Crazy Street Level HD 737 Landing in Chicago Midway!!!

This is one of the coolest landings I've ever filmed!! Huge left turn right before touchdown! Great close up views of the streets of Chicago! Filmed from the first row on Southwest Airlines! Flight 2863 from St. Louis. 3/1/11.

[@jenconnelly6116]

My father lives a few blocks away and I grew up there. You don't even notice the noise after awhile, it's just part of the background to your day. The freakiest time I remember was after 9/11 when all flights were grounded. The silence from the airport was unsettling to me and my neighbor. The planes used to fly directly over my school which was a pain sometimes (we couldn't open windows).

[@briansierzega]

The MDW slam and jam! Slam her down and jam on the reverse thrusters. They say landing at MDW is like landing on a postage stamp in the middle of a city. I live in Chi-Town and have been in and out of MDW my whole life. Never a dull moment landing there. If you're on approach from the SE..and you're good..you can reach out and grab a White Castle hamburger off someone's plate ;) Great vid man!

[@dpm-jt8rj]

Sorry dude, I didn't mean to steal your thunder, so to speak.

[@martinplaybook]

same with LaGuardia in NY....not a lot of room for error

[@as-guardianangel9360]

Yah, Dallas Love Field too. Very short runway

[@danieloconnell6306]

The landings can be rough at Chicago midway at times

[@forceinfinity]

Can you imagine trying to land on a postage stamp of a runway when the braking action is shit due to weather conditions?

[@LemuelTaylor]

Breathtaking. Those CFM's were singing a glorious tune on that approach. I felt like I was watching a movie in full suspense. Awesome +1

[@mah584jr]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!

[@sams9894]

I love how you just hear the thud of the landing gear, and the immediate deployment of the thrust reversers. No time wasted getting it down!

[@jguy1987]

Landing at Midway over two dozen times myself still gives me an adrenaline rush everytime.

[@mah584jr]

It's a neat little airport! I enjoy my flights there as well!

[@24fletchdog]

They are hard on the breaks their

[@mark031363]

Pilot has to be having good time bringing that puppy in like that.

[@mah584jr]

+sam mich It looks like it would be fun!

[@thaddeusj.wordlaw]

+Mah584jr HD Aviation ikr!!!

[@SouthwestFreak]

I love that engine whine at 2:57. Great video!

[@capflight4105]

Absolutely incredible video. Really captures what it's like to land at Midway!

[@rodddastmalchi312]

At midway there is no nonsense or sugar coating. You just gotta put the plane down as early as possible and stop it before the end of the runway

[@kellydobson8525]

same with burbank

[@dpm-jt8rj]

I know the person who posted this video means well, but, I hate to be the one to tell him/her, that's not uncommon. His/her speed might have been a tad high, but, that is why Southwest keeps a full staff of mechanics at MDW! With a full stock of main gear breaks! I think that might have been either the "McDonalds-2" or "White Castle-3" arrival! If you can read the license plates off the cars at Oils Express, then that would be the "Giodano's-Six!"

[@dpm-jt8rj]

Stolen as it crossed over 55th St! I love that airport! WN drivers are pretty good.

[@Kingbron007]

Rodd Dastmalchi Not so much the airport but for Southwest... Certainly

[@timothyhaskins5020]

Last summer was on a SW flight into Midway after midnight in a bad rainstorm, apparently with a slight tailwind too, according to our pilot who was miffed that the airport hadn't reoriented the approach pattern- he got it down and blasted the reverse thrust literally all the way down the runway- never had a landing any other time when the thrust lasted that long to slow the plane- a lot of passengers with white knuckles that night but fortunately a very competent pilot!

[@tillyboos]

I used to fly Southwest pretty regularly from the Bay Area to Chicago. It's a good airline.

[@mshakir2318]

Awesome video I was raised in Chicago and taking off and landing at midway is my fave gives me an adrenalin rush

[@mah584jr]

Glad you liked the video! Midway is a very unique airport in the way it's set up! Thank you for the comment!

[@400collector]

Love landings. Love the 737. Love when I find a videographer who records the speech after landing.

