KORD Chicago O'Hare — Instrument Checkride Guide

What kind of airport is KORD and who operates there?

KORD is a large hub airport operated by the City of Chicago with 8 runways and one of the most complex ATC environments in the United States. It is served by Chicago Approach/Departure Control (a TRACON facility) and Chicago Center (ZAU) for high-altitude traffic. Traffic at KORD is overwhelmingly airline, regional, and cargo — United Airlines and American Airlines each maintain major hub operations there.

General aviation piston aircraft almost never operate at KORD due to the traffic volume and complexity. GA pilots in the Chicago area typically use KDPA (DuPage), KPWK (Chicago Executive), or KMDW (Chicago Midway) for instrument training and checkrides. For the instrument checkride, KORD's primary importance is as a scenario airport: DPEs use it to test knowledge of Class B procedures, complex airspace, and simultaneous parallel approach briefings.

What instrument approaches are published at KORD?

KORD has one of the largest published approach procedure sets in the United States, covering every major runway end across three approach types, per AirNav airport data.

The PRM approaches on runway pairs 10C/10R and 28C/28L require dual VHF communications capability, as stated in AIM Section 5-4-15. Simultaneous close parallel approaches are used when the runway centerline separation is less than 4,300 feet — the 10C/10R and 28C/28L pairs meet this threshold.

What is the runway configuration at KORD?

KORD has 8 runways arranged in three groups, all verified from AirNav airport data:

The dominant runway families are the east-west 09/27 and 10/28 complexes, which are used most of the time due to prevailing winds and traffic flow. The 04/22 runways handle crosswind conditions. Active runway selection is determined by KORD ATIS on 135.4 MHz and confirmed with Chicago Approach.

What weather patterns most affect IFR operations at KORD?

KORD's proximity to Lake Michigan (approximately 15 miles east) creates predictable seasonal IFR hazards:

• Lake-effect snow (November through March): Cold northwest winds over warm lake water produce heavy, localized snow that can drop visibility below 1/4 mile within minutes. Cat II/III ILS approaches are regularly in use during these events, and ATC ground delay programs frequently activate.
• Summer convective weather (June through August): Mesoscale convective systems tracking across the Midwest routinely trigger ATC ground stops at KORD. Traffic management initiatives (TMIs) can hold aircraft airborne or on the ground for hours.
• Spring and fall fog: Lake breezes create persistent radiation fog during shoulder seasons, particularly in the overnight and early morning hours.
• Wind shear: Low-level wind shear associated with frontal passages is common and a frequent subject of KORD PIREPs filed with Chicago Approach.

Pilots filing IFR to or from the Chicago area should check aviationweather.gov for AIRMETs Sierra (IFR conditions) and Tango (turbulence/wind shear) and brief KORD METARs and TAFs before departure.

What should you expect on an instrument checkride at KORD?

KORD is not a typical general aviation checkride airport, and most DPEs in the Chicago area will not conduct your instrument practical test there. The traffic density, airline taxi sequences, and ATC workload make KORD impractical for a single-engine aircraft during a two-to-three hour practical test. Your actual flight portion will almost certainly take place at a reliever airport — KDPA, KPWK, or KMDW are the most common in this region.

What DPEs do use KORD for is the oral and scenario portion. Expect the examiner to hand you a hypothetical cross-country flight plan that routes you into the Chicago area, then probe your knowledge of Class B airspace entry requirements under 14 CFR 91.131. You need to know that a clearance from ATC is required before entering Class B, that KORD is an airport listed in 14 CFR Part 91 Appendix D where student pilots may not operate solo, and that ATC will sequence you into the flow — you do not just show up.

Simultaneous parallel approaches are another high-probability oral scenario. DPEs ask about PRM approaches — what they are, which runways at KORD use them, and what equipment is required. The answer: PRM approaches are conducted to closely spaced parallel runways with centerline separation less than 4,300 feet; KORD uses them on the 10C/10R and 28C/28L pairs; and dual VHF communications are required per AIM 5-4-15. Be prepared to explain the Breakout concept — if a blunder is detected by the PRM monitor, the non-blundering aircraft receives an immediate heading and altitude Breakout instruction on the monitor frequency.

Expect the DPE to place your scenario aircraft in a deteriorating weather situation at KORD — ceilings near Cat I minimums, visibility at or below 3/4 mile — and ask how you brief and fly an ILS approach in those conditions. Know your DA from the approach plate, the visual references required by 14 CFR 91.175(c), and the missed approach procedure. Know also that KORD D-ATIS is on 135.4 MHz and that current automated weather is your first stop before copying any clearance.

