C90 CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING LCL TFC MGMNT ARR FLOW PROCS AND NEW RESTRS PROHIBITING CTLRS TO INITIATE MI IN TRAIL.

Narrative

ON DEC/THU/06; AT THE WKLY CTLR TEAM BRIEFING; CTLRS WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD NO LONGER BE ALLOWED PLACE MI IN TRAIL RESTRS ON THE ARTCC. THIS TOOL HAPPENS TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE TOOL THAT HELPS CTLRS MANAGE ARR TFC INTO ORD AND MDW. ALL WE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO IS ISSUE SPD RESTRS AND PLACE FIXES IN THE HOLD. AS A RULE; WE SLOW FIXES FROM 300 KTS TO 250 KTS; THEN 250 KTS TO 210 KTS; THEN ADD MI IN TRAIL RESTRS; THEN WHEN NECESSARY AND AS A LAST RESORT; HOLD FIXES. YOU WOULD THINK THIS MAKES SENSE. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE USER; THERE ARE PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES; WHO DON'T WEAR HEADSETS; THAT THINK DIFFERENTLY. AT XA45 I WAS ASSIGNED THE E ARR HDOF POS. I NOTICED THAT THE RWY 22R FINAL WAS COLLAPSING; FORCING THE ARR CTLR TO RUN AT LEAST 5 MI ON FINAL TO END UP WITH NO LESS THAN 2.5 MI AT TOUCHDOWN. WHEN A HVY OR B757 WAS THROWN INTO THE MIX; WE HAD TO RUN A MINIMUM OF 7-8 MI ON THE FINAL. I IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THE SUPVR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THE ARR FIXES AT LEAST 10 MI IN TRAIL AT 210 KTS. ANYTHING LESS WOULD FORCE US TO HOLD FIXES. I USED TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE CTLR AT THE CTR AND KEEP FIXES FROM HOLDING. NOW I HAVE TO ADVISE THE TRACON SUPVR; WHO MUST THEN ADVISE THE TRACON TMU; WHO MUST THEN ADVISE THE CTR TMU; WHO MUST THEN DO I DON'T KNOW WHAT; WHO MUST THEN ADVISE THE CTR TMU; WHO MUST THEN ADVISE THE TRACON TMU; WHO MUST THEN ADVISE THE TRACON SUPVR; WHO MUST THEN LET ME KNOW IF I AM ALLOWED TO ISSUE THE MI IN TRAIL RESTR OR JUST GO INTO THE HOLD. IN THE MEANTIME; AIRPLANES ARE EATING UP THE MI TOWARD ORD; AND ALL WE CAN DO IS WATCH. I ENDED UP PUTTING MKE AND FARMM IN THE HOLD AT XB50. ORD WAS LNDG RWY 22R AND RWY 27L. THE WIND WAS 220 DEGS AT 16 KTS. ORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON RWY 14R/22R/22L. THIS WOULD HAVE GIVEN US ENOUGH CONCRETE TO KEEP THE USER FROM HOLDING; TO KEEP THE USER OUT OF DELAYS AND TO SAVE THE USER MONEY. SOLUTION: 1) GIVE US BACK ALL OUR TOOLS AND LET US DO OUR JOB. YOU LEAVE US ALONE AND WE WILL GET IT DONE AND WE WILL BE EFFICIENT. 2) HAVE ORD TWR LEARN HOW TO WORK ALL RWY CONFIGNS; SO THAT WE CAN BETTER SERVE THE USER. 3) KEEP THE PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES; WHO DON'T WEAR HEADSETS; OUT OF OUR WAY.