Fighter jets taking off at O'hare? (Chicago, Oak Park: to live, military, airport)

[Alsgirl2002]

I moved to Oak Park in June. I grew up in Hanover Park, and we had a fair amount of airplane noise being under the typical holding pattern so it's nice to live where there isn't too much lane noise,even though we are pretty close to two airports. That being said, there is a periodic large roar of plane noise to the west,which I originally attributed to what I thought were large cargo jets. That is until one day this past august, I looked up to the west to see if I could see the plane making such an impressive roar. To my great surprise, I immediately saw a very, very tiny triangular shaped silver plane flying straight up into the sky. Looked suspiciously like a fighter jet to me, but I've only seen them at the air show so I wouldn't really know. From time to time I hear this roar and think t myself, "there they go again launching those fighter jets." Now tonight for nearly a half hour they have been taking off every couple of minutes. What's going on over there? Anyone else see these so called fighter jets?

[Lookout Kid]

There was a small Air Force Base at O'Hare, but it closed in 1999. But they do still occasionally fly in military aircraft for various reasons. It's not impossible that a fighter aircraft took off from O'Hare, but I know that the Chicago Air and Water Show flies them in from somewhere further south (possibly Indiana?).

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Alsgirl2002

there is a periodic large roar of plane noise to the west,which I originally attributed to what I thought were large cargo jets. That is until one day this past august, I looked up to the west to see if I could see the plane making such an impressive roar. To my great surprise, I immediately saw a very, very tiny triangular shaped silver plane flying straight up into the sky

In all actuality, most cargo planes are quite quiet (Boeing 747, 777, 767, etc), minus the older MD-11. As for the fighters, its not uncommon to see them at ORD, but seeing them take off in rapid succession is what I find weird. And regarding their silver coloring, I cant think of a fighter with a silver finish. There are gray-painted jets of course, but not silver. Im wondering if youre seeing the older MD-80/90 aircraft in the older American Airlines silver livery. Theyre small, narrow-bodied liners with swept back wings and rear-mounted engines. And truth be told, they are the loudest jets currently operating in and out of ORD. And by loud, I mean LOUD.

[Icaller1915]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

There was a small Air Force Base at O'Hare, but it closed in 1999. But they do still occasionally fly in military aircraft for various reasons. It's not impossible that a fighter aircraft took off from O'Hare, but I know that the Chicago Air and Water Show flies them in from somewhere further south (possibly Indiana?).

So true, O'hare was used as a military facility by the United States Air Force, but then they shut it down. The facility was called "O'hare Air Reserve Station", it was built in 1944 and used by the USAF for 55 years. The Airport is still active, but is in-use by civilian aircraft and sometimes military aircraft also take off and land at O'hare Airport as well.