The broader lesson KORD tests on a checkride is situational awareness in complex airspace. A competent instrument pilot knows not just how to fly an approach, but which approaches apply where, what the equipment requirements are, and how ATC manages the flow. That knowledge is what the DPE is probing when they hand you a KORD scenario.

Practice Questions

1. You are 25 miles northwest of KORD inbound on an IFR flight plan. ATC says "N123AB, Chicago Approach, radar contact, proceed direct KORD." Have you been cleared into Class B airspace?

2. While briefing the ILS PRM RWY 10C approach at KORD, you notice your aircraft has only one VHF communication radio. What is the correct action?

3. ATC issues a Breakout instruction during a PRM approach. What does this mean and what action do you take?

4. KORD ATIS reports ceiling 200 broken, visibility 1/2 mile in snow. The ILS RWY 10L Cat I DA is 1,080 feet MSL. Are you legal to attempt the approach, and what visual references must you acquire to continue below DA?

5. Your proposed cross-country route passes through the KORD Class B. You are flying a standard Category A aircraft. What actions are required before entering the Class B airspace, and what documents must you carry?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What class of airspace is KORD?

KORD is Class B airspace. A clearance is required before entering Class B airspace regardless of weather conditions. Pilots must receive an explicit "Cleared into the Class Bravo" from ATC — a readback of your callsign alone is not sufficient authorization to enter.

Q: What is an ILS PRM approach and why does KORD use them?

A Precision Runway Monitor (PRM) approach is an ILS or RNAV approach flown to closely spaced parallel runways (separation less than 4,300 feet). KORD uses PRM approaches on runway pairs 10C/10R and 28C/28L because their centerlines are separated by approximately 2,500 feet. Dual VHF communications capability is required, per AIM 5-4-15.

Q: Do I need dual VHF radios to fly an ILS PRM at KORD?

Yes. AIM 5-4-15 requires aircraft conducting simultaneous close parallel ILS PRM or RNAV PRM approaches to be equipped with dual VHF communications so the crew can monitor the PRM monitor frequency while on approach.

Q: Is KORD a realistic airport for a GA instrument checkride?

GA checkrides are rarely conducted to KORD — airline and cargo traffic make it impractical for single-engine aircraft. However, DPEs commonly use KORD as a scenario airport for cross-country planning questions, Class B airspace procedures, and simultaneous parallel approach briefings. Know the airspace and the approach types even if you'll never fly the approaches in a Cessna.

Q: What weather phenomena most commonly affect IFR operations at KORD?

Lake-effect snow (November through March) frequently reduces visibility below ILS Cat I minimums and triggers ATC ground stops. Summer convective activity, particularly from June through August, causes frequent ground delay programs. Low IFR with ceilings at or near Cat II/III minimums is common in winter.

Q: What is the elevation at KORD?

KORD field elevation is 680 feet MSL, per AirNav airport data. This is relevant when computing DA/MDA heights above field elevation and when briefing approach plates — all approach minimums reference MSL altitudes, not AGL.

Q: What nearby GA-friendly airports should I know instead of KORD?

DPEs in the Chicago area typically conduct instrument checkrides at KMDW (Midway, Class C), KDPA (DuPage, Class D), or KPWK (Chicago Executive, Class D). These airports have published ILS approaches and manageable traffic levels for a practical test.

Q: Can a student pilot enter KORD Class B airspace solo?

No. Under 14 CFR 91.131(b)(1) and 14 CFR Part 91 Appendix D, student pilots may not operate solo at KORD. A general Class B airspace student pilot endorsement does not authorize solo flight at the specific airports listed in Appendix D, Section 4 — KORD is on that list.

Sources

• KORD Airport Data — AirNav
• AIM 5-4-15 — Simultaneous Close Parallel ILS/RNAV Approaches (PRM)
• 14 CFR 91.131 — Operations in Class B Airspace
• 14 CFR 91.175 — Takeoff and Landing Under IFR
• 14 CFR Part 91 Appendix D — Airports Requiring Specific Student Pilot Authorization
• FAA Instrument ACS (IRA) — FAA-S-ACS-8C

This article was researched from FAA primary sources (ACS, FAR/AIM, Advisory Circulars) and airport data cross-checked against AirNav — drafted by MockDPE. Last updated: May 2026. If you spot an inaccuracy, email corrections@mockdpe.org.