DuPage Tower General Operating Procedures

Department of Transportation
Federal Aviation Administration
DuPage Air Traffic Control Tower
DuPage Airport
2710 International Drive, West Chicago, Illinois 60185

Tower 120.9/124.5/257.8
Ground Control 121.8/121.625
Clearance Delivery 119.75
ATIS 124.8
UNICOM 122.95

Issued: April 1, 1997

DuPage Airport is a very unique airport considering its proximity to Chicago O'Hare and their associated Class B airspace, the airport layout, the numerous runway configurations, the vast mix of air traffic from aircraft devoted to training and pleasure flying to multi-million dollar corporate jets and, of course, the Chicago area weather. In 1996, DuPage Airport was Illinois' third busiest airport with over 191,000 operations. Not surprising, 1997 operations to date have already seen a 28% increase in traffic from the same period last year. What does all this mean? It means that we must work together to provide a safe and expeditious flow of all aircraft utilizing DuPage Airport. Use this letter as a supplement to the FAR's & AIM, both of which should be familiar reading for the pilot. Pilots can assist the controllers at DuPage greatly by applying the procedures listed below.

• Keep traffic in sight and maintain VFR at all times. This is one of the most important items to remember. While operating in a Class D airspace, all aircraft, including those on an IFR clearance, are required to be on the lookout for other aircraft. Too many pilots operate under the false assumption that separation is provided at all times during the flight. Issuing traffic to aircraft in the air is given when time permits. The controller's main responsibility is to ensure separation on the runways and taxiways. When traffic has been issued for you to follow and you have lost sight of your traffic, advise the controller and they will point out the traffic again or inform you when to turn from your current pattern leg. Do not start your turn on your own if you are not 100% certain of your traffic to follow or avoid.
• Listen to the entire ATIS. Prior to contacting the Control Tower, listen to the ATIS on frequency 124.8. Be sure to listen to the Entire broadcast otherwise you may miss important information about closed Runways or Taxiways, combined control positions, Braking action reports or other pertinent NOTAMs.

  Listen before you transmit. This will avoid blocking out an aircraft or controller on the frequency. Be certain the radio volume is turned up. Also, do not transmit if an instruction has been given to another aircraft and the controller is waiting for a readback from that aircraft.

  State ALL of the following information on initial contact:

  • TYPE AIRCRAFT: Cessna, Cherokee, King Air, Citation, etc.
  • FULL CALL SIGN: 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-Alpha-Bravo, etc.
  • POSITION: At J-A, 1-0 Miles west, Over the Boys School, etc.
  • INTENTIONS: Departing northbound, Touch and Go's, etc.
  • ATIS CODE: Information Oscar
  • ADDITIONAL INFO: Student Pilot, request progressive taxi, etc.
• "The pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible, and is the final authority as to the operation of that aircraft" as stated in the FARs. Listen carefully to the instructions given. If you are unable to comply or do not understand the instructions, advise the controller immediately.
• Read back Runway Assignment. This is one of the newest requirements when taxiing out for departure. It is Mandatory.
• Taxi to the full length of assigned runway. An intersection departure MUST be requested by the pilot or assigned by the controller. If you are unable to accept an intersection departure, it is the responsibility of the pilot to advise the controller. DO NOT BACK TAXI ON RUNWAY UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO.
• When ready for departure, advise the Tower controller of sequence if not number one. There is no need to restate the direction of flight unless it has changed from the information you provided to the ground controller.
• Transponder with Mode C capability required. DuPage's Class D Airspace lies within the Mode C veil of O'Hare's Class B Airspace. A waiver can be obtained for an inoperable Transponder by calling Chicago TRACON at (847)608-5654.
• Contact the Tower prior to entering the Class D Airspace. DuPage's airspace extends up to 3300' MSL (below 3000' MSL just east of the airport under the O'Hare Class B) and a 5 mile radius from the center of the airport. If you are unable to contact the Tower because of frequency congestion and an emergency does not exist, Hold outside the airspace until you can establish contact and receive clearance to proceed inbound.
• Use extreme caution in the vicinity of the DuPage VOR. The VOR is located just outside our airspace and numerous aircraft overfly the VOR everyday without contacting DuPage Tower. Unless their flight enters our airspace, the aircraft are not required to contact us.
• Give accurate position and distance reports. Pattern entry and landing sequences are based on your reports. To aid both you and the controller, become familiar with the local VFR reporting points. For example, when instructed to report crossing the Fox River, please do not report until you are actually over it.
• After landing, proceed without delay to the FIRST available exit and Taxi clear of the runway. The tower controller may elect to taxi you to your destination after coordinating with the ground controller. If you have received your clearance from the Tower, it is not necessary to contact Ground.
• When instructed, Contact Ground AFTER exiting the runway and not before. THEN, do not proceed onto the taxiways without a clearance so as to avoid possible head-on situations. State your position and destination on the field to the Ground Controller on initial contact. Listen carefully to the taxi route, if given, and remember, Read Back of all hold short instructions are Mandatory.
• DuPage Tower CANNOT Authorize practice instrument approaches. All instrument approaches into DuPage are controlled by Chicago Approach Control and they can be reached on frequency 133.5.
• Kankakee AFSS RCO Frequencies 122.3 and 122.55. These frequencies are located on the airport and can be used for filing/closing flight plans, weather briefings, etc.
• ALL Itinerant Parking is at the Flight Center. The Flight Center is located below the Control Tower and open 24 hours. As of this writing, they are the only location on the field for fuel services. All other parking on the airport is limited to local based aircraft or aircraft doing business with one of the many FBO's.
• DuPage Tower is operated continuously. We welcome visits by pilots and students during normal administrative hours Monday through Friday (0800-1600), or by appointment. During administrative hours, you may reach the office by calling (630) 584-0464. Pilots needing to contact the tower cab for information can call (630) 584-0464 at any time. Please call Kankakee AFSS for all DuPage weather updates. We welcome comments concerning our service.

Michael C. Ficocello
Air Traffic Manager
DuPage ATCT