[@gingerwood1969]

Awesome video!!!! Great sound as well! Landing at MDW is one of my favorite airports to land at because of the hard landing and the hard braking! You literally have to plant your feet hard on the floor to hold yourself back! 👍👍👍

[@warren6815]

This is one of my favourite aviation videos! Those CFM56s sing a beautiful tune!

[@mah584jr]

warren6815 Glad you enjoyed it so much! Thank you for the comment!

[@butchrules7]

You gotta love Chicago! :)

[@joeyrocks2207]

You captured the essence of landing at MDW. Great job !!

[@airplane564]

I like flying into midway especially at night

[@dpm-jt8rj]

That goes on my bucket-list!

[@maulanwong3841]

Boy!!! That was a loud landing! And a powerful one too!

[@midsprat123]

a couple years ago, came into midway flying home from a funeral and that was the only time i have seen the flaps fully extended as we came in over the industrial part of town (many smokestacks)

[@MedicalPhysicist08]

Midway is one of the scariest approaches bar none. You can usually see what people are having for dinner.....

[@braxtonbragg8115]

2011, My last year as an Air Traffic Controller at MDW before retiring. Might have been working that day. Out of the eight airports that I worked at as a Controller, MDW was one of the most fun.

[@mah584jr]

Braxton Bragg It's a neat airport! I bet Chicago air traffic patterns and intersecting runways kept you busy!

[@WarbirdPhoenix]

3:18 Nice capture of another SW heading out from the same runway. Cool.

[@DCussen]

That was badass!!

[@komrad1983]

Textbook positive touch. Love that seat location, there you get real music of those cfm buckets

[@mah584jr]

Yeah, it was well done! Glad you liked the video!

[@kawythowy867]

I fly into this airport 3/4 times a year. Sometimes I split between O’Hare and Midway. They both have there benefits.....I fly from Key West FL to Layover in Atlanta. Then onto Midway if I fly Delta. ....if I fly United or American Airlines I have a straight non-stop flight ‘VERY NICE’ into O’Hare. Always reminds me ‘seeing this video’ of the start of my 17 days vacation. And that is a good thing I look VERY forward to these vacas. Happy New Year everyone.

[@alhenry]

Nice video, Midway approach is amazing.

[@mah584jr]

I agree! It's really cool! Thank you for the kind comment!

[@airbusmad]

Beautiful!

[@walteroppenheimer6222]

Thanks Mah584jr. That is so awesome. I will add that to my list of favorites. You must have been 100 feet above that last industrial building before landing. I could watch this video over and over again and always find something different. Totally cool. Walter

[@mah584jr]

Glad you liked it! I appreciate the comment!

[@alx292520362017]

Very nice vid! Im flying to Midway in a week on an 800

[@walteroppenheimer6222]

I had to watch this several times. You really get to judge your ground speed being so low over a heavily populated area. Having done some flying when I was young, I can tell you this is a pilots dream. ( getting to really work the aircraft ). really great video!!!!!!!! Walter

[@mah584jr]

Yeah, Midway is a neat little airport surrounded by all sorts of neighborhoods!

[@donsmth]

Glad you have this. They no longer use this approach to 22L.

[@johng5710]

A couple times flying into Midway from the west, we actually went out over the lake and then did a 180 degree turn back toward the airport...one of the coolest approaches ever!

[@danieloconnell6306]

Seeing the water and taking a picture when landing into Chicago is cool i also saw a Walmart and a home depot landing into Chicago midway

[@fsaviator4435]

Ok thank you very much!

[@graphicaspect5584]

Amazing view before Landing ! the Road to near the runway :)

[@dlr11164]

In addition, just before crossing the airport boundary the aircraft passes over the parking lot at the corner of 53rd and Cicero.

[@Critter1]

Of course the pilot did that. 😂 I was just on a 737 Southwest to Midway and I got the same thing and maybe lower. Mine was a nice touchdown, BUT HE HAMMERED THE BRAKES!! We also landed on 22L, just like you did.

[@mah584jr]

Critter1 Oh, very nice! It can be very cool landing at Midway!

[@zachmatt3]

Wild ride. One of those turns was really abrupt. Looks like a lot of fun.

[@glasswings21]

i just love midway for this my most fav airport due to its surroundings ...!

[@kyokushinkuma]

This about gave me the same feeling as when I landed at Newark international, nothing but factories and roads around there.

