ZAU CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT PROCS CONTAINED IN ATC HANDBOOK HAVE BEEN CHANGED; BUT QUESTIONED THE PLT KNOWLEDGE BASE.

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ACR X; A LEAR 60; DEPARTED MKE ON AN IFR FLT TO HPN. I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT THE EMPIRE SECTOR IN ZAU. THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO ME NORMALLY AND CHKED ON THE FREQ AT FL320. I HAD NO CONFLICTING TFC FOR THE FLT AND CLRED IT TO FL410; WHICH WAS THE REQUESTED FINAL ALT. THE ACFT REACHED ITS CRUISING ALT AND ALL WAS NORMAL. A FEW MINS AFTER LEVELING AT FL410; THE ACFT BEGAN TO SQUAWK CODE 7500. THIS WAS DISPLAYED ON MY RADAR SCREEN AS THE LETTERS 'HIJK' FLASHING OFF AND ON IN THE FLT'S DATA BLOCK. I WAITED APPROX 15-20 SECONDS TO SEE IF THE FLASHING WOULD CONTINUE; WHICH IT DID. THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS THAT I TOOK; TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE; FOLLOWED ALL PROCS OUTLINED IN THE 7110.65 AS WELL AS ALL TRAINING I HAVE EVER RECEIVED ON HANDLING HIJACKED ACFT. I ASKED ACR X TO 'VERIFY SQUAWKING 7500' TO WHICH THE PLT RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. THIS WAS THE LAST XMISSION THAT I HAD WITH THIS FLT. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE SUPVR THAT THIS WAS OCCURRING AND WENT ABOUT HANDLING EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE SECTOR NORMALLY. MY INTENTION AT THIS POINT REGARDING ACR X WAS TO CONTINUE HANDLING THE FLT NORMALLY AND AWAIT ANY REQUEST OR DIRECTION FROM THE FLT CREW PER MY TRAINING. SEVERAL MINS LATER THE SUPVR CAME BACK WITH DIRECTION FROM THE OPS MGR WHO GOT HER DIRECTION FROM THE DOMESTIC EVENTS NETWORK. THE DIRECTION WAS TO HAVE ME ASK THE CREW IN PLAIN ENGLISH TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE SQUAWKING HIJACK. I QUESTIONED THE DIRECTION BECAUSE THIS WAS CONTRARY TO FAA PROCS AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT; CONTRARY TO MY TRAINING; AND CONTRARY TO WHAT THE CREW WOULD BE EXPECTING FROM ATC. THE SUPVR WENT BACK TO THE OPS MGR TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WAS THE DIRECTION THEY WANTED ME TO CARRY OUT. WHILE THE SUPVR WAS RECONFIRMING THE DIRECTION; MY D-SIDE CTLR HAD COORD WITH SURROUNDING SECTORS SO THE COMS OF ALL OTHER ACFT IN MY SECTOR (WHICH WAS ABOUT 8-10 ACFT) COULD BE XFERRED AND MY FREQ WOULD BE CLRED OF ALL ACFT EXCEPT ACR X. THE SUPVR RETURNED TO THE SECTOR AND IN FACT CONFIRMED THIS WAS THE ACTION THAT WAS TO BE TAKEN. I WAS COMPLETELY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS DIRECTION NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT WAS CONTRARY TO THE FAA'S OWN PROCS; BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY THIS WAS NOT WHAT THE CREW OF ACR X WOULD BE EXPECTING TO HEAR OVER THE FREQ FROM ATC. THE LAST THING I WANTED TO DO WAS SURPRISE THE CREW WITH THIS TYPE OF LANGUAGE OVER THE FREQ. AS A PLT; IF I WERE IN THIS SITUATION; AND ATC ASKED ME IN PLAIN ENGLISH ANYTHING REGARDING A HIJACK OR ANYTHING AT ALL FOR THAT MATTER; I WOULD BE MORTIFIED. THE SUPVR WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING OF MY CONCERN AND AGREED AT MY REQUEST TO TAKE THE FREQ FROM ME. I TURNED THE SECTOR OVER TO THE SUPVR INFORMING HIM THAT THE ONLY ACFT ON THE FREQ WAS ACR X. THE SUPVR ONCE AGAIN ASKED THE CREW TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE 'SQUAWKING 7500' TO WHICH THEY AGAIN RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' THE SUPVR THEN ASKED THE CREW; 'IS EVERYTHING OK IN THE COCKPIT?' AT THIS POINT THE CREW SOUNDED CONFUSED; RESPONDING WITH LANGUAGE SOMETHING LIKE; 'OH; UM YES; UM WHAT FREQ SHOULD WE BE ON; I MEAN WHAT SHOULD BE SQUAWKING?' THE SUPVR ISSUED THE SQUAWK CODE THE FLT ORIGINALLY WAS ON; WHICH I BELIEVE WAS 'ACR X.' THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE CODE INTO THE XPONDER; WHICH WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY. THE CORRECT CODE FINALLY WAS ENTERED AND THERE WAS FURTHER CONVERSATION BTWN THE SUPVR AND THE FLT CREW; BUT I CANNOT RECALL EXACTLY WHAT WAS ALL SAID. THE TAPE RECORDING WOULD REVEAL THE EXACT CONVERSATION. BY NOW; THE FLT WAS WELL ACROSS THE BOUNDARY AND INTO ZOB AIRSPACE. ALL NECESSARY COORD WAS BEING ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE EVENT. THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO ZOB/ECK SECTOR AND I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT ALL HAPPENED FROM THAT POINT ON. THE FAA HAD PROCS IN PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT AND IF NOTHING ELSE; IT ALLOWS THE FLT CREW TO KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT FROM ATC IF THEY ELECT TO SQUAWK 7500. AS A PLT; I WOULD EXPECT THE FAA TO FOLLOW THE PROC. THE FAA DID NOT. ALL THE CONVERSATION SUBSEQUENT TO THE ORIGINAL CONFIRMATION ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING IN MY OPINION EXCEPTTO POSSIBLY ESCALATE THE SITUATION. ALSO; IN THE FOLLOWING WKS; THE FAA HAS CHANGED THE PROC ON HOW ATC IS TO HANDLE A HIJACK SITUATION. THE NEW FAA ORDER IS 7110.49D. THIS ORDER INCLUDES THE USE OF 'PLAIN ENGLISH' TO DETERMINE THAT THE FLT IS GETTING HIJACKED AS WELL AS COMMUNICATING ANY OTHER INFO OPENLY. THIS CAN BE INITIATED BY ATC. I PERSONALLY HAVE NO PROB WITH THE FAA CHANGING THE PROC; BUT WHAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT NOW IS IF THE FLT CREWS THAT FLY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE AWARE OF THIS.