I took a bunch of pictures, which will no doubt show that they weren't
nearly as close as they looked -- but we were clearly able to read the
"United" insignia on one that passed in front of us. It's astonishing how
fast one of those huge beasts is really moving, and I can only wonder what
the passengers must have thought when they saw our little plane off their
starboard wing!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"