[@robynhigginson9830]

Flying in and out of Midway in 2010 on South West Airlines was a bit of an adredelin rush...flying out to Phonix I had a South West airline pilot (based in Phoenix) sitting beside me and he talked me through the entire take off and what was happening in the cockpit for the first 5-8 minutes of the flight...VERY interesting and when I watch videos from Midway now...that conversation comes back...

[@brownbrownson]

hell yea, short field landing!

[@Helicopterpilot16]

Holy crap! Was that a Lockheed JetStar at 2:01! Lucky catch!

[@phanthom091]

great video, was it windy there because it looked a little shaky but other then that great :)

[@robertlworley]

Yes, it does seem a little lower than I'm used to seeing!! :) But I don't fly all that much (but I LOVE it when I do), and when I do it's usually to bigger airports.

[@danieloconnell6306]

The southwest app is awesome to have on your smartphone

[@AARedSox327]

22L appch is always awesome

[@NVHSChadSheppard1]

That’s a firm touchdown

[@EternalNightsCollectibles]

I've never landed or flown out of MDW when coming to IL. I always go through ORD.

[@airboatkid]

I love flying anywhere

[@BruceWayneWorld]

There is a dark Gotham City feel to Chicago ! Everything is old or industrial from the houses, streets, to the buildings. Plus its always a overcast which creates grey skyys.

[@brownbrownson]

that looks like a fun approach to fly.

[@dlr11164]

RWY 22L at MDW. Cool!! It's necessary to keep traffic in close to the airport when landing on this runway as the Chicago Loop is just 8 miles off the end of the end of the ruway, including the Sear (Willis) Tower.

[@oswaldj.bien-aimepronounce4802]

Man, it was great, HARD landing!!!

[@mah584jr]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@petercriscuolo6180]

These Pilots Are Amazing Those Midway Runways Are Short As All Getout.

[@Ozinater]

Nice! Thats an awesome approach. What seat were you in? I am flying on WN for the first time from BUF-FLL a week from today.

[@briantoth29]

They're making the approach to one runway and then circling to a different one. That's necessary because of the proximity to ORD and is why there was so much low level maneuvering.

[@GOLD1702]

lol awesome! x)

[@danieloconnell6306]

The view of Chicago is pretty cool when landing into Chicago midway

[@mah584jr]

Yeah, it's a neat little airport!

[@mrusa4440]

It also allows for closer spacing on the approach corridor. The longer an airplane is on landing rollout the farther back the next plane on approach has to be.

[@arielg7000]

OMG COOL

[@kosjeyr]

I've only been to MDW twice and that was to and from the 8th Grade DC Trip.

[@marktharp4462]

I landed at O'Hare... quite a trip.. then caught a flight to Miami!?

[@scotty3034]

Landed at Midway many times. The first time was "Where's the fucking runway? Where's the fucking runway? Where's the fucking runway?" And now it's fun hearing Midway first timers saying the same thing.

[@DOLRED]

Midway has always been landlocked. 1972 saw the crash of a United Jet into a nearby neighborhood. You can see its video here by searching "Midway Crash December 1972" The film is done by the CFD and the later part of it is somewhat graphic. The weird part of it was Howard Hunt's wife was killed in the crash carrying a briefcase with $10,000 in cash from Wash DC. Hunt was one of Nixon's cronies and the Watergate matter was just underway at the time. The cause of the crash appeared weather related, no official info was ever made known.

[@mah584jr]

Interesting information! That's cool to know!

[@Geoffr524]

Flew on SWA a few times and went through Midway Airport a few times. Would have been interesting if you had a GPS tracklog of the flight.

[@MrJohn1966elliott]

I love it 💔

[@dpm-jt8rj]

The video begins while in a turn, did you guys have a missed approach before taping? Midway are all low approaches, but I bet that might have been a miss! Those are always cool, when you're riding. If you're driving or if you are the cause of a missed approach, not so much.

[@rileywoods6801]

Looked like a perfectly flown approach and a soft landing!

[@mah584jr]

It was great! It's always exciting on approach to Midway!

[@jbrancs]

Riley Woods approach was great, landing was definitely not smooth though lol

[@Kpoole35]

Haha i don't think it was soft but more average, but yea an awesome approach!

