Polar air routes?
 

I figured this would be an appropriate place to ask, since I know we have a few pilots on the forum...

I live nearly directly north of O'Hare on the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Over the last couple years I've begun to realize that I frequently see airliners flying directly north over town, usually in the late afternoon. These are big, sometimes four-engined planes, way too much plane needed to fly to Milwaukee. And they're still low enough when I see them that I can only figure they've recently left O'Hare.

What little I know about ETOPS regulations is that they changed in recent years, such that many routes are different now than they used to be. So I'm guessing that these planes I'm seeing are intercontinental filghts.

Are the flight routes arranged these days such that there are flights to Europe/Asia flying directly north out of O'Hare, over the North Pole?

Not a direct answer, but most intercontinental flights do a northern arch. I believe it's a shorter distance than a straight line, probably has alot to do with winds as well. Don't know about flying over the North Pole, I think that's unlikely. But just a guess

Can't say for sure about O'Hare, but it is most likely a departure procedure to initially get them away from the East-West traffic until the airspace is less congested (north), before sending them overseas.

Most airliners fly the NAT tracks east and westbound when going overseas, and their coast-out points vary up and down the east coast. The Europe stuff is all located in the same general area - North and near Canada's Goose Bay. There, the airliners will receive their oceanic clearances and leave the radar and VHF environment for the North Atlantic crossing environment which is of no radar and UHF communication/position reporting only.

This will take them across the pond south of Iceland and into their coast-in fixes, usually over Ireland and talking to Shanwick control on the other side.

Hope this makes sense!

I posted this about a year and a half ago! But glad to hear an answer from an actual pilot, I figured I would eventually... just not this long after!

Anyway, thanks.