[@GJPrimus]

Wow the pilot was really working them controls on approach.

[@adrianoquendo1827]

God I love the sound of the brakes. Hmmmmmmm

[@mah584jr]

Yes, brakes are good!

[@FromDaHooDBoiz]

great video. in 1:34 I see Celina's Deli, Sophies Tavern( polish Pub), Gilmart parking and Archer Bank.

[@mah584jr]

Thanks! It's always cool when you can pick out your local landmarks!

[@salsajuan317]

Wow! That plane practically sped on the turnoff into the taxiway!

[@chrisnorton4781]

Looks like he did a pretty good job on the approach, What was so crazy? looked like a normal MDW landing to me. BTW, what part of no electronics on below 10,000 feet did you not understand?

[@Helicopterpilot16]

Well Mark! I got my wish! I'm flying from MSP-MDW-STL and back on 4 737-300's! Are you able to walk the entire terminal at MDW? I am going to wait for spring to fly because I want a longer sunlight day and a clean window. I'll probably sit in the back by the flaps for 4 videos and by the engine on the other. I was thinking rows 18 and 6...

[@Moss235]

Yeah I think Midway is a fairly short runway so pilots of jet aircraft have to put it down in a positive way as they don't have that much time to stop, albeit enough time, in UK Bristol has a short runway (27) also with a slope aswell so you find when arriving there you hit fairly hard

[@mah584jr]

Yes, there isn't a lot of runway space to work with so you've gotta make sure you put the wheels down without too much delay!

[@Sheri45myvideos]

***** Yes they have to be on there toes when they land. They always do a good job:)

[@aviationmegadudehd2301]

I travel from Bristol loads

[@ericm1430]

im always nervous flying low like that....done it many times but landing is still a bit sketchy, especially on a windy day

[@TheLufthansa123]

Awesome Video :) first I think they landing on the street :D

[@mah584jr]

Glad you liked it! Midway airport is definitely packed in pretty tight by all the streets!

[@germaniaairline6627]

Best American Airline

[@as-guardianangel9360]

Southwest is better

[@southwest0092]

@@as-guardianangel9360 yeah

[@yingdeng488]

In Midway you just have to land the plane as early as possible and try not to overrun the rwy, the runway is very short

[@Pandacapricorn]

It been awhile i flew in and out of Midway Airport in a long time!

[@maplebacon__]

They're called high speed turn offs :) I guess it kind of improves traffic flow. They're angled off the runway so pilot's can just roll onto them rather than slow right down and make a 90 degree turn off the runway.

[@ripsta1870]

Haha, welcome to rw22... Always good.

[@mah584jr]

Awesome! Glad you liked it!

[@danieloconnell6306]

I have landed into Chicago midway plenty of times

[@thaddeusj.wordlaw]

Fast landing, very fast landing

[@oboyz3848]

TJWAviation not that fast but when your flying so low over residential areas it puts into perspective how fast Your going on landing

[@michaelmurray7199]

I reckon those brakes got pretty toasty during that landing.

[@danieloconnell6306]

Shawtay have you ever been to Chicago midway

[@danieloconnell6306]

The landings into Chicago midway can be rough

[@arifhafizamhamzah32]

That was something

[@12alltel12]

Flightaware has a pretty good log

[@AXAviation]

0:01-0:30 Dat feeling.... Best feeling in the world :)

[@townsendassvlanche7956]

SW used to fly into Detroit city airport makes midway look like O hare.

[@captnfishfiter]

Ouch...that was a hard landing....

[@quadpumped34]

was it flying below glide path? Technical problem? Landing looked pretty fast too.

[@mah584jr]

Nope, this is a normal approach into Chicago Midway!

[@TheTraveler976]

flying southwest next week to midway...

[@wbenne100]

I would love to fly this approach myself...

[@r.m.gutierrez2207]

Is Midway the new Kai-Tak?

[@as-guardianangel9360]

The flight attendant said "Welcome to Chicago-Midway, our home base". No, Dallas-LoveField is the Southwest home base

[@click789101112]

That just means the crew is based there.

[@as-guardianangel9360]

@@click789101112 oh, makes sense

[@danieloconnell6306]

Lauren Nicki and Gerald kenning have you ever flew southwest airlines